Letter of the week: 'Police have lost the streets'

To tackle this we need to drop the politically correct approach to policing.

Officers should be given adequate powers to stop and search and be armed with sprays, tasers and, if needed, guns to take back control of our streets. Banging up criminals in drug infested prison’s is not the answer.

This only deals with the consequences and doesn’t address the root cause.

The problem is that we reward the young, stupid and feckless who have children.

We give them benefits and provide them with housing so they do not have to face up to the responsibility that parenthood should bring.

Fathers walk away from their commitments with impunity and society is expected to pick up the pieces.

Not surprisingly children brought up in strained circumstances, dependent on the state become disillusioned and feel they are at the edge of society.

Boys who lack a male role model look for other ways to grow their self-esteem and street gangs fill the gap.

What is the solution to these knifings and scooter crimes?

Reward couples who have children, stop putting single parents at the front of the benefits queue, impose a strong community policing policy and give the police the support they need to tackle lawlessness.

Scott Andrews,

via email.

Last week's Letter of the week: "Austerity is affecting people's mental health"