Monday Musings...
Welcome to a brand new year...which happens to look eerily similar to the last year we had.All we have to do is get used to writing or typing 2011 instead of 2010, right?
New Year's (very early morning) was another "typical" ghettoesque soiree through our friendly neighborhood version of the TWILIGHT ZONE, but that was OK,
because I happened to be watching that TWILIGHT ZONE marathon they had on the Sci-Fi Channel...talk about LIFE IMITATING ART...LOL.We had the usual gunfire, which began (in force) a bit earlier than usual (around 2315 hours - the very first shots I heard were around 2200 hours), and some of it was only a few houses away in the next block north of us.
I saw a muzzle flash from a house that will be the subject of closer scrutiny THIS year, rest assured.
And the FWPD WILL be advised of the happening that occurred there.
Another asshat shooting off his weapon was one street over on Warsaw St, and
I'm surprised the one good neighbor I know from that block didn't call us up about it. The rain kept the fireworks to a minimum, and the shootings were confined to people leaning out of doors (in order to stay dry).I thought I heard of a shooting call come over the radio that left one person in serious condition around 0110 hours, in the vicinity of Parnell and Coldwater roads (further north), but nothing showed up on ANY of the media sources, so I guess it was unfounded.
And we also had the all too numerous code "55's" (fights) and code "46,96's" out the wazoo (domestics with battery)
Nice to know that the way SOME people ring in the new year is by wailing the snot outta each other...how "quaint" .
(rolls eyes)
I AM guessing that celebratory gunfire is STILL okay (and illegal, according to city ordinance) however, because we surely had enough of it in OUR area.
Odd thing was...not ONE SINGLE call into dispatch from anywhere in a three block radius of our house.
(astounding)
Was like an evening in Fallujah...just needed an MRE...and more sand...and camels.
Lotsa camels (that spit).
The rain we had during the evening also played into our hands by keeping "da boomcar boyz" at bay...very few dared to thump about.
Now, there's a curious superstition that goes along with New Years and making NOISE.
That being the noise is made by people to supposedly ward off any "demons" for the coming year, bringing prosperity instead..
This is an instance where the word IRONY comes into play.
You see, the people (and I use THAT word loosely) MAKING all the damnable noise ARE the demons THEMSELVES... (WTF?)
Yepper...how coincidental is THAT, hmm?
And even if they were NOT demons outright, all the chronic noise they DO provide, would sufficiently ward off any AND all demons for DECADES (they're that far ahead)...as well as chase away all the normal folks (which it pretty much has over the years).
So, we might as well call them DEMONIC in their intent.
*** We had our share of homicides last year, but that's due in no small part to this city being comfortable with all the "broken windows" around them.
This city COULD (if it wanted to) DECREASE the number of murders significantly, but that might entail ENFORCING the laws on the books, and perhaps losing some while adding a few, which would only go to promote PUBLIC SAFETY.
For example:
If I were the Chief of police in this city (and God knows the city would be so ill-prepared if that were to happen, which it won't), I'd just have to make some zero-tolerance and wholesale changes for the new year.
Think of these as being a lot more PROACTIVE, instead of the commonplace REACTIVE stance seen today.
(And no, I wouldn't have a mandatory death sentence for jaywalking, littering, or loitering, but it's a nice thought...and thanks for asking...LOL)
So here goes:
1) I would enact a law whereby NO ONE can have BLACKED-OUT windows on ANY vehicle...period.
This is NOT Arizona where the temps are high enough to melt your dashboard and the sun will fry your retinas...not even close.
Hell, I've seen blacked out windshields...now how the frack is that so much BETTER while driving AT NIGHT, hmm?
I would do this for only ONE REASON - to PROTECT any and all LEOs that might have to stop that vehicle.
It's for THEIR safety this needs to be done. An officer doesn't have side-scanning radar or x-ray vision to see INTO a suspect vehicle, and they should never be placed at risk by having such vehicles that cannot be viewed from the officers perspective when approaching said vehicle.
