Man shot in the neck, girl gagged and tied, disabled teenager slain, and a man butchers his wife were some of the articles that were published in the last two weeks. How have we come to this?

The recent crime reports are disturbing. It shows a breakdown of society, how systematic negligence of social issues over the years has led to a growing crime problem, and how elected leaders are not focusing on key issues.

The current government cannot be held alone responsible for the types of crime that we are witnessing. All governments that have been in power until now are to blame. Over the years, there has been very little done to upgrade law enforcement, having enough numbers on the ground, having better pay for the police, modernising laws, creating awareness on the laws, social issues have not been addressed and not focusing on education.

Politicians have to take the blame for this as well. For decades, elected officials have not focused on social issues. They are more focused on how things would benefit them. Poverty, lack of education and crime are interrelated social issues. How often have we heard parliamentarians talk in parliament about eradicating poverty in their districts? Can any politician stand up in or outside of parliament and claim that all children in their constituency are in school or that there are no families who would be going without dinner?

The moment elected officials start doing what they are supposed to be doing, we will see improvements. We do not need self-serving leaders. We do not need leaders who will come and splash money before the elections, rope voters in and for five years do very little until the next election is around the corner. That has been happening, and that is why we are here today.

We have elected leaders who, instead of putting a stop to gun importation, are saying, we need more guns to kill pigs, but instead of pigs, more humans are getting shot. There is a meth crisis. It has already been established that the Pacific has become a key market and not a transit point for organised criminals. Women and children are being abused, and in many cases, these reports do not reach the police because it is about shame. Thefts and break-ins are on the increase. Fights have become common.

Poverty breeds crime. This is not a statement out of thin air, but proven in all economies. To decrease crime levels, poverty needs to be addressed. There is only one solution – education. Make education accessible and free. Bring teachers under the civil service banner and ensure that children can get to school, do not have to worry about paying for education and have teachers in classrooms when they reach school.

This will not happen overnight. If we start now, in the next two decades, a better-educated society could lead to low crime levels. Through education, we can help the future generation have a better understanding of the law. Right now, it is a sad thing to say, but many police officers are not versed in the law themselves. Education can change this. We can have a prosperous society, but it will take commitment from elected leaders to be selfless. They need to stop looking after their agenda and focus on what is best for their districts and the nation.

Ask the judges and they will tell you that even tough sentences do not work. Locking people away and throwing the keys is not working. The number of incarcerated is increasing and soon we may need to extend the prison facilities. Meth is lucrative because those involved are doing it for the money. For some, this is the way out of their struggles. Child vendors are used as runners. These child vendors are out there because their parents did not get access to education, and the same is happening to them.

Wake up, leaders, wake up, people. Enough is enough. There is still time to nip the problem in the bud, the question is, will our leaders do the right thing?