Crime

RULE 1: In Order to Solve a Problem, You Must Understand It!

The Deputy Police Chief of a GTA Regional Municipality explains the reasons behind an increase in the number of shootings, “The reason for that increase is absolutely connected to extortions, organized crime and the international drug trade.”

Sorry, Mr. Deputy Police Chief, GTA Regional Municipality… extortions, organised crime, and the international drug trade are crimes and criminal activities. They are not the root causes of crime.

THE CAUSES of crime are: warped values; a culture of permissiveness, disrespect, and egocentricity; poor child rearing practices; lack of discipline; family breakdown and absentee fathers; the erosion of personal agency, reputation, self-respect, and character; the decline of proper social etiquette; the worship of the dollar; the move to monetary and material measurement standards; and the decline in ethics. 

RULE 2: In Order to Solve a Problem, You Must Be Prepared to Admit the Problem and Accept Responsibility for It!

Dancing around the problem and pointing to it, without tackling it, is a typical political behaviour. 

EVERYONE, LOOK IN THE MIRROR. This requires a massive TEAM EFFORT.

My preliminary observations indicate that residents of Scarborough Centre are a step ahead of the rest of the City.  They are respectful, as demonstrated on our TTC buses. There are some amazingly well-behaved, respectful, and well-disciplined children in the riding – children of all ages. My congratulations to their parents.  Still, we have much work to do.

RULE 3: In Order to Solve a Problem, You Must Want to Solve the Problem. You Must Have the Will to Solve the Problem.

A multi-facetted and complex strategy to eliminate the culture of crime would include, among other initiatives, the following solutions (simplified):

• Public campaigns promoting:

  • • RESPECT for others, the property of others, and public resources

    • COURTESY, especially aimed at all road users, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders

    • ABSTINENCE, no consumption of poisons – whether or not they are legally permitted substances. Training of children shall include those in daycare and elementary schools.

• Offer those with substance addictions two choices – treatment or jail. Note that treatment is also provided in prison. Reminder: one’s substance addiction is a danger to others.

• As there is an increasing tendency to measure outcomes in dollars, and as people tend to understand financial costs, every and all of the persons, organisations, and other private and public entities that are responsible for supervising, feeding, housing, training, and guiding minors shall be fined when those minors under their supervision, guidance, or care commit crimes. The fines shall be directly related to the severity of the crimes. Those who have a problem with this, may review the Dog Owners’ Liability Act R.S.O. 1990. Also note the gap in language and communication skills between humans and animals.

• The Ontario minimum wage must increase to $25.00 per hour, effective January 2027.

• Families First. Parental authority supersedes all. Those who do not understand the human parent-child relationship, may refer to that of animals and their young – dogs, cats, cows, etc.

The Critical Role of Parenting in Youth Crime Prevention: The role of parenting is frequently overlooked in public debates about youth crime. However, parenting plays a foundational role in the prevention of violence by shaping a child’s emotional development.

• Emotional Regulation: Early childhood bonding and secure attachment teach children how to manage anger, frustration, and impulsivity.

• Supervision and Boundaries: Active monitoring, knowing a child's peers, and enforcing boundaries are among the strongest protective factors against delinquency.

Training Required: Train every child to respect others, the property of others, and himself, to follow the rules, to listen to mommy and daddy and those persons of authority that may from time to time supervise him, to be courteous, well-behaved, and honest, to always do his best, to accept responsibility for his errors, to communicate with adults in a polite and respectful manner, to know that there are consequences for failing to understand the difference between right and wrong and good and bad, and to know that he will always be judged by his behaviour.

This requires that those responsible for training and supervising children are exemplary role models, fully dedicated to the task, trustworthy, and, ultimately, responsible for the children’s behaviour.  

Note that these adults can expect the children to hold them to account for any misdeeds.  This provides a closed loop of reciprocal behaviour monitoring with cumulative advantages for society at large.