We in Cayman have like many other countries seem to have an increase in home invasions and aggravated burglaries, robberies of small business and street muggings.

We in Cayman have like many other countries much talk and long term strategies, one is even called, “the Crime Reduction Strategy”.

Early intervention programmes that receive positive feedback …… from whom?

We in Cayman have like many other countries domestic task force strategies, on site farms, now a BARK project where prisoners adopt a dog to help with rehabilitation.

We in Cayman have like many other countries Family Support Unit, the Ministry of Community Affairs, Gender & Housing, the Department of Counselling Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Crisis Centre, etc.

We have meetings on crime, and the police hold community meetings with poor attendances from the public. There is mistrust of the police. There are accusations of racism with white, mainly UK officers getting preferential treatment.

Websites are full of blogs from well meaning people crying out for something to be done, and we have the hate blogs making spurious accusations against everybody but themselves who have written the blogs.

We even have the Chamber of Commerce president calling for a meeting with the National Security Council (NSC) querying what it has been doing for the last five years,

We have recommendations from advisers with the word “should” added to define success. This SHOULD help, we SHOULD see positive results, this SHOULD make a difference, this SHOULD reduce the crime numbers, this SHOULD make children aware of what life in prison is like, this SHOULD stop prisoners re-offending, etc., etc

Talk, talk, and more talk.

Where, oh where are the results?

Too early to see the results of all this talk?

When is early too late?

Recidivism which has been recognised as a significant problem for many years, is the answer being given.

I would use the word “relapse”.

Why do prisoners who have served time relapse and continue to do it again.

Does this mean the prison isn’t doing its job. It’s meant to be a harsh punishment but it is also a place of correction. To correct someone from committing a similar offence.

You cannot do this just by locking the person away.

And the main reason for the increase in crime is, in my humble opinion, us.

Whilst we have such an imbalance with the poor and the wealthy and no work being offered to persons of below average education, then crime will continue and get worse no matter what long term strategy is put in place. Recidivism will be the norm and new criminals will enter the mix.

Gang warfare flourishes where there is poverty and when the victim needs to feel wanted.

No amount of talk, talk, talk is going to change that.

We are so good at talk but so poor with the results we want.