Monday Musings...

Welcome to another week on planet Earth, and a (belated) Joyous Rosh Hashanah to those of the Hebrew persuasion (and that's more than Obama is doing for our Jewish allies these days, believe you me).
Looks like we might be finally be entering the throes of autumn, with temps expected to barely reach into the 70s for the remainder of the week. Overnight, we're looking at drops into the high 40s...! That is of course after the rain we might be getting over the next 24 hours.
So, it looks to be a decent week, weather-wise.
In other aspects...well, we need a second opinion.
*** Life is a curious beast at times, and I know when I'm looking for things to blog about, living down here in the crotch of Fort Wayne, I am NEVER at a loss for social-media fodder, whether it comes from the media itself...or just being the observer of humanity that I am.

Case in point, this past Sunday, the local paper (Journal-Gazette) ran a MARVELOUS story regarding the increasing GANG problem in this city.
(and it's about damn time, too)
Here's the link to the source article:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120916/LOCAL07/309169940/0/SEARCH
This is a MUST read for anyone that wants to get a basic idea of what is happening in this city, and how we're right on track to mimic much larger cities with a similar problem.
I feel that reporter Jeff Wiehe did an exemplary job in his depiction of the current situation here.

And all the data is readily available to view.
According to FWPD reports, there are 25 (active) gangs in THIS city alone.
A theory for the rise in gangs (Chicago cited as the example) is the GENTRIFICATION of an area, which disperses the gangs to other areas, to which the scattered gang members start their OWN (new) gang, and the process goes on, as it were.
Well, that theory doesn't fly DOWN HERE, for one obvious reason:
We HAVE NO "gentrification" going on...AT ALL.
We do have that Pontiac St. area gig with the redevelopment, but that's merely a drop in a much larger bucket right now.
There is NO active plan in place to change the PHYSICALITY of this part of the city, and that's why you will ALWAYS see that whenever a NEW store, mall or other venue opens up, it ALWAYS goes WEST...or NORTH...NEVER down here.
If anything, the city has allowed a DE-gentrification of the SE side...and this has been ongoing for 25+ years...with the typical results.

And while violent crime (homicides in particular) have not reached numbers that mirror the early 1990s here (when CRACK came to town), we are seeing about a NINE PERCENT rise in such crimes (kinda shoots down the statement that crime had dropped 13% around here...smoke and mirrors, people.)
Yet, gang activity TODAY is much the same as it was 30 years ago...
The largest problem the FWPD faces is the whole "nobody done saw nuffin" syndrome, or "selective amnesia", as we used to call it back in Philly.
That will bring an investigation to a screeching halt faster than a new set of brakes and tires.
Gangs are basically fear-mongers...and live to intimidate. That is what causes residents and witnesses to clam the hell up.

With such tactics being used by the bad guys, the only recourse is to enlist the aid of STATE and FEDERAL agencies, such as the ISP, BATFE, and the FBI (which has it's own gang division). for having such agencies assisting local law-enforcement helps to bring about LONGER jail sentences, so the gangstas are off the streets and with lot less plea-bargaining going on.
I have an extremely SIMPLE solution to much of the gang problems in the U.S.
Treat EVERY one of these thugs as a...(wait for it)....DOMESTIC TERRORIST...!!!
Face it, what ELSE would you call what they do to people and neighborhoods?
And, as domestic terrorists, that would put a whole NEW slant on how to actively PURSUE and bring to justice ALL these gangstas.

When normal people have to amend their life, look over their shoulder, or move the hell away, they have become victims of TERRORISM...period.
Because that is EXACTLY what is meant by that word.
But don't take my word for it...allow Daniel Webster to elucidate:
http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/Terrorism
I know that very little gets done to stop the influx of criminals in MY part of town...and there's PUH-LENTY of blame to hand out along those lines.
Blame the ethnic community for this whole "racial-profiling" BS, when it's CRIMINAL PROFILING that's being practiced by the LEOs.
Blame the real estate market for allowing HUD and Section 8 to NOT vet those who move into these rentals.
Blame the deadbeat landlords that only care about that check from the tenants.
Blame the city for the lack of foresight...and lack of action.
Blame a lot of the people for not holding themselves accountable and responsible.

(and that's only the short list)
It's a solvable problem...IF and when the city wants to make the tough calls and get the damn job done.
And then maybe property values will rise, and property taxes will follow suit, and once blighted areas can thrive the way they USED to...before all this crap was allowed to happen.
*** In a story that was inclusive to the first article and related to the ambulance shooting, there's THIS:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120915/LOCAL03/309159991/0/SEARCH

You have to figure that if SEVENTEEN ROUNDS were expended JUST at the ambulance, and SIXTEEN were expended at the Impala following the ambulance, there HAD to be TWO shooters,...and it looks like my initial guess was right.
Well, there was, and police did some good detective work to catch the sumbitch!
And the perp had an extended MAG for the Glock...betcha whoever SOLD it to him will get THEIRS, too.
After all, Dontay D. Martin, 23, of Fort Wayne must be another "good boy", right?
Not really... (so typical)
====DONTAY D. MARTIN===

