THE EDITOR, Sir:
WHEN I was at Primary School, there was a classmate of mine who was well known as a bad boy. Almost every day our principal would "cane" this fellow, but he would return to his normal pattern of badness. Today, this fellow can be seen in a major town in a rural parish eating out of garbage pans. I suspect that this particular person had a mental problem that was not diagnosed when he was younger.
Isn't it strange that although there is a new security minister and new police commissioner and even an imported high-profile police officer from one of the best police forces in the world, the level of crime is still climbing? Why is this so?
The level of crime and the type of crimes being committed in this country are getting progressively worse. Gunmen are actually killing children and the elderly. Is this a sign of mental health problems in our society?
While the authorities are taking policing more seriously, we must also focus on the assessment and treatment of the mental health of our people. It is clear that we are becoming anti-social and we are reaching a point where we will not be able to live with each other.
Whenever a society reaches this stage, behavioural scientists and mental health practitioners should be used to re-socialize the people, because at this stage, the ordinary police will not prevent the crimes and asking people to conform to societal norms will not work either.
But all the social changes will not prevent a mad person doing crazy things.
I am, etc.,
CARLTON FEARON
fearon@cybervale.com
Mandeville
Via Go-Jamaica
