Humpday Happenings...

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of my small piece of the airwaves, and  with it, a post that might be packed tighter than a Sumo wrestler in a phone booth...if you can find EITHER one and get them together.
(you remember phone booths, right? Just checking)
The local Hoosierland weather is as follows...
It will be unseasonably MILD today with highs in the mid to UPPER 50s.with not enough sunshine to really enjoy it.
We might have a chance of a slight shower here and there, before we drop BACK into a decent (and abrupt) cold snap, so, don't turn that furnace off yet.
In the meantime, go refill your morning beverage, and let's get this show started...
*** First up, is our Motto of the Week, aka WHO SAID THAT?
"Most people don't believe that something will happen until it already has. That's not stupidity or weakness, that's just human nature."
In the finest tradition, you will find this quote quite apt for the remainder of this post.
So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the cinema...
*** In my best Barry Manilow homage...
LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT.
...TO HOMICIDE NUMBER FORTY-FOUR, that is.

A rather dubious distinction, is it not?
Well, I heard this go out yesterday on the police radio as a signal "58" (shooting) in the 3800 block of Oliver St, deep in the heart (not of Texas) of the ghettohood.

And here is the story link from today's J-G:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131204/LOCAL07/312049972
While the coroner will announce it officially today, let's already ADMIT this is the 44th homicide this year, tying a record set back in 1997 (which used to be 43, but they had to add one, so as not to let us think we'd reach the number).
An "execution-style" slaying they state...how quaint.
Used to be that a REAL execution style shooting involved ONE round to the back of the head...that's it.
Then you'd have the drive-bys at restaurants where known mob bosses ate.
But THIS one involved multiple shots to the chest and head...kinda sloppy, if you ask me.
The LESS of anything you leave at a crime scene, the better the chance the po-po can't trace anything back TO you...that's just SOP.

Police arrived at a house located at 3804 S. Oliver St, around 1525 hrs, and found one male (WHITE, for a change) inside, who was transported to hospital in critical condition. He died a short time later. Witnesses heard several shots and noticed two other men leaving the house and exiting the scene southbound (towards Rudisill Blvd) in a maroon van, make and model not specified.
(well, that narrows it down to all the automakers)..
Sunday's victim, Johnny Wiggins has no record in Allen County, so the motive behind HIS shooting death remains a mystery.

Nah..it just LOOKS that way...really.

FWPD spokesman, Off. Jeremy Webb stated to the media that there is nothing to point to directly as to an overall cause of this amount of violence on the city's's SE side. Chief York however believes the combination of gangs and drugs is causing retribution crimes due to stealing among themselves.
And we'll get to York in a moment.
Let's just say that my initial prediction of 25 homicides was turned on it's ear, and it has even surpassed the 40 I said we could reach.
I would also remind you to visit THIS (news-sentinel) site for the homicide locations THIS year, as well as in years past...tell me if you see an ongoing "trend".
http://nscontent.news-sentinel.com/?q=page/2013-allen-county-homicide-map

Simon Rios in custody

In other years, we have seen those aberrations of violence that cause an acute rise in homicide rates, like the Simon Rios case where he killed FIVE people near year's end, so we might not be out of the woods just yet.
And we might ALSO see a slowdown of homicides, because while SOME players have been killed, there is a time that passes before a new "hierarchy" becomes established in the gang networks around the area, but as long as we allow more broken windows, that time will become shorter and shorter...it's just "human nature".
(( Editor's Update - 1545 hrs - the 44th homicide victim has been ID'ed as Daniel Arnett, age 34 of Fort Wayne and if he's the Daniel Arnett that has been arrested before in Allen County, he's got gang activity and illegal possession of a firearm on his rap sheet.))
*** Now, a little more about Chief York...
First of all, last night's "rubber stamp of approval" for the recreating of the position of DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY went through City Council faster than crap through a goose, with little (if any) concern.

Bad "jazz hands", Rus

And more of us should find this...a bit disturbing to say the least.
But not as disturbing as this picture of Droopy Dog...LOL.

Is it me, or is there a resemblance?

Sure, I will admit that York is more qualified for the job than was Payne Brown (now a high-level manager at Comcast back east), but being qualified for a position that might not really be needed bears scrutiny...something that city council neglected to do last evening.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Yorks-New-Position-Official-Addresses-Record-Tying-Homicide-Rate-234340081.html

But he still seems to be a good singer.

What amazes me, is that it all seems a bit TOO convenient...like this was PRE-ARRANGED and already set-in-stone.
I will say that a recent article by News-Sentinel columnist Kevin Leininger speaks more to the real issues behind this.
Here's THAT link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131203/NEWS/131209930/1041/LEININGER
And here is Leninger's story about last night's city council meeting:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131203/NEWS/131209874/1005
At least Glynn (I'm all for blacks only) Hines stated he wants York to find a NEW strategy to fight the crime in HIS (and my) district.
Well, we have tried other strategies BEFORE...and all THAT got was lawsuits by people such as Rev. Michael Latham, or Hana Stith , claiming RACIAL profiling, or as so marvelously stated - "Driving while black".

