By Theophilus Gant
Theft. Vandalism. Late-night disturbances involving shouting and (on at least one occasion) an entire wheel of brie thrown in protest. The Inner Village — once a proud district of commerce and character — now finds itself plagued by a slow rot of lawlessness.
Petty crime may not bring down a city, but it hollows it from within. It wears down shopkeepers, discourages foot traffic, and encourages those who might otherwise speak out to keep their shutters drawn.
What has caused this shift? Many point to the thinning presence of patrols, the overburdened courts, or the unfathomable new bail policy allowing repeat offenders to be released with little more than a nod and a strongly worded scroll.
I point instead to a failure of civic imagination.
We have asked too much of our constables and too little of our councils. We have funded theoretical streetlamps but not practical boots. We have allowed minor violations to go unpunished, thinking them too small to matter — forgetting that broken windows lead to shattered trust.
The Crown must act, yes — but so must the community. Crime flourishes not in the dark, but in neglect. Reclaim the streets, repaint the shutters, and for heaven’s sake, let us put the brie back behind proper locks.