RUDOLPH Giuliani did it in New York with his zero-tolerance methods of solving crime levels and was hailed a hero.

John Penberthy, chief executive of a security firm in Johannesburg, was so impressed with Mr Giuliani's success that in conjunction with the Cape Town Police Force he has reduced crime in the central business district by 80 per cent.

In turn, the Chief Constable of the Metropolitan police in London wants to check out the Johannesburg success, which is commendable but probably a waste of a Business Class air fare.

When the police bring anyone to justice in this country, judges such as Lord Woolf want to let off the scum of the land with light sentences.

There is barely a day passes that a mugging or worse is not reported in the Evening Press and this is in a sleepy little tourist town of York not a big city.

The next government of this country will hopefully be one that addresses this problem properly and, if required, will build more prisons not equipped like a luxury hotel.

If the problem is not addressed the hard-working, law-abiding people of this land will become so fed up they will have no choice but to sort things out themselves.

R Waite,

Windmill Rise,

Holgate,

York.

Updated: 08:42 Saturday, November 13, 2004