Prevention cheaper

I merely implied that this may be the reason why this person has turned to crime, because maybe there is no role model at home, or perhaps it is learnt behaviour from having served time in prison already. For the record, there is no way I condone this person’s actions and I will never encourage such anti-social behaviour.

I do not think for one minute that the hard economic times will turn every young person into a criminal. But I would like to turn this on its head for just a moment. This “pathetic, moronic buffoon”, as Mr Culverson originally described him (Gazette letters, August 31), planned and executed a crime which netted him around £200 in about 10 minutes.

If this person is never caught, he has made £200 tax-free, more than a lot of people earn after tax in a 35-40 hour week. His actions will cost all of us law-abiding, tax-paying people in society extra, in some way or form.

If the police catch this pathetic, moronic buffoon, there will be another massive cost to society at an average of £25,000 a year, to keep him in prison. I merely try to point out that prevention is better than the cure.

Mr Culverson also sent out a rallying cry to round this person up and make sure he was sent to prison, in my mind a very narrow directive. It is this statement that angered me, because he is feeding thoughts to people without any looking at the facts, and in my letter I tried to assume why this person had found the need to steal and how society, yes, you and me, have failed this young person.

Something or someone has turned this young person or man into a thief, when there may not have been anyone around to guide him in a more positive life choice.

Yes, crime has to be punished, but at a very high price to law-abiding, tax-paying people who are feeling the squeeze. Prevention is cheaper than custody and that is where I would prefer my money to go.

David Alderton

Downs Way

East Preston

Editor’s note: this correspondence is now closed.