They say that those who abuse children, women or older people get their real punishment when they are let loose in the prison common quarters.

Considering that the jail sentences imposed for such crimes are often very lenient in comparison to what the victim goes through, many would say that it is a measure of justice.

What we are talking about here is crimes against those who are vulnerable. And often, those who are the most vulnerable are the most trusting.

We have seen a lot of crimes against elderly people over the past months. The issue really began to make the front pages when an elderly woman was found metres away from her home, having been mugged and left where she fell in the road. She later died of her injuries. But we have heard of many more burglaries and cases of assault.

More often than not, the modus operandi seems to be that the robber knocks on a door and when the voice on the other side asks who it is, he replies: “It’s me” or “Your son”. Many times, the person on the other side of the door will open the door, allowing the robber in to do as he pleases.

There are lessons to learn. Perhaps one of the best pieces of advice was given out recently on a UK edition of Crimestoppers. Elderly people are encouraged to get spare keys cut for members of the family and to distribute them. In doing so, they do not have to worry whether the person on the other side is genuine or not. Sadly, we have also seen elderly women being robbed of their purses and handbags in broad daylight, just metres from their home. Surely, the police can do something. While it has become common to see many patrol cars out on the beat, the number of foot patrols seems to decrease as time goes by. There is nothing more of a deterrent than officers out patrolling the streets. In addition, it is reassuring to residents, because they will see and feel the presence of officers on the roads.

But the police need help. We are a long way off increasing the powers of wardens or introducing community officers, so perhaps we need a bit more CCTV. If we can afford CCTV cameras to trap motorists into getting a parking fine (by placing one outside a fast-food shop in a Sliema side street), then we can surely afford a few more cameras in areas that the police know are hotspots.

We will never stop crime. We must also accept that if drug-use rates continue to increase, then so will crime – both of a petty and a serious nature. But what we do need to do is concentrate on crime prevention, rather than seeking convictions in the wake of offences.

Older people have sacrificed a lot for the current generations in their lives. The least we can do is help them see out their years in safety and dignity.