Having spent many years in the policing profession, I am disappointed but not at all surprised at the current dilemma with criminal activity. For 40 years we have seen successive, mostly Liberal, governments neglect the punishment side of the equation. From the Juvenile Delinquents Acts to the Young Offenders Act to the current and toothless Youth Criminal Justice Act, there has been absolutely no deterrent to anti-social behaviour. Through personal experience over decades, I have seen inaction in the courts. One cannot be surprised at the current level of violence when the priority is to release criminals both before sentencing and after conviction. This whole situation was predicted by many people responsible for protection of the citizenry. But for years they were seen as having vested interests and ignored. [continues 58 words]
We have a HUGE drug problem in this country. Supervisor Mary Hill should be intimately aware of it by now, but many Republicans who have not had such personal experience still approach the issue from a limited perspective. The problem I am referring to isn't drug abuse; it's how our society addresses :"illegal" drug use. We have been fighting the so-called "war on drugs" for over 30 years, yet the war isn't against drugs, it's against people. [continues 721 words]
