Cops or grants?

Charley - if they take the Cape's Community Policing money..... (0.00 / 0)

....to prevent Menino form being embarassed by Curtis Siwa, well, this summer on Cape, when the population triples and quadruples, and you get lost, or hurt, or fall off your bike and break a leg on the Rail Trail where the bicycle cops usually patrol - well - you won't mind just waiting for help, will you?  After all, we can't have Mumbles upset!

Yr. Obedient Servant, Peter Porcupine, Republican

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by: Peter Porcupine @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 07:41:07 AM CDT

It's about people dying in Boston, (5.00 / 1)

not about the Mayor of Boston.

The people I've talked to who deal with the State House say the political will to raise revenue isn't there.  And if it's not there, then I say take money out of the Rainy Day fund.  It may not be the best fiscal policy, but if it puts more cops on the streets that need more cops, then that's the better choice.

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by: joeltpatterson @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 08:38:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cops (0.00 / 0)

will not solve the problem It's the people who live inside the homes that will solve the problem.

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by: MCRD @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 22:12:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Then let's get rid of all cops (0.00 / 0)

Those people are a small group holding a much larger group of law-abiding citizens hostage.

If we take your position, then we should eliminate all cops, since cops don't stop crime from happening. Let's do everything in civil courts -- sue someone who robs you, hire your own investigator if you get broken into.

Wrong.

Because of this state's economic segregationist attitude, most of the poor in this state are concentrated in just a few places. Those places need many, many more cops than other places. Why? Because the CEOs living in Dover don't tend to break into houses. The heroin addicts in poor areas do.

If we're going to pursue economic segregation as a policy in this state, then the very least we can do to treat all citizens equally is to fund more cops where they are needed.

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by: NoPolitician @ Sun Apr 01, 2007 at 11:10:06 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Joel - I would respect your comment more if the priorities of the Mayor's office weren't available in the City budget. (0.00 / 0)

$500,000 for 'dialoging' on race.  The salaries for the City Councillors.  IF there is a state of emergency, there is money which could be redirected there without impacting other communities.  As it is, the Mayor wants to keep what the has, and snatch from the others.

And what it WRONG with the Guardian Angels exactly?  Why are they worse than city-funded Crime Stopper programs?

Yr. Obedient Servant, Peter Porcupine, Republican

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by: Peter Porcupine @ Sun Apr 01, 2007 at 15:08:07 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Nickle dime stuff (5.00 / 1)

Simply put:

Boston generates more than a quarter of the state's revenues.

The state provides 18% or so of Boston's revenue.

Boston is willing to raise even more of its own revenue if it gets the power to end the telecom subsidy ($18M) and do a small raise to the meals tax (1% also equals about $18m).  Lot more revenue than tiny items in the city budget.

Course we could always talk about the billions going to Iraq too instead of COPS, Local Law Enforcement Block Grants, Empowerment Zones, Youth Opportunity and other Clinton-era programs.

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by: howardjp @ Sun Apr 01, 2007 at 20:25:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Gee - what line in the state budget sends money to Iraq? (5.00 / 1)

OR are you just complaining about the decreased power of our delegation since the Tip O'Neill days?

Yr. Obedient Servant, Peter Porcupine, Republican

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by: Peter Porcupine @ Sun Apr 01, 2007 at 20:32:07 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Shannon grants (0.00 / 0)

Came after the "Miracle" days, which were aided by a strong economy and a range of local initiatives, many of them funded with federal money, such as the COPS program.  COPS, by the way, did more than just put more bodies on the street, there were also targeted programs to support hiring ethnic minorities that were underrepresented to police forces (SE Asian, Cape Verdean, for example) as well as training.

Cities also had access to what was called the "Local Law Enforcement Block Grant" program.  Unlike other cities, who put the money into overtime, equipment, etc, Boston allocated that money into community-based prevention programs. 

Unfortunately, the Republican Administration eliminated COPS and LLEBG, and post 9/11, turned its emphasis to homeland security funding.  As as the economy slumped from the soaring 90's, there were fewer opportunities available for initial work opportunities for inner-city youth, as well as those in "reentry", a major priority of AG Reno (as opposed to AG "Fire em all" Gonzales.

Bottom line is that you probably need the flexibility to do both, depending on a community's needs and priorities. 

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by: howardjp @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 07:41:10 AM CDT

(4.00 / 1)

so we have a problem in a 5 square mile area out of the whole state.

why don't we eliminate and consolidate many of the surburban police and fire.  we don't need this many in these areas. the fire departments are a joke. BUT WE NEED To to send fully staffed fire engines to every medical call and rear ender. And give them fantastic benefits.  Wasteful.

Too manay police officers in these town.  not needed.

less then 20 additional cops could fill the hole in this very small area of boston. then we can make shannon grants available for the needed things. But we also need other things that worked in the late 80s.

hey, where is asshole U.S. Atttorney Michael Sullivan.

