On crime, it's the same old, same old

THE EDITOR: Having just read Simone de la Bastide's letter to the newspapers, I am reminded about the two occasions crime touched me personally.

The first one was when four men broke into my home and I was awakened with a gun pointed at my head and a knife to my throat.

In the the second one, we were attacked with a cutlass and tied up, on both occasions we thankfully were not harmed except of course for the mental trauma. This is happening all over the country and except for some politicians talking ta-ta, when it comes to crime, it’s the same old, same old.

This problem has been with us for many years. My first attack was in 1985.

I am not a criminologist like some of my friends but the law continues to let the criminals free by providing them access to bail. Now bail is one thing but at what juncture should bail be refused? After three times or four, five...how many?

The other thing is, what about the bail providers? Not having much information on this aspect of it, I will “get in my lane,” but it seems to be a kind of symbiotic relationship which probably smells.

GORDON DALLA COSTA

Port of Spain