More Pantins, less criminals

THE EDITOR: Bodybuilder and personal trainer Jawan Pantin is a fine example for the community of East Port of Spain to follow. Too many times negative things are said about this community and it is my hope that more youth who are involved with gangs and drugs will give up this senseless lifestyle and begin to dare to dream like Pantin and do positive things for this nation.

This is another wake-up call to our nation’s youth to, “Dare To Dream,” in the midst of a corrupt, barbaric and violent society. Women are being raped and their throats are being slit by heartless criminals. Stress levels are running high in this nation, while patience is running low but there is still hope. Pantin is proof that you can be successful and make your friends and loved ones proud by simply believing in yourself and dedicating your life to your passion.

The world has been literally transformed by men and women who dared to dream. Men like Mahatma Gandhi who dared to dream that the Indian people could have been set free from British rule; men like Barack Obama who dared to dream that he could become the first black president of the United States of America and that a change is coming. Martin Luther King dared to dream that a time will come when men and women will no longer be judged by the colour of their skins, but by the content of their character.

By addressing the factors that lead to crime, neighbourhood crime prevention is an important strategy in the fight against crime because it affects the fear and perception of crime as well as the actual prevalence of crime. If members of the community are participating in crime prevention, their perception and fear of crime may also reduce. There are many different approaches to neighbourhood crime prevention.

The attempt is to establish a cohesive and socially aware community where crime cannot flourish. Also, we need to teach our young men and women to pursue positive dreams and reach for the stars.

We need to engage in a concept called target hardening in crime affected areas. This technique involves making it physically more difficult for the potential offender to engage and be successful in criminal activity. Installation of dead bolt locks in doors, the latest anti-theft devices, using steering wheel locks for cars, and putting iron bars on windows are just a few examples of target hardening. The recent surge of cybercrime has made it increasingly necessary to address issues of privacy. Computer users must protect themselves from victimisation by installing the latest software that has the ability to defend against potential intrusion by hackers and other cyber criminals. Citizens can take an active role in preventing crime, preventing victimisation and reducing the fear of crime on Nelson Street and other crime affected communities.

We need more Pantins and less criminals.

SIMON WRIGHT

Chaguanas