Humpday Happenings...

It's Wednesday again, and we haven't had ONE homicide THIS week in Fort Wayne...so far.

Our local weather today will be warming up a bit more than yesterday.

(after a chilly morning)

Temps are expected to rise into the upper 40s.

More like Springtime for a change.

And yes, the sun will make a return visit as well.

In the meantime, let's get busy with today's business at hand...

*** first up is our Motto of the Week - aka - WHO SAID THAT?
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
-- And one should never measure their own success by the success of others. There are many out there who we see as being successful, when in reality, they are wealthy or powerful...and miserable in the process.
Yes, you may quote ME on that last sentence.
Meanwhile, back at the think tank...
*** More gun-control issues abound with our lawgivers.

The latest round of this does have some good in it, whereby the government wants to have a database of those with firearms offenders...kind of like the sex-offender database, and to me, that makes damn good sense.
As for a UNIVERSAL background check database, well, that only serves to allow the Big Brothers out there to KNOW who the law-abiding folks WITH guns are (in case they need to take them away from you).
I think if you're following the laws, were never arrested for a felony, don't have mental health issues that could compromise your ability to make cogent decisions, YOU don't need to be on ANYONE'S "radar".
Having those who have been "noticed" by law-enforcement in the past DO need to be kept watch over, though.

The "gun-insurance" issue bothers me, too. I don't have insurance on my DRILLS...or SAWS...or even my SCREWDRIVERS, so why get insurance for another "tool" that I possess? It's not a vehicle, and doesn't roll along the highway at 60+ MPH, and it's not the huge investment like our HOUSE is, with all the possessions contained inside (that would need to be replaced in case of damage or loss), so why insure a GUN?
It's just another way to get YOU on another list being compiled.

Anyone who has worked for the government in SOME capacity has already BEEN finger-printed, so to me, that's resolved from the start.

And, if you ARE arrested for a crime, you get "printed".

If you drive, or own a vehicle, you get insurance and wind up on several databases.

SO many people are already IN many files in many computers across the nation...all the government has to do is sort all that crap the hell out.
And if they'd stop wasting time AND (our) money, that could be done easily enough...
*** Imagine having to undergo a CRIMINAL background check to get your WELFARE...

The state of North Carolina wants to do JUST THAT.
Somehow, I've developed a LOVE for that state.
Here's the lowdown:
http://www.news-record.com/home/999933-63/nc-bill-requires-welfare-food
They want make sure that public assistance goes to LAW-ABIDING citizens...first.
Seems THESE legislators are on the right page...for a change.
And along those lines, the amount of FRAUD that goes on with welfare programs is staggering.
Here's a report from back in 2009:
http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/fraud-and-abuse

Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute was on FOX news yesterday and spoke about the amount OF abuse in "the system". It traditionally runs around 10-12% for ANY government agency, and yet we're being "told" it's only around ONE PERCENT.

Sounds like the unemployment figures...they hover around 8% when in REALITY, it's closer to 14%.

The dollar amount regarding fraud in the welfare system costs us (taxpayers) BILLIONS every year.

And here's the proof:
http://www.roanen.com/1/post/2012/04/how-much-is-welfare-fraud-costing-us.html

Considering how difficult it is to stop FRAUD and corruption in GOVERNMENT (and it's officials), the least "we" can do is halt such things is take away the ability of those who have (or are) committing fraud in programs designed BY that government.

And we can take a long, hard look at Medicare and Medicaid while we're at it.

*** In regards to these shootings and homicides in Ft. Wayne, our very own FWPD capo, Rusty York spoke out on the situation.

Here's the story link from WPTA:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/FWPD-and-the-Community-Building-a-Relationship-201169381.html
And here's another take from WANE:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/chief-york-speaks-out-on-recent-crime
In both stories, we keep hearing about how the police KNOW who's doing all these nasties...
But without witnesses, arresting them becomes more difficult.
Um...just tossing this out there...anyone try a few STING-OPS?
Set these perps up, give 'em enough rope and let them "hang themselves", as it were?
Other cities do it, and it works, so why not HERE?
By the sound of things, you CERTAINLY have plenty of "help" from all these fed agencies.
Seems with such resources at-hand, should be EASIER to bring these thugs downtown than ever.

York says the FWPD has TWO methods of policing:

-- Community-based

-- Data-driven
I will say that while both are laudable means for policing, there is a THIRD method that has (to date) NOT been employed...and I mentioned it here SEVERAL TIMES.

It's called PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING.
(there, I said it AGAIN).
Read my archive post from WAY back on 6 April 2007 when I first spoke about this issue.
The whole gist of the P.O.P. program is to address the PROBLEMS in a community first.
And yes, even THIS has a WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-oriented_policing
And here is a GREAT article on the whole COP vs POP strategies:
http://voices.yahoo.com/community-oriented-policing-vs-problem-oriented-policing-377438.html
One might say that COP is more PROACTIVE in nature, while POP is more REACTIVE in nature.
You HAVE to face the PROBLEMS first, before you can build the trust needed for a community-based approach.
It's THAT damn simple, Rus...!

Whereas in a NICE neighborhood, a COMMUNITY-based approach would not only be better, BUT actually be embraced by that community, down here in the ghettohood, you NEED a PROBLEM-based strategy, mainly due to the fact that there is rarely a "community" to speak of....just a gaggle of people that know each other in some manner, but not as "neighbors" in the purest sense. Most are related by blood and crime.
That's why the police KNOW who the perps are, and who's related to them, but cannot act...the "code of silence" among the locals sees to that.
Police need community involvement...people to come forward without fear of retaliation.
Good luck with that down here.
(( Editor's note - BTW, it looks like HOMICIDE NUMBER 15 occurred this morning in the 900 block of Hugh St. in the near SE side. More about this tomorrow))
*** Burglar strikes a SE business.
And here's THIS link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-ask-for-help-identifying-burglar
Barto's Service Station, located at 1202 E. Creighton Ave, is the latest victim of an after-hours burglary (read gimme yo sh*t fo free).

Wonder how often that place was hit when the FWPD had it's HQ on Creighton?
Well, you can't say it was a white guy robbing the place, right?
"Smile, Ruffus...yo a$$ be on candid camera, dawg!"
How typical...gotta love it.
*** Lastly today, no one wants a police state (or city), but what is left when all other options have been exhausted?

Well, you have two choices left:

1) Enact that police state and shut everyone down.

(that doesn't make the police that popular)

2) Watch whatever good people left in a bad area up and LEAVE...turning it into a damn ghetto slum

(that doesn't help with lost tax revenue for a city)

Sadly, these thugs don't see that...and don't give a rat's ass about it.

And it all begins when law-enforcement fails to police the small sh*t, as I always say.

Ignore the little things...like wrong way parking, open container violations, litter, loud music, party houses and the like, in the "hope" these idiots will just get tired of it and do something else...

Yeah, well such morons DO wind up doing something else...like graduating to the BIG sh*t items...like robberies, home invasions, rapes, and eventually murders.

When such people believe they can get away with all the small sh*t, they WILL test the limits of their boundaries (they haven't any to begin with), and then after the big sh*t starts hitting a few fans, the police are playing "catch-up"...a scenario that never resolves itself...more crime, more police, still more crime and more police...we start a vicious cycle that could have been broken early on.
Someday, the right people will catch on, and be able to do something positive about all this.
But, it won't be today...or tomorrow.
And it will take a lot more active involvement by a lot more citizens, as well as the police.
THAT you can bank on.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

(( BTW, if you missed last night's JUSTIFIED season finale on FX, you missed an hour of GOOD television. ))