Metro Squad: The Adventure Continues...

Hippocrates once wrote that: "Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases".

Last night's meeting at Renaissance Baptist Church between Sheriff Ken Fries, Rev. Mike Latham, and citizens of the southeast side of town was nothing, if not extremely predictable. In fact, today's paper mirrors as much by saying it "rankles" the black community.

(from Merriam-Webster):
RANKLE -(ran'-kel): Vb -ME-(racien-to fester) -
1) to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness.
2) to feel anger and bitterness

And that pretty much sums up the feelings many displayed last night.

Residents said they were "scared" that the Metro Squad would target young black men.
Well folks, would you rather feel scared over the Metro Squad's driving around or feel scared when one OF those young black men rapes your daughter, robs you at gunpoint, or just shoots your son dead, because he's working on his "street cred"? I mean who the hell do you see walking and driving around the damn neighborhoods all frigging day anyway with nothing to do but look for random acts of "kindness" (crime)? YOUNG BLACK MEN. I swear, I have NEVER seen such a bunch of damn OSTRICHES in my life. Their heads couldn't get deeper into the sand if they tried. I'm being kind here, as I was GOING to say their heads are so far up their ASS they can see what they had for breakfast...again.

Apparently no one was LISTENING too well last night when Sheriff Fries said they would not deploy METRO in the S.E. side (due to an existing grant, funding the FWPD officers patrolling the area), so there IS that redundency factor. And unlike the past, where METRO was targeting DRUGS...this time around, they will be attempting to get illegal GUNS off the streets. But hardly anyone was paying attention to THAT part of Sheriff Ken's dialogue.
Typical.

And yet these are the SAME people that CLAIM they want to see a DECREASE in crime, but they don't believe the Metro Squad is the way to go. Well, what the f$ck DO you people want then? Either you HAVE police in the area targeting CRIME, or you don't. It's that damn simple. You can't have it BOTH ways, you morons! As I blogged earlier about those "certain people" that have nothing but disdain for law-enforcement, I saw the "usual suspects" at last night's meeting, namely dear old sweet Hana Stith, who proclaimed that this was nothing short of "Gestapo Tactics" and that "Police don't like young black men to begin with".

Hana...lemme "splain" it to you....the police don't like CRIMINALS. The police arrest CRIMINALS. When the police take CRIMINALS off of your street, YOU can be SAFER. Are you with me dear? Color has NO bearing on CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. Color DOES have a bearing as to who will most likely be ARRESTED for CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR in an area where most EVERYONE is the SAME COLOR......still with me, hon? You're a former teacher...I "thought" you would be able to follow along with the undeniable LOGIC of all this.

If I show you that, say a three block square area of the south side is about 95% BLACK, and the police see "someone" driving with an expired tag, or a blown out tail light, or driving erratically, thereby instituting a (normal) traffic stop, what COLOR do you THINK that person is MOST LIKELY to be anyway (hint: it's not plaid, striped or polka-dot), hmm?

Sheriff Ken says the same thing I maintain... That crime...HAS...NO...COLOR!

Another resident, Grace Bailey stated that: "To me, it just sounds like harassment". Again, if you're NOT guilty, then you don't have anything to worry about, do you? On the other hand, if you're trying to hide something, you SHOULD be worrying. It's ALWAYS about this preconceived mindset (nurtured from little on up) that dictates to these people that ALL law-enforcement is not to be trusted, and yet, out the other side of their mouths they say they want less crime (who the hell in their right mind doesn't...DUH), so how the hell can ANY law-enforcement agency operate effectively under those auspices? "Wearing the pants down low doesn't mean they are gang members...Every young black man is not in a gang" she continued. No...maybe not, but it DOES say they're a freaking SLOB, and sending a lot of the WRONG messages if you want YOUR young black men to properly be an ambassador of YOUR race...doesn't it? People will judge you by first impressions...the way you present yourself by dress, mannerisms and speech. And guess what the (typical) young black men are "presenting" to the world? You can draw your own conclusions on that.

These angry citizens don't even seem to want to give Sheriff Ken a chance...and that speaks VOLUMES as to "how much" they really want crime to decrease, yet these people feel as if the city doesn't CARE about what happens to them (as far as crime goes). Well what the hell do you expect when you're trying to (frivolously) sue every law-enforcement agency on a weekly basis? You people bitch and moan about "racial profiling" while refrain from aiding the police when one of "your own" does something illegal...WTF does that say? Example: a young black male is senselessly gunned down in a parking lot where you have over THIRTY people standing within TEN feet...and NOBODY saw or heard ANYTHING? (a case of mass selective spontaneous amnesia, no doubt).
Give me a break!

Overall though, both Sheriff Ken and Rev. Latham came out fo the meeting optimistic that something positive will be forthcoming. Chief York was absent from he meeting, although he WAS invited. He chose not to go becasue he was initially non-supportive of the Metro Squad. "I didn't want to impose a program that didn't conform to what we've done over the past several years (we learned to walk on eggs). We've done a lot of work to make sure that we serve the whole community (and community-oriented policing simply does not work unless the PEOPLE are involed), and I dont want to do anything without involvement (read permission from the NAACP and the ACLU) from the people in the community we serve", said Chief Rusty.

"For some people it doesn't matter what I say or what I do...they're not going to think I'm the GOOD guy", said Sheriff Fries.

Now you know how *I* feel EVERY damn day, Ken.

Welcome to the SOUTH side of Fort Wayne, where apathy and anarchy love to walk hand in hand against ANY type of law-enforcement