‘Stemming the Crime Wave: The Role of Law and Society’
The recent spate of murders has sent shockwaves throughout the
country. Even the toughest individuals have been moved to tears by these
horrendous and senseless murders. The recent murder of five members of
the same family in Delgoda rocked the very conscience of the Nation
which has seen a fair share of violence due to the North-East conflict.
This crime wave is the issue that we will be focusing on next month
in the Daily News debate. The topic will be ‘Stemming the Crime Wave:
The Role of Law and Society’.
The Delgoda incident is by no means an isolated incident. Over the
last few weeks, newspapers published horrid details of several other
multiple murders. Open any newspaper, especially from the vernacular
press, or switch on the news on TV and you will be assailed by news of
murders, rape, child abuse, robbery, gang killings, kidnappings etc. The
widespread use of illegal firearms is another worrying factor.
The country’s crime rate has gone up in an alarming manner. Many
blame the law enforcement agencies for failing to address this issue.
They do have a point. On the other hand, the law enforcement authorities
are stretched to the limit and face manpower problems. It is also
practically impossible to prevent every crime.
But this does not have to be so every time. The society does have a
role to play in stemming the tide of crime. Public vigilance is vital to
prevent not only acts of terror, but also crime.
It can be as simple as informing your local police station about any
suspicious characters in the neighbourhood. Vigilance Committees, in
vogue sometime back, can be re-activated. Schools and religious
institutions should also help this effort by moulding good citizens.
What should really be done to contain the crime wave? Are tougher
laws needed? Should the prisons system be reformed? Should Police be
strengthened and given better training?
What should be the role of law and society ? Do send your views on
this issue to Daily News Debate, Daily News, Associated Newspapers of
Ceylon Limited, PO Box 1217, Colombo, or via e-mail to [email protected]
Fax: Debate, 2343694 before June 15, 2007. |