Crime out of control

IHAVE just read The Chronicle February 15 wherein criminologist Suzanne Reich calls for a “healing approach” ahead of detention and imprisonment for youth offenders. I read the article more than once so as I did not misunderstand anything Dr Reich was saying.

I hear exactly what you are saying but with due respect enough is enough. The community is fed up with all the do-good small talk – it wants action and it wants it now. russell Wilson, Toowoomba

SO IT looks like we are getting, or have, the ‘honour’ of being the crime capital of Queensland. Not something to be proud of.

When they took our guns a few decades ago, that was going to be the end of crime and violence, but not to be. Now knives, fists and whatever is at hand is used. Sheer violence is so often used. Often as we see with fatal results.

Our citizens padlock their homes now, older citizens lie in constant fear and not without good reason.

We are the car stealing capital of our state, and to be honest it is basically the same group doing most of it.

The police know who they are, they arrest them and get the culprits in the cooler for the night, but so often that’s where it ends.

The legal system lets us down. Offenders appear before the courts, only to be told to be good and released again.

Most commit a new crime in a short time and the process is repeated over and over.

This week we have a meeting of concerned persons, but guess what? The venue won’t hold all those concerned we’d need a stadium, so large is the problem and our premier isn’t even offering the courtesy of her presence.

We need a solution and we need it now. ray Harch Toowoomba