If that pisses off some people...tough sh*t. If they have nothing to hide, it shouldn't be an imposition.
So to them I would say, shut the f$ck up, lose the window tint, OR get your vehicle cited and/or impounded...your choice.
2) I would set up (static OR rolling) "checkpoints" to monitor noise in specified neighborhoods, and if that means I buy something called a "Boomerang" (currently in use by the military to pinpoint snipers) for the department to locate noise that is above acceptable levels FOR that neighborhood...so be it.
Every officer assigned also gets a DECIBEL METER...to monitor noise levels.
And if THAT cheeses off some group of citizens...tough sh*t (again). Find somewhere ELSE to play your 130 Db crap...like on an airport RUNWAY (where noise like that is considered "normal" with all the jet engines ramping up).
3) For lesser crimes, I would most definitely institute "work-release" programs in the blighted neighborhoods...totally supervised with ARMED officers (reservists or retired LEOs). And this would entail "guests" of the lockup CLEANING UP blighted areas...getting one's hands dirty, and even doing manual labor (something new for most of them, BUT they could always sing some spirituals to pass the time).
Let the other thugs see THEM cleaning up the mess (in leg-irons) that other thugs left...and let that serve as a reminder that the same thing is coming to THEIR crib soon enough.
4) You want a "performance muffler" on YOUR vehicle? Become a rally car driver in the BAJA 1000.
You want to drive around with a muffler full of holes, or even NO muffler? Become a damn stock car driver.
Anyone with HALF a functioning brain should KNOW that a leaking muffler can cause CO poisoning real easy, especially in winter, when the windows are up. The CO seeps up into the passenger cabin and you "get the nods" while driving...great way to check out on life, if that is your intention, but consider the NOISE, as well as the damage you could impart to other people's property or to people themselves because of YOUR laziness to get it fixed.
Anyone that has a vehicle that displays unusually high noise, due to ill-functioning mufflers...'ya got ONE WEEK to get it taken care of...then the car gets IMPOUNDED. That's why in Philly they have yearly INSPECTIONS for vehicles. You pass, you get the registration renewed. You fail, you get nothing until the problem is resolved.
Ditto for ANY burned-out bulbs or headlamps on a vehicle. A citation first up with a one-week window to get it taken care of...period.
If LEOs in Columbus, OH can do it, they sure as hell can do it just as well (and as often) right here.
5) ANY and ALL "domestics" where one party is arrested would automatically generate a search warrant for illegal substances and/or firearms for that residence. That way certain items that could escalate a minor quarrel into something a lot more "major" would be removed...permanently!
6) Any drug arrests where a charge of "intent to distribute" is applied would be a mandatory FIVE year sentence with (at least) a $100,000 fine - ditto for any "firearms by a known felon" cases...NO exceptions whatsoever!
You cannot look to ANY solutions when you don't even address the problems OR the causes OF those problems.
You can't win any "war" on drugs when all you're doing is shooting blanks.
I believe that these things DO represent some of the major causes to greater crime issues.
Think of it as kinda like a "Joe Arpaio" approach to common sense law-enforcement.
*** I would also take a long, hard look at the "confidential informant" gig the FWPD has in place.
Too many times, the CI gets away with all kinds of crap...well that would end RIGHT after the first breach of protocol.
Even if you're a CI for the city (or feds)...you screw up ONCE...bye bye. Do NOT pass "GO", do NOT collect $200...simple as that.
Sure, the LEGAL ramifications of things like the above would somehow become convoluted, but THAT'S where a really GOOD prosecutor EARNS their paycheck. And if they can't handle it, we kick THEM out and get someone in the position who CAN...and WILL.
As long as crime is handled in a manner that does NOT fully protect the public (as well as those who serve and protect), it's not going to be eradicated, or even abated in any meaningful fashion anytime soon.
A HARDER stance with NO wiggle-room for the perps is what is needed. No more hand-holding...no more "trying to understand the criminal"...no more slap on the wrist BS. These people KNOW full well what the hell they're doing. Why do you think they DO it in the first place?
