My 76-year-old neighbour was mercilessly gunned down by an unknown assailant when he answered his door in Middle Park on the evening of Thursday, 17 August. Thank goodness his wife, who is a doctor, and his daughter, a nurse, were on the spot to provide medical support until the ambulance arrived. Just three doors down from my own home, this incident makes me reconsider our security in this relatively peaceful seaside suburb.
Bad things can happen to good people, perpetrated by individuals who seem to have no moral fibre and nothing to lose. The police are investigating, and hopefully, some CCTV security footage may be found to shed greater light on this unprovoked attack.
However, incidents like this—home invasions, street crimes, and attacks—appear to be worsening nationwide. Just the other evening, the news reported a woman who sprayed a tram full of commuters with pepper spray. Knife attacks seem to be a daily occurrence, and criminal groups are settling vendettas in broad daylight.
What has been happening in our society that allows wrongdoers to get away with such acts with little or no consequences? A slap on the wrist, and they are back on the streets to reoffend. Our courts and judges seem to be out of touch and too lenient on repeat offenders. Meanwhile, our politicians appear to be turning a blind eye, focusing on helping these offenders rather than the victims. The police eventually catch them, but the courts let them go.
In our own neighbourhoods, we face rampant street crime, drugs, violence, and homelessness, which have turned most of our retail strips into no-go zones. Our council and politically-aligned councillors seem to be doing nothing to confront these problems head-on. They appear to think that if you live in a house you've worked for, you're evil, and if you've done nothing and earned nothing in your life, society owes you a living. This mindset needs to be addressed. We live in a society where everyone needs to contribute to the community, not just take and take. There needs to be serious, harsh consequences and punishments for crime. An eye for an eye...
This violence needs to stop, and our council must start taking decisive action to prevent further escalation.
Photo by Max Kleinen on Unsplash
