By Adama Makasuba
David Kujabi, former spokesman for the Gambia Police Force has proffered that skills education could help to reduce the rise in crime in the country.
He linked the rise in crime and drug-related cases and the rise in unemployment rate among the nation’s youth.
“In order to stem the rise in crime, our education system needs to cater well for skills jobs. Employment opportunities must be made available. Furthermore, the proliferation of drugs and their use needs to be immediately curtailed. Besides the current correctional system, I suggest a legislation that will introduce Community Services for offences that do not carry heavy sentences,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
According to him, the problems of these youths are compounded by the easy access to prohibited drugs. The quest for survival can drive these youths into violent crime.
When they go on a theft or a robbery spree, they could make thousands of dalasis from stolen cash or stolen items from a single operation. This makes it lucrative, despite the dangers, he said.
“Sometimes, these criminals get arrested and are prosecuted and sent to jail. However, the reality is that instead of a correctional facility, the prisons provide a place for the socialisation of criminals. Most of these come out of prison with greater knowledge in burglary and robbery. And since they go back to being unemployed, they go back to crime but in a more sophisticated way,” he added.
He continued: “With a youthful population of almost 60%, most of them are unemployed and have little hope of getting employment. The urban area is teeming with an unemployed youthful population most of whom have no guardians or someone to care for them. They are left to survive on their own in a country where even the employed ones are struggling to survive.”