02D04-0404-IF-003939 Martin, Dontay D 04/15/2004
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Pending FAILURE TO USE SIDEWALK
02D04-0807-CM-004985 Martin, Dontay D 07/25/2008
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0808-MC-001831 Martin, Dontay D 08/08/2008
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. REC STOLEN PROPERTY
02D04-0808-FD-000710 Martin, Dontay D 08/14/2008
Allen Superior Court 5 FD - Class D Felony
Decided RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY
CARRYING A HANDGUN WITHOUT A LICENSE
02D06-1109-MC-002419 658068
658068 MARTIN, DONTAY D 09/21/2011
Allen Superior Court 6 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal (Citation)
Decided 35-44-3-3(b)(1)(A)/FD: Resisting Law Enforcement/Use of Vehicle to Commit Offense
9-21-8-55(c)/MA: Aggressive Driving
9-21-7-2(a)(1)/IFC: Failure to Use Headlights Between Sunset and Sunrise
9-21-8-32/IFC: Disregarding Stop Sign
9-21-8-41(a)/IFC: Disregarding an Official Traffic Control Device
9-21-8-24(1)/IFC: Unsafe slow down or stopping a vehicle w/o giving audible or turn signal
9-21-5-1/IFC: Speeding; Speed Unreasonable Under Conditions/Too Fast to Avoid Collision
02D06-1109-FD-001282 MARTIN, DONTAY D 09/26/2011
Allen Superior Court 4 FD - Class D Felony
Decided 35-44-3-3(b)(1)(A)/FD: Resisting Law Enforcement/Use of Vehicle to Commit Offense
02D05-1209-MC-002454 NA
NA MARTIN, DONTAY D 09/14/2012
Allen Superior Court 5 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal (Citation)
Pending 35-42-1-1(1); 35-41-5-1(a)/FA: Attempt Murder
35-42-1-1(1); 35-41-5-1(a)/FA: Attempt Murder
35-42-1-1(1); 35-41-5-1(a)/FA: Attempt Murder
35-42-1-1(1); 35-41-5-1(a)/FA: Attempt Murder
35-47-2-1/FC: Carrying Handgun w/o License-Prior/Prior Felony w/in 15 Yrs/School Prop, School Bus
35-42-2-1(a)(3)/FC: Battery Committed by Means of a Deadly Weapon or Resulting in SBI
35-42-2-2(b)(1)/FD: Criminal Recklessness (defn armed w/ deadly weapon)
35-42-2-2(b)(1)/FD: Criminal Recklessness (defn armed w/ deadly weapon)
35-45-9-3/FD: Criminal Gang Activity
=======ADDRESSES========
4415 McMillan Park Dr
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
3418 Diplomat Dr
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
4105 HESSEN CASSEL RD
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
================
Oops...another product of the welfare system and entitlement mentality...BUSTED!
I love the "failure to use sidewalk"...call...give THAT officer a damn PROMOTION!
But wait, we've got one MORE little item, you're going to love.
*** What do you get when you mix Hispanics, blacks and whites with pot, alcohol, and a lack of self-control and personal responsibility?
Well, you get what we had going on early Sunday Morning across the street from the "Fortress".

It began as a loud party (which tends to get louder in direct proportion to the number of people and alcohol consumed).
It ended in a more interesting manner.
I called in a 44LP first after midnight and then again around 0145 hrs and then waited for the noise to abate because I DID want to get some damn sleep.
Around 0220 hrs I heard loud voices...a lot closer than I thought was normal (and enough to wake me the hell up).

So, I grab my one million candlepower spotlight and 9mm and go to the window nearest the noise...

And I saw a large dark object (people?) on the hill of our lawn, so I LIT THEM THE HELL UP!

Looked like a damn GANG TACKLE at the football game, only fists were flying in THIS pile.
The "party" had spilled outside...onto OUR property (that's a no-no in my book...a BIG one!)
After about 30 seconds of BRIGHT LIGHT in their primate faces, they dispersed back across the street, with two white (?) girls leaving in a gold Grand Am.
I called it into dispatch as a signal 55 (fight) and the police came out to THEIR house within 5 minutes (another call had come in as I was told by dispatch).
The officer even took some photos of some injuries that were incurred in the fracas.

But the really fun thing was their property fence...it was:
DOWN
AND
BUSTED...
BIG
TIME.




The PUERCOS infesting that house across the street have since gone and N(word)-rigged it back in place with fence pieces that don't match...gotta love their landscaping sense.

I just find it A-F$cking-Mazing that such people are:
1) Allowed to BREED.
2) Allowed to have a HOUSE.
3) Permitted to purchase ALCOHOL.
4) Covered with tattoos (gang affiliations?)
5) Always move near US!
With two school-age girls there, it really makes you wonder WTH is going on and why are these people POSING as parents anyway?
I suppose if I knew THAT one, I'd also be a billionaire.
*** Lastly today, we DO have problems in this city, but none of them are either unsolvable or insurmountable.

What is needed is some "tough love" by law-enforcement. Stop being diplomats and get back being officers of the law.
Leave the diplomacy to the politicians...maybe they might learn to EARN the obscene wages they're paid.
We need to stop enabling the lazy and start making them ALL accountable to the SAME standards everyone else has to abide by, which aren't all that difficult to figure the hell out.
And we need to work WITH the police to keep OUR neighborhoods intact and thriving, instead of turning them over, part and parcel to the criminal elements which plague our cities.
Time to take a REAL stand against any type of DOMESTIC TERRORISM...in whatever form it manifests itself, and wherever we find it.

Have yourselves a great week.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.

(( And yes, I promise to fill you all in on the man that was barricaded inside the house at 507 E. Pettit around 1000 hrs - a mere spit and a slide away from "the fortress" tomorrow...))