(short answer: because they can often get away with it)
When crime becomes "unpopular", and by that I mean it becomes inconvenient for these thugs to get taken off the streets, THEN, you will see crime go DOWN. And you'll be able to do that without busting the department's budget along the way...another WIN-WIN (imho).
*** Something else I would do, which removes some of the "complaint-driven" aspect to the whole nature of PARKING CONTROL, is this:
Allow the assigned people to actively prowl an area, looking for violations...like people who incessantly love to park well within the FIFTEEN FOOT DISTANCE from a FIRE HYDRANT. Hell, hire more people part-time, and make the jobs "commission-based".
That's sure to find the people in violation of parking ordinances...like all those that are double-parking or park the WRONG way on a street (east bound on the west bound side, for example).
The things I mentioned, while not being popular in "certain" neighborhoods, would go far to re-establishing a lot more of that "quality-of-life" stuff we're always hearing OTHER people in better neighborhoods (who DO enjoy that) touting constantly. It would provide the impetus to make ALL neighborhoods better, starting with the ones that NEED it the most. That is when people would start to take pride in their areas again...the way they used to.
People looking out for one another, instead of selling drugs to one another, or even shooting one another sounds a helluva lot nicer to damn near ANYONE.
Make it uncomfortable to commit crime and crime leaves the area.
Make it difficult to breed apathy and laziness, and people will take more responsibility.
Make it damn near impossible to be a worthless human being, and people will become worthwhile again.
It's something that CAN be realized IF, and only if those with the authority are willing to make tough choices in order to hold everyone to the SAME STANDARDS for human living.
No more ignoring what some people do because of race, religion or creed.
We are ALL AMERICANS first and foremost.
And we hold ourselves to higher standards than most everyone else, because we are a unique people...living in a unique nation.
But, if there are those among us who would deprive others of their God-given rights and the privileges extended to us by our founding documents, then THOSE are the ones that need to be taken to task.
When you deny, or seek to tread upon the rights of others, you then abrogate your rights in the process.
This is not some legal "mumbo-jumbo" designed to obfuscate the masses.
It's nothing more than good old common sense, and was written to that end.
*** Tomorrow, we'll take a peek at the specified crime called homicide (in Fort Wayne), as both newspapers have written articles about the past year's numbers.
I promise not to make your head explode along the way. (that would be a bugger to get off of the carpet anyway, right?)
But it's something that I'm very sure is mirrored in whatever city YOU find yourself living.
In the meanwhile...
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.
The rain we had during the evening also played into our hands by keeping "da boomcar boyz" at bay...very few dared to thump about.Now, there's a curious superstition that goes along with New Years and making NOISE.
That being the noise is made by people to supposedly ward off any "demons" for the coming year, bringing prosperity instead..
This is an instance where the word IRONY comes into play.
You see, the people (and I use THAT word loosely) MAKING all the damnable noise ARE the demons THEMSELVES... (WTF?)
Yepper...how coincidental is THAT, hmm?
And even if they were NOT demons outright, all the chronic noise they DO provide, would sufficiently ward off any AND all demons for DECADES (they're that far ahead)...as well as chase away all the normal folks (which it pretty much has over the years).
So, we might as well call them DEMONIC in their intent.
*** We had our share of homicides last year, but that's due in no small part to this city being comfortable with all the "broken windows" around them.
This city COULD (if it wanted to) DECREASE the number of murders significantly, but that might entail ENFORCING the laws on the books, and perhaps losing some while adding a few, which would only go to promote PUBLIC SAFETY.For example:
If I were the Chief of police in this city (and God knows the city would be so ill-prepared if that were to happen, which it won't), I'd just have to make some zero-tolerance and wholesale changes for the new year.
Think of these as being a lot more PROACTIVE, instead of the commonplace REACTIVE stance seen today.
