Safety and security under threat

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa 06 May 2018, 12:00AM

This much is undeniable. There is a crime wave slowly but surely sweeping over this country. 

There are growing incidents of petty theft, worsening violence, rape and the alarming number of drug cases namely ice.

Today, we must as proud citizens of Samoa, feel duty bound to do our very best to eliminate this threat.

We say this because these criminal elements give Samoa such a bad name and it ruins the reputation many hard working Samoans have toiled over the years to develop in relation to safety and security.

When we speak of the common ills of today, we are talking about horrifying incidents of innocent people being robbed and beaten in public places. 

There have stabbings reported from throughout the country, which have led to unnecessary loss of precious lives. 

Robberies and theft have become so commonplace. Elsewhere, rape, incest and sexual abuse have become regular occurrences. 

How many more women must suffer from growing incidents of domestic violence? What about young children who are physically, mentally and sexually abused by people who are more powerful than them? When will this end?

And then there is also the fight against drugs, especially hard drugs. The number of drug busts in the recent past where the Police have uncovered ice, weapons and cash is truly alarming. And in some cases, these drugs are passed around in very public places. That tells us some people simply just don’t care about law and order.

Folks, this is our reality today. 

The fact is a series of heinous criminal offenses being committed quite regularly now has left many members of the community feeling very vulnerable, angry and frightened. They have reason to since law and order appears to be under threat and no longer respected. 

That said, we accept that in the world today, unruly incidents such as the ones we’ve highlighted above have pretty much become part and parcel of everyday living. Besides, they are not confined to Samoa.

But it doesn’t mean that this should be the norm. 

Indeed, we must do our very best to fight this threat. Everyone has a role to play. From the Police officers, government workers, church workers, village leaders to young boys and girls all over Samoa. 

What we want to say is that this is our country and it is really up to us to make it better. No one else will make Samoa better unless we take ownership of it and turn into the country we know it can become.

The truth is that part of the problem in Samoa is there is so much idleness in this country as a result of unemployment. You and I know the reality. 

Today, hundreds of children and young adults do not attend school. In villages near Apia, they hardly have anything to do. That means they have a lot of energy to commit crime because there are no jobs where that energy could be channelled productively.

And that’s not all. With all these young kids on the streets, refusing to go school for one reason or another, they will only grow up to make our problems worse.

The way we see it, they too will become a menace to society by going on to steal, rape, assault and rob innocent people. And the vicious cycle will continue unabated.

What do you think? How can we turn things around? Write and share your thoughts with us?

Have a beautiful week Samoa, God bless!

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa 06 May 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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