Dear Editor,
A few evenings ago, during a police clampdown on illegal taxis and buses, my young friend was caught up all alone in the dark when her ride dropped her off near the hockey field on Mona Road. She was left at the mercy of God.
Her heart started to flutter in her chest when she saw two suspicious characters coming towards her. They circled her then pulled out two long, shiny knives. She described the smaller one as about 10 years old, and the bigger one, perhaps, 18. Interestingly, though, the more vocal and threatening of the two was the 10-year-old.
At the time they pounced, she was by then near to her gate. In a sharp move, she pushed her hand into her bag, stunning them both a little. She meant to retrieve her key, but maybe they thought she had something else or, more likely, they didn't want her alerting the other occupants of the home. The baby criminal gave her a solid tongue lashing and promised to get her next time.
Related or not, a few minutes later, word came that two fellows who were hanging out by their gate on Garden Boulevard were held up by two gunmen. My first question to my young friend was: "Did you call the police?" She hadn't. Sadly, many crimes go unreported. So, as bad as we think things are in Jamaica, I think, in reality, it is much worse. Had the police been called, maybe they would have had a vehicle in the area -- if they had a roadworthy car at all. Maybe there was a motorbike duo that could have been dispatched or re-routed. Maybe they would have been taken off the streets even for a while. Maybe one or both of those lives could have been intercepted and changed for the better, or maybe they could have been taken down for good.
I am not naïve; I know that social conditions can breed a life of crime and violence. Unemployment, hunger and crime go hand in hand, but this is no ordinary crime; this is violent crime by a child. I am a staunch supporter of the police, but I abhor police brutality, excessive force and abuse of power. That said, had one of the two been shot by the police, I can imagine how vociferous the mother and her band of 'brothers' would have been about 'Babylon'. I would love to see mothers being equally vociferous in imposing discipline and supervision over their budding criminals at home. Please, don't leave them to roam the streets like wild goats and be the worst they can be.
Sandra M Taylor Wiggan
sandra_wiggan@yahoo.co.uk
Good parenting can reduce 'baby criminals'
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A few evenings ago, during a police clampdown on illegal taxis and buses, my young friend was caught up all alone in the dark when her ride dropped her off near the hockey field on Mona Road. She was left at the mercy of God.
Her heart started to flutter in her chest when she saw two suspicious characters coming towards her. They circled her then pulled out two long, shiny knives. She described the smaller one as about 10 years old, and the bigger one, perhaps, 18. Interestingly, though, the more vocal and threatening of the two was the 10-year-old.
At the time they pounced, she was by then near to her gate. In a sharp move, she pushed her hand into her bag, stunning them both a little. She meant to retrieve her key, but maybe they thought she had something else or, more likely, they didn't want her alerting the other occupants of the home. The baby criminal gave her a solid tongue lashing and promised to get her next time.
Related or not, a few minutes later, word came that two fellows who were hanging out by their gate on Garden Boulevard were held up by two gunmen. My first question to my young friend was: "Did you call the police?" She hadn't. Sadly, many crimes go unreported. So, as bad as we think things are in Jamaica, I think, in reality, it is much worse. Had the police been called, maybe they would have had a vehicle in the area -- if they had a roadworthy car at all. Maybe there was a motorbike duo that could have been dispatched or re-routed. Maybe they would have been taken off the streets even for a while. Maybe one or both of those lives could have been intercepted and changed for the better, or maybe they could have been taken down for good.
I am not naïve; I know that social conditions can breed a life of crime and violence. Unemployment, hunger and crime go hand in hand, but this is no ordinary crime; this is violent crime by a child. I am a staunch supporter of the police, but I abhor police brutality, excessive force and abuse of power. That said, had one of the two been shot by the police, I can imagine how vociferous the mother and her band of 'brothers' would have been about 'Babylon'. I would love to see mothers being equally vociferous in imposing discipline and supervision over their budding criminals at home. Please, don't leave them to roam the streets like wild goats and be the worst they can be.
Sandra M Taylor Wiggan
sandra_wiggan@yahoo.co.uk
Good parenting can reduce 'baby criminals'
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