Effectively minimizing criminal actions is a complex endeavor especially in the context of rising crime rates. While some people think that the issue can be easily addressed with an enhancement in the number of police officers outside as well as the prisoners inside, it is my strong belief that the root causes stem from economic hardships and inadequate education.
Admittedly, poverty is the primary culprit for the escalating property crimes rates. Those living in disadvantaged areas suffer a severe lack of viable necessities, resulting in many individuals turning to crime as a means of survival. Initially, they tend to commit minor crimes such as pickpocketing or theft, but over time, the seriousness of these crimes may surge as they have to sustain their habits for their livelihoods. Besides, poor education is to blame for this on-going social crisis. This is because those being deprived of educational opportunities lack the knowledge and skills needed to secure them a job of survival. There is a saying that: “Idleness is the root of all evils.” Indeed, unemployed people have ample free time to make a detailed plan and execute criminal activities.
The way I see it, governmental interventions should focus on addressing these root causes. They should improve access to education to equip the people with workplace readiness skills, enhancing their employability to secure well-paid jobs. Moreover, jobless people or entrepreneur businesses should be provided with some financial support to start their careers, which would help them release their financial burden and meet their basic living expenses. If these are done, the government can ensure that people from all social backgrounds can have the resources they need to support themselves, eventually preventing them from any intent, though minimal, to commit crime.
Having said that, there are some people who approve of strengthening the police force and putting criminals into prisons. They assume that someone commits serious crimes such as bank robbery, murder or rape, must spend a long period of time behind bards. However, I would argue that this approach of tackling crimes can cause more harm than good. This is because there have been a lot of cases of abuse of power and misconduct recorded among policies, where punishment is prioritized. This may even exacerbate the relationship between the security force and the community, thus creating social traumas.
To sum up, solving crimes is a real challenge but I still believe that by offering unemployment benefits and job training programs, we have already made a big movement in mitigating criminality and promoting a more equitable society.