Monday Musings...
Some days are just SO worth getting up for...producing a sense of euphoric bliss beyond compare.
Today is just such a day, but not for the reason you might think.
If you set your "Way-Back" machines to last week when we were discussing CHARACTER, you will know exactly the direction in which today's post will be headed.
I spoke a while back about the "newbie" aborigines that moved into one of our many vacant houses, and how they had one of those "all-nighter" parties at the place, right?
Well, Saturday night, they were at it AGAIN...until the crack of dawn.
They began promptly at 2300 hours, thumping their ass off and that prompted a call to the FWPD from ME.
About TWENTY MINUTES LATER, an officer rolled up, must have said something from the cruiser window, and then drove the hell off, causing the "music" to abate...for the time being.
After 30 minutes, all the vehicles but TWO (that would be FIVE) left the house to be a bother somewhere else (until that party wrapped up) until around 0400 Sunday morning...SUNDAY of all damn days.
Guess that "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" commandment never was preached at any church THESE mooks attended, which explains the behavior exhibited by these simian throwbacks.
SO, having been awakened by the incessant thumping, I call another 44LP (loud party) to the FWPD, and again, after 20 or so MINUTES, the music goes away.
I wanted to give all of you out there a thumbnail sketch of those 12 hours for a reason...and trust me, it will all become very clear...very soon. Read on.
Sunday's Journal-Gazette had a very interesting story about the FWPD and the "lack" of TRAFFIC STOPS being made, and how that all has been "fixed". Here's the link to the entire article, which will set the stage for what I am about to relate:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100124/LOCAL07/301249912/1002/LOCAL#
Now, if you've taken a few minutes to read this story (and let it sink in), you probably will comprehend part, if not most of "my" problems in my neighborhood a LOT better, and why I'm overflowing with "piss and vinegar" this morning about the issue.
First off, let me say that I feel traffic stops (per se) ARE a necessity.
Without them, you have potentially dangerous people on our roads, streets, and highways. It's the best way to remove drunk drivers, find stolen vehicles, take illegal drugs off the streets, secure illegal and/or stolen weapons, and basically make it a helluva lot SAFER for the rest of us to travel about.
Say an officer pulls over someone with a blown out tail lamp, and then after a plate check, registration, insurance, and active warrant check on the driver, the officer finds the vehicle has EXPIRED TAGS (strike one)...the driver also has a year-old *14* (warrant) for non payment of child support, as well as having been a former felon in another state (strike two)...AND he also happens to be impaired due to alcohol consumption, maybe in possession of some pot, or crack, plus might be carrying a firearm (strike three - you're OUT).
Get the picture so far?
We NEED traffic stops. It also produces REVENUE for the city (think dollar signs in the bigwig's eyes).
Ergo...fewer traffic stops, less money coming in.
Simple, so far, hmm?
Of course that's based on the assumption that people WILL pay the fines, and not skirt the situation (as many seem to do down here).
Now THAT alone (revenue) is sufficient so that it "could" lead to unnecessary pull overs, which may or may not result in a citation where none may be readily warranted, all to "make that quota". You can argue your citation in court, but the paper trail shows MORE tickets being written, and that looks REAL good to the head honcho, right Rusty?
Wonder how this will play out when you pull over BLACKS on the south side (where all of the violations I happen to see occur) and then start getting sued again for the "driving while black profiling" when it rears it's ugly head again?
Fighting such frivolous lawsuits will sap the funds REAL fast, will it not?
It's a fact that such perfunctory stops might even help YOU (the police chief) make more money, along with regular picayune redressing of officers for very minor offenses, which COULD be given VERBALLY, instead of by a written dictate, which garners even more chump change in Chief Rusty's pockets. Wonder if the newspaper reporter knows about THAT?
This is certainly NOT NYC...we don't enjoy anywhere close to even a TENTH of the traffic that they do (thankfully), so maybe we don't need an INCREASE in traffic stops.
(But hold on there, Bob...you forgot something)
Okay, you got me...time to play Devil's Advocate here.
Even before the "slowdown" in traffic stops (morale issues out the ass in the department), I can cite (and would if I had a gross of ticket books at my disposal) literally HUNDREDS of vehicles with violations severe enough to actually warrant a pullover...and that's just from what I see passing my HOUSE alone!!! There are scores more I see while driving along the streets of the city.
I have taken pictures and written down descriptions as well as TODs (time of day) regarding vehicles that have (only) BLOWN OUT LICENSE PLATE BULBS, headlights, tail lights, missing bumpers, incorrect placement of license plates in tinted windows, too heavy window tint, reckless driving, noise violations (out the ass), drinking and driving, and vehicles used in what would be considered a drug buy...and THEY are still on MY streets, passing MY house...YEARS LATER with absolutely NO CHANGE in what could (and obviously SHOULD) have been cited earlier. Now this raises many questions (to me), such as:
Why the f$ck aren't THEY getting pulled over...and ticketed, hmm???
What about the people who swap tags from one vehicle to another?
What about ALL those chronic noise violators?
What about those vehicles that SPEED in the area?
