Stop the revolving door for petty criminals. It's not working.

I was waiting for my train at King's Cross last week and saw a young man, no older than 18, being led away in handcuffs by two rather weary-looking police officers. He'd apparently shoplifted a few bottles of expensive whiskey. It’s the third time this month I’ve seen something similar at that station. It made me think of the endless cycle of petty crime and the disproportionate resources poured into arresting and prosecuting individuals for minor offences, only for them to be back on the street hours later.

This constant churn isn't making anyone safer, and it's certainly not rehabilitating these individuals. Our current approach feels like a bureaucratic merry-go-round that benefits no one. We need to shift focus from punitive measures for low-level, non-violent offences towards robust diversion programs and community-based support.