(And no, I wouldn't have a mandatory death sentence for jaywalking, littering, or loitering, but it's a nice thought...and thanks for asking...LOL)
So here goes:
1) I would enact a law whereby NO ONE can have BLACKED-OUT windows on ANY vehicle...period.
This is NOT Arizona where the temps are high enough to melt your dashboard and the sun will fry your retinas...not even close.Hell, I've seen blacked out windshields...now how the frack is that so much BETTER while driving AT NIGHT, hmm?
I would do this for only ONE REASON - to PROTECT any and all LEOs that might have to stop that vehicle.
It's for THEIR safety this needs to be done. An officer doesn't have side-scanning radar or x-ray vision to see INTO a suspect vehicle, and they should never be placed at risk by having such vehicles that cannot be viewed from the officers perspective when approaching said vehicle.
If that pisses off some people...tough sh*t. If they have nothing to hide, it shouldn't be an imposition.
So to them I would say, shut the f$ck up, lose the window tint, OR get your vehicle cited and/or impounded...your choice.
2) I would set up (static OR rolling) "checkpoints" to monitor noise in specified neighborhoods, and if that means I buy something called a "Boomerang" (currently in use by the military to pinpoint snipers) for the department to locate noise that is above acceptable levels FOR that neighborhood...so be it.
Every officer assigned also gets a DECIBEL METER...to monitor noise levels.
And if THAT cheeses off some group of citizens...tough sh*t (again). Find somewhere ELSE to play your 130 Db crap...like on an airport RUNWAY (where noise like that is considered "normal" with all the jet engines ramping up).
3) For lesser crimes, I would most definitely institute "work-release" programs in the blighted neighborhoods...totally supervised with ARMED officers (reservists or retired LEOs). And this would entail "guests" of the lockup CLEANING UP blighted areas...getting one's hands dirty, and even doing manual labor (something new for most of them, BUT they could always sing some spirituals to pass the time).
Let the other thugs see THEM cleaning up the mess (in leg-irons) that other thugs left...and let that serve as a reminder that the same thing is coming to THEIR crib soon enough.
4) You want a "performance muffler" on YOUR vehicle? Become a rally car driver in the BAJA 1000.
You want to drive around with a muffler full of holes, or even NO muffler? Become a damn stock car driver.
Anyone with HALF a functioning brain should KNOW that a leaking muffler can cause CO poisoning real easy, especially in winter, when the windows are up. The CO seeps up into the passenger cabin and you "get the nods" while driving...great way to check out on life, if that is your intention, but consider the NOISE, as well as the damage you could impart to other people's property or to people themselves because of YOUR laziness to get it fixed.Anyone that has a vehicle that displays unusually high noise, due to ill-functioning mufflers...'ya got ONE WEEK to get it taken care of...then the car gets IMPOUNDED. That's why in Philly they have yearly INSPECTIONS for vehicles. You pass, you get the registration renewed. You fail, you get nothing until the problem is resolved.
Ditto for ANY burned-out bulbs or headlamps on a vehicle. A citation first up with a one-week window to get it taken care of...period.
If LEOs in Columbus, OH can do it, they sure as hell can do it just as well (and as often) right here.
5) ANY and ALL "domestics" where one party is arrested would automatically generate a search warrant for illegal substances and/or firearms for that residence. That way certain items that could escalate a minor quarrel into something a lot more "major" would be removed...permanently!
6) Any drug arrests where a charge of "intent to distribute" is applied would be a mandatory FIVE year sentence with (at least) a $100,000 fine - ditto for any "firearms by a known felon" cases...NO exceptions whatsoever!
You cannot look to ANY solutions when you don't even address the problems OR the causes OF those problems.You can't win any "war" on drugs when all you're doing is shooting blanks.
I believe that these things DO represent some of the major causes to greater crime issues.
Think of it as kinda like a "Joe Arpaio" approach to common sense law-enforcement.
