00:00 Minister of National Security for Gerald Hines says as the country struggles with
00:04 the crime situation, thousands of possible solutions pass through his mind
00:08 constantly and he is aware that fixing the problem to which there is no magic
00:13 solution requires all hands on deck. However, according to Hines there is a
00:18 growing malfunction in society from a theory that has been pushed for years
00:22 where justification is being made for those who commit crime by using poverty.
00:27 He says quote, "that if a boy is poor, though had nothing from the ghetto,
00:32 unemployed and such like, he is justified or quite right to rob, steal, assault,
00:39 brutalize, threaten, extort, shoot or even kill others to take what they have.
00:44 However, poor or though have, a boy might be, the decision to commit crime is a
00:50 decision that he must take separate and apart from any real or perceived poverty.
00:56 If not, many of us who have had it even worse would have been serial criminals."
01:01 End quote. According to Hines, there are widespread opportunities in the country
01:06 and the region making this link between crime and poverty a near worthless
01:11 argument. The minister knows the theft of a car over the weekend by youths who he
01:16 says were all armed with guns. This led to a high-speed chase by police who
01:21 according to the minister were highly trained and responsive. He says quote, "in
01:26 the mirth, one badly wounded, another dead. I feel sad. I ask myself who is chaining
01:32 up these youth and why are they being taught the story of a loser." End quote. He
01:38 has also made mention of the young man who killed police officer Dale Myers and
01:43 is now in police custody. The minister further states quote, "when will they learn
01:48 that the wages of sin is pure misery and that ill-gotten gain is of little or no
01:54 real value. I suspect that the use of drugs has a lot to do with some of this.
01:58 They are being sold, fed certain dangerous drugs which removes from them
02:03 the restraints, the cares and concerns that a normal human being may
02:07 ordinarily carry." End quote. Hines is expressing sadness concerning the state
02:12 of affairs which he calls needless but he states that the fight for justice,
02:16 peace, truth and honesty will continue as he calls on parents, guardians, families
02:22 and friends to step up and assist. Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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