Drug users and snatch thefts

Recently, there had been a surge in cases of snatch thefts. I was particularly saddened by the case that had occured two days before, on two youngsters who were high on morphine who had killed a lady, her son and a maid.

[And I thought morphine was uncommon among local drug users!]

Anyway...
I remember last December when I was scouting for female sex workers on the street for a research I was helping out, I met an ex-prison officer from Melaka. It was midnight as he took me and Doc to a midnight tour around the town to look for sex workers.

He told us an interesting "prediction" of his.

He said that from a social point of view, Malaysia will not feel the (social) impact of the economic downturn that had hit us late last year until this year (2009).

Now I do not stigmatise or discriminate people just because they are drug users or sex workers, or in this case, any of the groups often despised by (a great majority of) the public. But the ex-prison officer told me that he worked with many drug users and he knew that the economic downturn will make life even more difficult for them.

Difficult in the sense that there would be less odd jobs being offered, more retrenchment, the price of drugs may even surge along with a reduction in supply.

They will (or may, rather) resort in commiting petty crimes, like snatch thefts; especially when they are in need of monies to get their drug supplies.

One of the difficult things that constitutes the process of getting off drug addiction (or drug use) is the pain that one feels during withdrawal. This was a comment made by an officer involved in counselling drug users that I had met.

I thought that it would be impractical to expect the police to boost up measures to reduce petty crimes because there is already (as I see with my naked, without-make-up eyes!) that there are a gazillion dozens of youngsters out there, who are (already) caught in the entanglements of the living-on-the-street culture.

Since he left home, he has been in and out of trouble, the result of living on the streets and sleeping in the back alleys of Kuala Lumpur. Invariably, life on the streets like an urchin turned him into what he is today.

This is a quote that I had read on Raja Petra's blog, an entry about his sincere apology to the nation on the news about his son's recent act. I respect him for his stand in upholding what he preaches and sincerely felt that this apology is unnecessary.

Back to the story, it is only feasible that we ourselves can take practical measures in ensuring our safety; simply things like holding a pepper spray (or the secret code "Pep-see" as my dad would call it) when we walk on dark or deserted alleys (if we really cannot avoid it); locking the car right after getting into it; be alert of whether a motorcycle is trailing us (from the rear mirror) as we are driving and so on.

I had experienced many false alarms due to my serious concern about safety, as I travel or move around alone when Doc is not around, the adrenaline had not halted my obsession in taking precautions to ensure me, my friends' and families' safety at all times.

It is scary, really.