*** I would also take a long, hard look at the "confidential informant" gig the FWPD has in place.
Too many times, the CI gets away with all kinds of crap...well that would end RIGHT after the first breach of protocol.
Even if you're a CI for the city (or feds)...you screw up ONCE...bye bye. Do NOT pass "GO", do NOT collect $200...simple as that.
Sure, the LEGAL ramifications of things like the above would somehow become convoluted, but THAT'S where a really GOOD prosecutor EARNS their paycheck. And if they can't handle it, we kick THEM out and get someone in the position who CAN...and WILL.
As long as crime is handled in a manner that does NOT fully protect the public (as well as those who serve and protect), it's not going to be eradicated, or even abated in any meaningful fashion anytime soon.A HARDER stance with NO wiggle-room for the perps is what is needed. No more hand-holding...no more "trying to understand the criminal"...no more slap on the wrist BS. These people KNOW full well what the hell they're doing. Why do you think they DO it in the first place?
(short answer: because they can often get away with it)
When crime becomes "unpopular", and by that I mean it becomes inconvenient for these thugs to get taken off the streets, THEN, you will see crime go DOWN. And you'll be able to do that without busting the department's budget along the way...another WIN-WIN (imho).
*** Something else I would do, which removes some of the "complaint-driven" aspect to the whole nature of PARKING CONTROL, is this:
Allow the assigned people to actively prowl an area, looking for violations...like people who incessantly love to park well within the FIFTEEN FOOT DISTANCE from a FIRE HYDRANT. Hell, hire more people part-time, and make the jobs "commission-based".
That's sure to find the people in violation of parking ordinances...like all those that are double-parking or park the WRONG way on a street (east bound on the west bound side, for example).
The things I mentioned, while not being popular in "certain" neighborhoods, would go far to re-establishing a lot more of that "quality-of-life" stuff we're always hearing OTHER people in better neighborhoods (who DO enjoy that) touting constantly. It would provide the impetus to make ALL neighborhoods better, starting with the ones that NEED it the most. That is when people would start to take pride in their areas again...the way they used to.
People looking out for one another, instead of selling drugs to one another, or even shooting one another sounds a helluva lot nicer to damn near ANYONE.
Make it uncomfortable to commit crime and crime leaves the area.
Make it difficult to breed apathy and laziness, and people will take more responsibility.
Make it damn near impossible to be a worthless human being, and people will become worthwhile again.
It's something that CAN be realized IF, and only if those with the authority are willing to make tough choices in order to hold everyone to the SAME STANDARDS for human living.
No more ignoring what some people do because of race, religion or creed.We are ALL AMERICANS first and foremost.
And we hold ourselves to higher standards than most everyone else, because we are a unique people...living in a unique nation.
But, if there are those among us who would deprive others of their God-given rights and the privileges extended to us by our founding documents, then THOSE are the ones that need to be taken to task.
When you deny, or seek to tread upon the rights of others, you then abrogate your rights in the process.
This is not some legal "mumbo-jumbo" designed to obfuscate the masses.
It's nothing more than good old common sense, and was written to that end.
*** Tomorrow, we'll take a peek at the specified crime called homicide (in Fort Wayne), as both newspapers have written articles about the past year's numbers.
I promise not to make your head explode along the way. (that would be a bugger to get off of the carpet anyway, right?)But it's something that I'm very sure is mirrored in whatever city YOU find yourself living.
In the meanwhile...
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.
8 comments:
Dear Bob,
I'm surprised Ft. Wayne doesn't already have a dark windshield policy. And if not, they do need to get one quick. I like the noise meter idea too.
Furthermore, I do like the "automatic search" during 46, 96, this would cut out a lot of civilian death and battery--not to mention police deaths, such as Jillian Smith's only last week.
I do believe you've done a lot of thinking here. And I applaud!
Have a safe happy day,
Ann
BG:
Love your rules, particularly #s 3 and 5. I'd throw in a few of mine on the "if I were ruler of the nation" theory, but as Laurie can tell you, all of those fantasies inevitably lead to a HUGE job spike in the public execution field. Also knocks out a lot of commisary jobs in our prisons and Washington.