Hana Stith

So, York backed the hell off,  and the department has been doing the "diversity-two-step" ever since.
It's always been about CRIMINAL profiling, but some minorities don't (want to) see that, even when these crimes and homicides happen in their OWN damn neighborhoods, PLUS the fact that they never want to come forward out of fear (or apathy)...
There is a nasty duplicity at work in these communities, and THAT won't prevent OR solve many crimes at all, will it?.
And that is one reason that I personally feel that revisiting the PSD (or DoPS - take yer pick ) job isn't going to net this city any gains against crime.
Sure, York mentions he's been working with federal agencies, but let's get REAL here.
The FEDS come in not only when "asked", but when a crime (or series of crimes) get the attention OF the feds, without local intervention.
It's like this - if a crime crosses state lines, many times, the feds get involved, like when drugs are transported from Mexico, up through the states and wind up in Chicago and then get redistributed out to Fort Wayne.
And the FEDS often have JURISDICTION, much to the chagrin of local law-enforcement.
That's the way things work, like it or not.
What the (new) PSD/DoPS position WILL do is give more power to someone that (imho) hasn't shown enough power in the former position he's held, unless you count power as something that forces officer morale in the crapper, or bends over backward to change statistics and descriptions of crimes to "cook the books"  on certain misdemeanors from felonies by reassigning them from one column to another.
That isn't making crime go way, either. Just changes the "name".
If memory serves, York once RETIRED from the FWPD, so that means a PENSION, right?
I wonder if he ever gave that UP after he was REHIRED back on as CHIEF when Graham Richard became mayor?
And if not...WHY not?

So, maybe that $126K salary isn't the TOTAL amount?
Is he really pulling down more money than we're told?
I'm just wondering...as should many more of us.
Then there's this grant money...over a million bucks, that's supposed to be there to HIRE more officers (who won't be on the street until LATE 2015!)
Okay, so we HIRE and TRAIN them...who EXACTLY will pay for them when the grant runs out?
('cause grants don't last ad perpetuum)
I suppose it will be a wash when ALL those officers of retirement age LEAVE the department (close to 1/4 of the department is eligible), and will the numbers still balance when it come to the number of "boots on the ground"?
Sure, (as York says) there are LOTS of "dynamics" at work here, but not ONLY in the criminal realm
If nothing else, I'm smelling some TAX HIKES in the immediate future for those left footing the bill in this city, and with city numbers and revenues dropping, how about some MORE annexations to shore up the tax base?

You can easily see the domino effect from downtown, and that spills over into the rearranging of the hierarchy in the FWPD...promotions, salary changes for vacated positions, and the like.
It's as though all this crap comes down to:
1) Keep you confused
2) get you thinking about something else
3) BOTH of the above
I still say we DON'T need a PSD (or a DoPS either...lol), and we certainly don't need a black police chief (yet), because you KNOW the "fix is in" there, too.
But, as long as the status quo is maintained, and NO ONE asks questions that NEED to be asked downtown, and especially on city council, we'll just have more of the SAME OLD SH*T...it'll just be a different day, that's all.
Rusty needs to retire and enjoy life, while we need an EXPERIENCED person at the helm of both the police AND fire departments, and not some token of diversity placed in a position JUST to have people say  "Look how accepting Fort Wayne is...so diverse, how nice of them".

And we need some HONEST representation at City Council, and not biased individuals pursuing their own agendas for their OWN part of the populace.
We also need a relief from all the crime, and it doesn't mean taking GUNS off the damn streets...
It means taking the CRIMINALS off of the damn streets...period.

With fewer criminals to HOLD guns, fewer guns in the WRONG hands will be the result...doesn't get ANY simpler  than THAT, does it?
(for I am a simple man)
*** Lastly today, all these pre-conceived and pre-determined outcomes issuing from City Hall need to be looked at, because with the level of criminal activity in this city, you don't want to go the route of Detroit, or Chicago, or even Philly.
But you WILL as long the people permit and allow others to attain authority who look out for themselves and their inner circle FIRST, and the citizenry second.
Don't attempt to assuage peoples' concerns about crime by citing NATIONAL numbers going down, when people in THIS city are MORE concerned with the RISING crime in their OWN neighborhoods. Remember, the national numbers are averaged.
Some cities have LOW crime, while others have HIGH crime,...so it "evens out"...that's called statistics, and yes, they can be "skewed", often at the discretion of someone wanting to keep his or her job downtown.
Look back to recent history when it comes to leadership in THIS city...not all that great. Sure, we got some new "shiny keys" (Costaplenty Square and the new ball field) dangling in front of the "toddlers" we call the populace, but such children tire of them over time, and then you have to find something ELSE to attract their attention.
I would warn City Hall and City Council to be wary of summarily passing everything that comes across their tables, because some OTHER city has one, or to exclusively redevelop DOWNTOWN, when you can't even DEVELOP the SE side one damn bit (thanks to the crime).
I would caution the FWPD command staff that they can't even stop boomcars, or littering, or major crimes...they just show up AFTER the fact, and I'm sorry...that's NOT policing...it's INVESTGATING.
They need to PATROL, and then patrol some more to be a sh*tload more PROACTIVE than being as reactive under York's direction.
And I would love to see the RIGHT people in the RIGHT jobs, and not because of affirmative action or diversity, but simply because they are the BEST and most experienced person FOR that position. Ethnicity be damned in that regard..
Sounds like nothing more than middle-aged man's PIPE DREAMS, doesn't it?
Thing is, it's STILL achievable, but we,  the people of Fort Wayne (and Allen County) have to WANT it, and not be willing to settle for whatever has been coming down the pike.
That's just what I've come to know.

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