Peter Bunting's assertion reported in the news media last week calling on the ruling party to simply change its existing policies regarding crime in Jamaica is, in my opinion, a futile exercise.

It is obvious that as time and criminal elements changes - strategies, the laws and the existing methods of fighting crime must follow suit and must be updated or, in other words, improved upon. Leaders should recognise by now that they have been changing policies and personnel for years and crime is still escalating simply because of worsening social conditions brought on by the relentless financial fall-outs in the world and locally.

It would appear to me that the Government just doesn't have the resources to cope. Criminals just change when the policies change. What I think is needed is a constant and relentless 'beefing up' of the current policies that will outdo the criminal elements. Rats, roaches, crime and prostitution have been with us since the beginning of time and will be here with us until the end. Controlling these elements to the best of our ability is the only best thing we can hope for because we'll never be able to eradicate them. Simply changing policies are just like starting all over again and this will, in my opinion, never see the results we so desperately seek.

I am, etc.,

FRANK HILL

Red Hills, St Andrew