The momentum is building as several stakeholders await the opportunity to dialogue with Government representatives in the first of a series of discussions on the all-important challenges of the crime situation confronting the country.
The troubling issue of the unprecedented homicide rate for 2017 and the underpinning issues will form a key part the dialogue.
Minister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security, Hermangild Francis, says several burning issues will come under scrutiny.
āThe agenda will include several broad-based topics such as the proliferation of gangs, illegal weapons, and youth at risk,ā Francis said. āWe also have key presentations to be made by the Police just to highlight a few areas. We are encouraging all stakeholders who have been invited to make the effort to attend and to be heard at this symposium.
āOf course, the issue of national security is a very pressing one and it has implications for the business sector, civil society, government representatives and the wider public. We are looking forward to a very healthy level of engagement that would give hope to our nation and signal a new direction for us.ā
The crime symposium will take place on Friday, November 24 at the Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Energyās Conference Room at Union.
As individuals move from childhood to adolescence, family influences diminish and peer groups play an increasingly prominent role in learning deviant behavior. It is in these peer groups that the first availability and opportunity for delinquent acts are typically provided. The strong co-relation between delinquent behavior and delinquent friends is well documented in scores of studies from the 1950s through today. Many young persons have problems managing their emotions due to a lack of trust and self worth. They are not able to succeed by conventional means, and because of their limited options, due to child poverty and a lack of education, engage in devious acts to gain status and accumulate wealth. A number of these individuals are high school drop-outs seeking to create a new economic identity. These points highlighted are contributing factors to Juvenile delinquency. I do hope that the Crime Symposium addresses the issues facing our young future leaders.