It's STILL a NUMBERS Game...
There is not one facet of your life that doesn't include SOME fashion of numbers. Whether it's the amount of food on your plate at the restaurant (portioning by weight), the cost of fuel at the pump, the number of grains of powder in your cartridges, or even the gallons of water used in your garden.
You can't escape numbers....it's that simple.
Even when you pass away, you're stuck in some 6 x 3 x 3 hole in the ground.
So why should numbers BOTHER us?
Well, in the world of STATISTICS, numbers CAN be (and often are) MANIPULATED to in order to further whatever the user might intend for us to see or know. Welcome to the "political" arena, folks!
There are those that "amend" numbers to reflect what THEIR superior wishes to see.
That would hearken back to the mid-late 80s when the IRS "hid" (read conveniently lost) THOUSANDS of tax returns in ceiling tiles to make sure the "quota" rates were met, so various departments and divisions could ensure that budget increase (read raises and bonuses) would be forthcoming the following fiscal year. I know...I worked for the Department of the Treasury. And when I saw what was going on, my conscience had me leave in disgust over these middle-management people and their personal "agendas".
But you're not supposed to know about all that...and I digress.
The latest murder statistics in Fort Wayne have us believing that there are certain crime "hot spots" in the city that warrant the attention of the FWPD (as well as federal agencies). And I have to agree 100%.
You simply can't "fudge" homicide.
Now I've been on top of the problems in my particular area for quite a while, and two reporters have known about the "issues" regular joes like myself have to deal with for about the same length of time. I've contacted Deputy Chief Becher every for almost FOUR years, telling her of trends, continuing problems, drug houses, and the like. I've often chronicled the situation here often as well as at my "other" location: "FortWayneForum" on yahoo groups (longer than 4 years).
And numbers themselves NEVER lie. it's the interpretation and presentation of them we usually have issues with.
Recently, the intersection of S. Anthony Blvd and Rudisill Av. have been under the watchful eye of the FWPD...a good thing. That place has been a problem for as long as I have lived here, and has most likely contributed to the loss of businesses along S. Anthony.
That is a HOT SPOT (for crime). And I recall very early on (11 years ago) when I could walk in the gas station there buy a paper and tank up before the sun came up...and NEVER feel threatened. it wasn't long after that I couldn't even go IN the store. I purchased the paper through a slit under a plate of 1 inch thick ballistic glass.
Suffice it to say, I stopped going there.
And we have other areas with issues down here, such as the area between the 5800 and 6100 blocks of Bunt Drive, the 7900 block of Serenity, Decatur, and most any OTHER block in that immediate area, the neighborhood of Warsaw & Suttenfield (Phil's turf), and much of the Pettit-Rudisill neighborhood (my turf).
Now, like I ALWAYS tell people...the FWPD cannot be everywhere ALL the damn time. But since the BP station at Anthony & Rudisill IS "the" place to make things happen, it's good that the police are watching that area.
Thing is...most people involved in the shootings (vic OR perp) are not usually from the adjoining neighborhoods. it's more like "neutral territory". The other areas I mentioned ARE more likely to contain those stopping at the BP station. Are THOSE areas being watched AS MUCH?
At ALL?
Depends on many things.
it depends on who's calling in suspicious activity or criminal behavior
it depends on how many VACANT houses are in the area.
It depends on who's left that still gives a damn.
It depends on proactive behavior and presence of the FWPD.
So you can plainly see that there ARE criteria that need to be met.
Let me toss some numbers around so all of us can make some INFORMED conclusions.
1) FIFTY FOUR PERCENT of the murders have occurred in an area that represents FOURTEEN PERCENT of the city's overall area.
2) The city has a black population of about THIRTY PERCENT.
3) Of that 30%, about FIFTEEN PERCENT are committing the majority of the violent crimes.
4) We currently have a police force of between 427-440 officers, and of that number, about SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT are considered working the streets.
5) Of that 75%, taking the quadrant system into account (4 geographical areas), we can conclude that TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT of that 75% are in the S.E. area at any given time (minimum staffing on the street - a usual occurrence).
6) Of that 25%, we have to further divide that number by THIRTY-THREE PERCENT to achieve the ACTUAL number of officers in the S.E during a specific SHIFT on any given day.
How's THAT for crunching some numbers?
The FINAL tally of actual boots on the ground is pretty damn low, compared to the population density OF our area. Basically, it comes down to roughly ONE officer for every 1100-1600 people. And that's under IDEAL conditions. Conditions are RARELY "ideal".
Not the best total, right? How many people would care to "take on" up to 1600 other people for ANY reason?
I sure as hell wouldn't.
But it's not like we have a REAL problem with drugs, guns, gangs, and thugs, right?
Oh wait...we DO have those problems. And this isn't the "small $hit"(that would be things that escalate INTO homicides)...this is the BIG $hit (that would BE homicides). Be nice to eliminate some of the small $shit so the department wouldn't have to DEAL with all the BIG $hit it finds itself hip-deep in, right?
Question is...WHAT is the city going to DO about it?
And WHEN?
Be nice of the FWPD would target not ONLY the current batch of "hotspots" (or as we called them in Philly...the BADLANDS), but take measures to keep other areas with such great potential to BECOME hotspots from devolving further into them.
Hell, I've only been saying THAT for years....maybe someone's finally listening?
'Ya think?
I can but hope.