Another weekend, another vicious assault.

Fortunately, the attack in the early hours of Saturday morning on a 30-year-old man did not result in his death, but it would appear that he was left for dead.

It is difficult to say more about what to do about the violent crime situation. However, it is obviously critical that anyone who saw or knows anything about this latest assault, or previous ones, must come forward with their information.

Only when witnesses step forward with reliable information can the Police make arrests and prosecutors can achieve convictions.

And it is only when that happens that the perpetrators of these crimes will be deterred from committing them.

And it is only then that the general public, the vast majority of whom are law abiding and peaceful, will feel safe.

In the meantime, programmes like Mirrors, which held its latest graduation this weekend, need to be expanded and bolstered. Most importantly, "after care" needs to be there to make sure that when graduates of the programme begin to waver – and they will – that there is someone there to help them get back on track.

One of the benefits of Mirrors as well is in building up a profile of at-risk youth. Having this information makes it possible for parents, social workers and teachers can then intervene early to help them get back on track.

And anti-drug publicity programmes also need to be bolstered with an emphasis on the public health dangers of illegal drugs. The evidence is there to show that they work if they are carried out in a sustained and consistent way. One of the problems in Bermuda is that there have been blitzes and no follow-ups.

Equally, drug rehabilitation programmes need more support both in getting people into them and giving them support afterwards.

Aside from the public health aspects of these approaches, they will also reduce demand for drugs. That in turn will make supplying drugs less attractive, and that will help to cut all forms of crime, including violence between different gangs.

It would be easy to dismiss the gang members who spoke to this newspaper recently as whiners with no sense of personal responsibility, and many people have.

But what should be noted, as it was by Minister Louis Farrakhan when he visited, is that many gang members do not particularly like the path they are on and would like to change – if they could see a different direction to take.

Why not take these young men and women at their word and offer them constructive alternatives? If they take them, it will help to solve a problem destroying this Island. And if they don't, then let them take the consequences of their actions.