I FEEL compelled to respond to the commentary, 'Barmaids in nuns' habits?' This simplistic analysis suggests that Inspector Hector Cummings' initiative to enforce the 81-year-old Spirit Licence Act that regulates the opening hours of bars and the dress code of persons who serve in these establishments is not an issue for police inspectors but for legislators. To some extent, you are correct.

The inspector, however, has a responsibility to enforce the law, and this is currently law. The failure of our laws to keep up with the suggested shifts in social mores and patterns of commerce is indicative of a legislative failure and should not be interpreted as flawed thinking on the part of the inspector.

The cynical suggestion that bars open late into the night provides an opportunity for the police to effect arrests while criminals are gathered for drinks evinces a naivété which is frightening coming from a newspaper with the ability to influence public opinion.

Unwillingness to act

While I am all for constructive criticism, we must be careful not to belittle the efforts of our law enforcers out of sheer habit. Admittedly, this alone cannot solve our crime problem and a lot more needs to be done. Crime is, by far, the biggest problem affecting our nation today, and while the absence of timely legislative initiatives has contributed to the problem, our Achilles heel has always been our inability or unwillingness to enforce our current laws.

Show me a country that has a lid on crime and I will show you a country that enforces its laws - all its laws - from observing the speed limits on the roads, to the wearing of seat belts and, yes, even the operating hours of bars.

I am, etc.,

PAUL BOLT

pebolt@hotmail.com