02.09.11
PM promises to deal with problem families
Prime Minister David Cameron has called for tough, systematic intervention to deal with rioters and turn around the lives of thousands of problem families by 2015.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, focusing on the aftermath of last month’s riots, Cameron said: “For some of the children who've ended up in this terrible situation there was probably a failure in their background, in their families.
“There probably was a shortage of not just respect and boundaries but also love. But you do need, when they cross the line and break the law, to be very tough. So to me tough love sums it up, that's what we need.”
Cameron stated that the riots and their consequences should be used as an opportunity to strengthen society and rebuild the economy, which he said will be prioritised and delivered by the Government.
He promised that funding would be found to deal with these families, which would save money in the long run if their problems were improved, saying: “There's lots of contact with these families, but no-one's actually working on the family, to get into that family and work out what's actually wrong and put it right.
“Tragically, we also saw people who were just drawn into it, who passed the broken shop window and popped in and nicked a telly. That is a sign of moral collapse, of failing to recognise the difference between right and wrong.
“I think we all need to have a wake-up moment in terms of exercising our responsibilities.”
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