Colonel Trevor MacMillan takes the Oath of Office during his swearing-in as government senator and minister of national security at King's House, St Andrew, yesterday.

Minister of National Security Colonel Trevor MacMillan begins his first full day in office today, in his quest to push a multifaceted approach to crime.

Minutes after being sworn in as a senator and Cabinet minister yesterday, MacMillan told the media that, while he wants the security forces to be tough on criminals, he will push for a coordinated attack on the social conditions which create them.

But that does not mean that the criminals will be given a break.

The security minister said some criminals now roaming the streets would have to be "caged".

His position echoed that of Prime Minister Bruce Golding who announced that he is to meet with representatives of several social-services agencies today as part of a wide-scale assault on crime.

Addressing the factors

According to the prime minister, the meeting is part of a plan to address the factors which are breeding criminals.

He warned that the criminals now wreaking havoc on the society would not be allowed to continue their mayhem while the social problems are being addressed.

"Even while we tackle that (social problems) in a more concerted, more deliberate way, we cannot say to the criminals that 'we working on the causes so we soon come'," the prime minister said.

The prime minister called on the nation to offer support to the new minister of national security, arguing that the country had become too cynical, presuming failure rather than making a contribution to ensure success.

Golding warned that MacMillan was neither a "Superman" nor a "miracle worker" who would instantly solve the country's crime problem.