Just been reading the letter page on BBC website addressing this issue and this is typical of some of the letters:
"Being 21 years old, I got out clubbing a lot in places across the country. The majority of people who carry out street crime are these chavs who have very little intelligence, I think me need to go back to torturing these little pikes see how they like it. I mean even in Clockwork Orange the thugs of the future seem to be intellectual".
I shake my head in despair at the level of ignorance and hostility one part of society has towards another. How will attitudes like that lead to real solutions and change things for the better for everyone.
I don't know what the answers are but ignorance like this does not help anybody.