Letters: Caning needs to be in the mix to curb 'wild-west behaviour'

A reader suggests bringing back caning to reduce gang violence. Photo / Getty Images

What to do with gang problems in Tauranga?

Having attended the public meeting at Baycourt last Thursday, I found that was the question overhanging at the end of that gathering.

The answer is simple and staring everyone in the face.

In our liberal-capitalist society where there are liquor stores on just about every corner, where recreational drugs can be taken openly, where our hard-core unemployed are paid to stay at home and the goal of reducing prison numbers by a third helped by a tag and release policy for criminals, we now have a perfect storm.

This situation has allowed the evil and feral to thrive.

Corporal punishment needs to be in the judicial mix in the form of a graduated scale of caning and this would largely stop the suffering of so many of our innocent victims.

Over time there would be a considerable drop-off in the need for prisons and mental health institutions and our police and hospitals would be spared the extra workloads of our current wild-west behaviour.

It is important that this proven consequence be picked up and acted on by politicians if we are to extinguish the widespread misery prevalent in our society. (Abridged)

Doug Morris
Tauranga

Begging law not broken, don't fix it

The begging law was put in place because there was a problem with these people harassing etc the general public.

I have seen no information or evidence of what problem the law itself has caused other than some moral stance.

Councillors - if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Put your efforts into addressing the homeless issue instead of shifting the problem back into our retail area.

B Ingram
Pāpāmoa

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