Another critical issue is the democratisation of the police, with elected community boards – a major issue with drug dealers and drug houses is the policy of ‘containment’, where the police tolerate it in working class, as this keeps it out of the wealthier parts of towns and cities. More democratic oversight over the police would lead to an exposing and abolition of these policies, as well as reducing the other abuses committed by police, such as racial profiling, brutality etc.

The last paragraph in this article nails an important action – to get out into the communities to find out directly from the people what’s happening, their concerns, and ideas for solving problems and creating opportunities.

Good point about some on the left being reluctant to blame criminals or support police and prison solutions. This is the p.c. disease that afflicts many lefties. Ask most minorities in crime-infested neighborhoods if they want the chronic offenders off the streets or drug houses torn down or refurbished and sold to needy residents and you’ll get more yes responses than no. Ask students at crime riddled schools if they’d like the bullies and violent offenders out of the classroom so they can learn and you’ll here yes more often than no.

The fact that the victims of criminal behavior are overwhelmingly poor and minority is overlooked too often in the discussion of crime and punishment. Yes, we need alternatives to the traditional prison system but we also need safe neighborhoods and schools. Discussion of any solution to these dilemmas must include those who are affected directly by the mayhem. Pundits and pontificators can’t purport to speak for the masses when they have never or are no longer part of that world. The foot soliders and regular Joe/Janes in communities must be listened to and included in any solution to the crime, or any other, problem affecting their lives. As Left Luggage says, failure to do so only fertilizers a breeding ground for extremist groups and more racist attitudes.