Recent headlines in the newspapers remind us that violent crime is alarmingly on the increase in the country. Murder, rape, baby dumping and armed robberies have crept into suburbia and even into small villages in the country.

In the past, incidents of crime in the country were saturated with mainly sporadic theft cases. But recently, there has been a gruesome shift to more dreadful and horrible crimes.
No one has to be reminded of the tragic death of a fula man in Kombo Central, who had his head chopped off and eyes plucked out by his blood brother and the brutal killing of babies by their mothers, the gruesome death of Ebrima Nyan, sporadic rape incidents and a torrent of violent crime. People can't help but wonder how safe we really are in our small country.

The officers and personnel of our national security apparatuses should be recognised for their hard work and devotion to the protection of civilians. They are keeping us safe.
However, the sharp upsurge in crime and criminality and the presence of a catalogue of violent criminal cases in the courts must be an awakening call.

As Bob Dylan once penned, you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. By the same token, you don't need someone to tell you crime is on the increase in the country. We can see it plain as day.

Most of these crimes are imported. Interestingly, the vast majority of these crimes are perpetrated by foreigners who abuse our liberality and hospitality to inflict atrocious havoc on the civilian population.

It's easy to downplay the reality, partly because it seems this spike in activity has become an annual trend. However, anyone who has been following the developments in the newspapers remembers the multitude and frequency of incidents that occur.
Imagine how much worse it will get if the rate at which these crimes occur is not cut back. Our safety and lives are on the line. Thus, the need for urgent and immediate action.

Our approach to combating crime must be robust and consistent. In the past, we were reactive with regards to crime prevention. It was only after a crime had taken place that people would try to do something about it. It is high time that the security forces and the general public become more proactive about crime.

The police should break away from the old fashioned system of confining themselves to police stations or security posts to wait for reports or signals.
One way to fighting crime is to put more police officers on the streets and neighbourhoods. Our police and other security services should put in place mechanisms to detect and prevent criminal activities.

One way of ensuring this is to have more security officers patrolling areas where criminals abound. The deployment should be adequate enough to meet the cry from the public for protection and safety.

This effort at increased crime fighting does not come without a substantial cost. But since putting more police officers on patrol and rapid response to crime are in the interest of public security and safety, we should be supportive in every way possible.

Society should give as much information on crime and criminality as possible. We should stop harbouring criminality in our own backyards and expose criminals and their nefarious activities with alacrity.