I am so very fed up with this crime situation. It appears as though the criminals are making a statement to the country that they can do as they please and all we can do is either become victims or sympathetic bystanders in the whole ordeal.

Now crime has been no stranger to T&T especially since 2002. However since 2010, when some kind of action was taken to curb the crime situation, it seems as though we hit a "jep" nest. Like wasps these criminal elements move hither and yon, finding innocent people to take advantage of.

Every day precious lives are lost. Now houses are being firebombed. I see our Ministry of National Security trying to do something about this.

These crimes are mainly in the hotspot areas on the outskirts of the capital city. Therefore the issue was to reach out to those people in ways that could facilitate some sort of "upliftment"– for example the Hoops for Life initiative and the Colour Me Orange project and a job recruitment facility.

But these measures have not appeased them and crime is still on the rise. What is the next step?

Any logical leader can understand the reasons why the Government has to resort to taking strong action against the criminal elements who are trying to hold the country and its citizens to ransom.

These people must pay for their deeds and be made an example of. I stand firm as an advocate for hangings and the soldier-police initiative.

Others are standing against it stating that it looks like a war zone in hotspot areas, but it already looks like a war zone even without the military presence. These 'wasps' are wreaking havoc on the land. Are we supposed to negotiate with them give them motivation to continue? I think not, in fact the authorities should let these people get what they deserve.

Denyse Small

Malabar