Violence on our streets

Feb 26 2008 By Gavin Simpson (Web user)

I have just finished watching Wasted Nation on BBC Scotland, it angers and frustrates me that presenter Glenn Campbell and Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill were trying to blame alcohol and drugs for being the biggest contributing factors to violent crime on our streets today. Every time members of the audience and other panel members tried to look at different views it was always turned back round to cheap alcohol. I do realise drink and drugs do cause some issues, but I don't believe that is the root cause of the problem.

Does our Justice minister not see that the biggest issue is with the sentencing of the people convicted of these violent crimes that is the problem. Society is fed up of these mindless attacks and the total lack of respect for human life, my family and I have recently suffered a second attack on my brother who was only trying to get some quiet so that he could get his daughter to sleep. We have been fortunate that he is still with us today but the people who carried out this attack and others of a similar nature don't care as they know that the justice system is inadequate and they can get quite literally get away with "murder".

It is getting to the stage where most people are frightened to go to the Police and report incidents as the people responsible are nearly always allowed back onto streets and turn against them. In my brothers case my family and I had numerous calls, all telling us the same thing but they did not want to go to the police in case of repercussions. The government must start looking at the punishments that are handed out, make sure that the sentences given by the court are served and not just half the sentences are carried out as happens in most cases.