One thing that waas done in the late 80s was to bring in federal indictments. And it had an effect.

D.A. Conley, Mayor Menino, and U.s. Attorney Michael Sullivan seem to be clueless.

Ernie Boch, III is not related to Ernie Boch, Jr. however he does hope to be in his will.

Justice for Tookie

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by: EB3 @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 08:23:20 AM CDT

Sullivan is out. (5.00 / 1)

He's been named to run ATF.

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by: David @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 10:02:21 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Of Course (0.00 / 0)

A position only a toadie would get in the Bush Administration

Ernie Boch, III is not related to Ernie Boch, Jr. however he does hope to be in his will.

Justice for Tookie

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by: EB3 @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 15:29:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A Worthwhile Read (5.00 / 1)

on the Boston Miracle from Mother Jones magazine.  The article is framed around LA's problems, but it's still worth reading now.

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by: joeltpatterson @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 08:41:34 AM CDT

I have no insight here... (0.00 / 0)

...but I waned to share my random guaridan angels thoughts.

I live a couple of blocks away from Bruce Wall's church in Codman Square, where all those Guardian Angels photo-ops and tv interviews take place. It's right next to the BPL brach and near a few businesses I frequent. 

On my way home, I actually saw Silwa, the Angels, and the news crew.  As I walked by, I looked him in the eye . I have to say, something doesn't seem right. They seemd like frustrated wanna-bees, complete with a fake cop car with flashing lights. I felt as if I had just walked on set as an extra for The Warriors. Also surreal was the Boston reporters joking about who was going to cover the bus shooting, which I had not heard about, but I suspect something was up when I saw the helicopters floating over North Dorchester. Seems like every week there are news copters flying over my neighborhood; I usually know before turn on my TV/computer that soemthing bad happened. Thanks, "Sky Eye 4".

I'm not so much worried about their lives (I am, but they chose to come from out of state) as I am worried about young Bostonians who want to don the red jacket and beret. If I were a thug who brazenly shoots someone mid-afternoon on a bus at one of Dorchesters biggest intersections, then I would have no problem branding a red jacketed do-gooder as a "snitch".  And we all know how these thugs feel about so-called "snitches".  Also ingrained here is a distrust for autority and militarism.  The Angels' outfits definately project a authoritarian, para-militaristic vibe.  I wonder if that will hinder their acceptence into the community.  I'm not saying the community should not take action and continue to live in fear, but I do question the strategy of identifying oneself as a target. 

Let me get this straight: Democrats protest war, Republicans protest health care?

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by: tblade @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 14:48:27 PM CDT

There's a distrust (0.00 / 0)

of miltarism. I bet if you told those kids that you were going to put then in uniforms, march them up and down, give them penty of physical activity, decent food, freedom from drugs, a safe enviroment and that they could drive around in tanks, shoot rifles, fly in helicopters and blow stuff up you would have every young kid in Boston standing in line .

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by: MCRD @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 22:20:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Huh? (0.00 / 0)

I must be missing something, because you start by saying that there's a distrust of militarism, then give the classic sales pitch for militarism -- "just put on this uniform and obey our orders, and your problems will go away" -- before denoting how powerful it is.

~~~~
Believe it or not, I have even more to say...

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by: sabutai @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 22:33:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

No, you wouldn't. (0.00 / 0)

I actually know "kids" in my neighborhood, and in Roxbury, and in JP and in Mattapan. Perhaps in the white conservative neighborhoods (specifically the ones in Southie and here in Dorchester) you'll have a better time finding young people admiring cops and soldiers, but in the community where the gang violence is raging, it's a different story. 

Let me get this straight: Democrats protest war, Republicans protest health care?

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by: tblade @ Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 23:00:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Why don't you go to the Guardian Angels Blog (6.00 / 1)

Why don't you go to the Guardian Angels blog and read what the comments from people in the community say.  Most are positive.

You can't deny the fact that the crime, which has been ignored for too long has now taken center stage. If it takes a showman to do that so be it.

The Guardian Angels are a local empowerment organization.  They empower those in their own communities to do something about crime.  It's little more than a more militant crime watch. But it seems to be having an effect.

Just because you don't like Curtis Sliwa's politics doesn't mean that what he is doing doesn't have merit.

Also, community policing isn't more cops on the streets, it isn't grants, it isn't more money.  It is a mindset.  It is getting into the community and walking a beat, it is talking to the residents of that community about small problems on a daily basis, so when the big problems hit the community will talk to them because of the trust established.  Commissioner Davis knows this because that is what he practiced in Lowell even after the Federal dollars dried up.  Community policing is a mindset, not a Federal handout.

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by: EaBoClipper @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 07:08:53 AM CDT