(Sorry Councilwoman Goldner...I'd be happy to have a speed limit of FORTY on our streets to slow the morons down, so wake the hell up and smell the coffee burning - we have REAL issues where WE live - we're not in some upper-class, well-to-do development like YOU...)
What about vehicles that commit illegal U-TURNS at intersections?
What about vehicles that drive in REVERSE up the entire block at 25 MPH?
(at least they're at the speed limit THEN...LOL)
There are ENOUGH citations available JUST on the SOUTH side of the city to keep the city and department coffers BRIMMING with revenue, BUT...that never seems to be pursued for some reason, why IS that, Chief York?
And this is ONLY pertaining to VEHICULAR offenses...we've haven't even BEGUN to address all the DRUG houses...and PARTY houses, have we?
Nothing like seeing the BROKEN WINDOW THEORY in full swing, is there?
You must really WANT another area like Warsaw & Suttenfield, or Bunt Drive, or Eden Green, or Anthony & Rudisill, or even the 7900 block of SERENITY drive (that's a misnamed street if EVER I saw one)...and for what reason, I don't know yet, but I DO have my suspicions.
There are times I can honestly understand the years of angst that my friend, Phil Marx has had to deal with.
But this area is NOT his neighborhood...it's MINE.
And MY "mission" is to see that it's decent into hell takes a helluva lot LONGER that was allowed to occur up in Phil's area.
Now...back to the "locals" and their partying ways.
Studies have been done across America (in most every major city) asking the people what their #1 problem was in their particular city.
Without exception, it was NOISE.
(and yes, BOOMCARS fit into that nicely)
Students exposed to noise achieved at a slower rate than those NOT exposed to it.
Residents exposed to chronic noise are prone to health conditions from something akin to PTSS, heart problems, sleep deprivation, and so on. I know, because I'm in that club now, through no fault of my own.
(To quote Lloyd Bridges from Airplane: "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking".)
With that being well documented (and thereby proven), why assign such a LOW PRIORITY to any city's number one problem?
OK, so it's not a shooting...or a rape, and we need "boots on the ground" in THOSE instances ASAP.
But by Christ, there HAS to be some allowance regarding unabated noise for which we already have a city ordinance, in that we need to really get serious about shutting these assholes the hell up, and not merely cruising past a house, issuing a STERN LOOK ONLY, and giving a verbal warning...TWICE in an EIGHT-HOUR period, right?
If you're going to let the small sh*t slip by, it WILL lead to larger sh*t...I can guarantee it. That's the way these animals work.
The people partying seem to have a nice "quality-of-life" going for THEM, but what about others like ME, who all but have NO real "quality-of life", thanks to the noise and aberrant behavior from these beasts?
Exactly WHEN are officers going to be allowed to stop at the house, take some names, check IDs (for underage drinking) and the database for active warrants, sniff for pot, look for signs of small plastic bags on the ground (crack rocks), and observe any "hinky" behavior from ANY of these people? That would seem like GOOD "community-oriented" POLICING to me.
When is it going to come down from the police administration to REALLY DO SOMETHING about such happenings?
I'm getting a little bored with the status quo...after 12 years!
I mean, I don't think ANY of my questions are anywhere close to being UNREASONABLE, right?
I just want some damn answers for a change...about all the damn noise and crime. Is that too much to ask?
Now don't think I'm picking on the rank & file officers or the immediate supervisory staff...it's not their fault at all.
Any precepts for operational protocol come from the "top of the mountain" here. So, how's about it, Chief?
Care to explain WHY my neighborhood has SO many problems...and your DOES NOT?
When EXACTLY was the LAST TIME you were awakened by some loud-ass minorities in YOUR neighborhood at FOUR in the damn morning Rus? How many empty liquor bottles do YOU take off YOUR lawn each year, chief?
We've got a SERIOUS problem down here...and I'm NOT seeing one damn fix for this at all, am I?
I know I'm sure as hell NOT part of ANY problem down here (unless you consider being WHITE and NORMAL a problem)...I'm more like the "solution", if anything.
I've got problem houses around me, which means they could choose to 'tag-team" us, and take turns keeping us all awake 24/7.
As far as any neighborhood allies? Forget it. Either people are apathetic (another chronic condition down here) or are part OF the damn problem in the first place, and think bad behavior and disrespect for other neighbors is perfectly normal.
Actually, there's nothing WRONG with these houses...that using a 1/2 brick of C-4 on each of them couldn't cure.
I'd rather have the houses VACANT (or razed) than occupied with such sub-human trash.
Now, I've got TWO people in the FWPD that I can call an ALLY in this, and even their voices seem to be quelled most of the time.
Rest assured...I'm not finished with THIS by a long shot.
I will stay whatever course is charted...just as our founders did.
They went against their ruler...and sought freedom from tyranny.
Seems our paths aren't all that far remioved one from the other.
Which goes to show, if we do not LEARN from history, we ARE destined to repeat it.
It might not be a nation at stake...or a state, or even a city...just a few blocks of a once nice neighborhood.
But it still is worth giving a damn about.
Stay safe out there, America.