Ann:
If Ft. Wayne DOES have a darkened windshield law, they sure are keeping it TO THEMSELVES.
Got one person nearvy (that has had GA tags for a YEAR...another violation) and he's got dark windows ALL AROUND (incl./ the windshield).
No one comes to tell HIM anything..at all, even after I mentioned it to the quadrant captain a while back...
Go figure.
Yeah, too many times, whebnever some fight breaks out, the police might "see" some MJ or a crack pipe, but since they have to GET a warrant to further search, they can onoly advise the resident to "lose it" if they come back.
I saw this first hand with a situation down the street years ago. Although drug paraphenalia was in PLAIN SIGHT, no search for further drugs OR arrest for the substances resulted.
And "domestics" can be even worse, and far more dangerous to "walk-in" on.
I appreciate the good words.
I just try to REASON things out...not overthbnk them the way the CITY does (or does not).
Thanks for stopping by the fence today (a bit chilly, but sunny)
Have a great week.
CWM:
Glad you like my "ideas"...
Regarding the jobs gig.
I know the UNIONS won't like ANY of it one bit, but that's where a LOT of the problems arise (pricing ourselves out of the global markets, for one thing)
I just felt that with all the "free help" available in our PRISON SYSTEM, what BETTER way to keep the cities looking nice and the roads repaired that to "amend" the city staff with "volunteer" labor...lol
Hell, the prisoners might EVEN learn some sort of TRADE along the way...also for free.
And a CLEAN city is a FRIENDLIER city...don'cha think?
:)
Make criminals not WANT to go to or return to jail...and they will not.
Simple enough for the dumbest politician to comprehend.
(and Lord knows we have THOSE people in abundance, hmm?)
Hey, thanks for taking time to stop by and comment.
Have yourself a great week.
A Few Thoughts to Clean Up the SouthSide:
1. Get rid of Glynn Hines;
2. Develop a system of retirees, such as Indianapolis did to patrol its parks, to keep reigns on the SouthSide;
3. Get the kids out of the failing schools, and hold them accountable for their work;
4. Prosecute the kids who skipping class. You skip, you do the time.
Anon:
I am SO in agreement with you when it comes to Glynn Hines...
Of course Pape isn't a helluva lot better.
--Yes, retirees can help to no small end down here, that's for certain.
--When it comes to SCHOOL accountability, it falls more on the STUDENT and PARENTAL shoulders than it does with the educators themselves!
--Makes me wonder whatever happend to TRUANT OFFICERS???
Hell, WE used to have them...that's why WE stayed in school.
AWe had a SPECIAL school (in Philly) for the "problem" kids...they were NEVER "mainstreamed" until they straightened the hell out and flew right.
Excellent points...every one of them.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Have a great week.
Shots fired on Warsaw Street? I'm surprised you could see my gun from that far away - LOL!
I was out of town, but if I was there, I wouldn't have wasted my time calling it in. I did notice a 113 report around noon on Jan 1 right at my corner. I haven't gotten a chance to check the cameras yet, but they do come out much clearer during the daylight.
And regarding that lack of information in the local media, you and I both know that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Either they were too lazy to look into it, or they purposely left it pout so as not to offend the machine.
Happy New Year, Bob - To you and the missus.
Phil:
Even MY binoculars aren't THAT powerful, Buddy....LOL
I have mentioned EVERY year (for more than a few years) about PATROLS in our area during NYE...not seeing anything yet, so my supposition would be that the city really LIKES the "status quo" down here...very sad to hear that.
I was thinking about the "omission" of that shooting...don't want to make things look TOO damn bad down here this year (yet), right?
(got plenty of time to play "catch-up", knowing these vermin)
Hey, glad you stopped by to comment.
Have yourself a better year than the last.
(yeah, we like to dream, don't we?)
Seriously, DO have a Happy New Year.
And stay safe up there.
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