NEIGHBORHOOD BLOGERS
THE BIG COPOUT
At a recent neighborhood meeting many voiced their concern over crime in Highland Vista: burglaries, drug dealers at the park and vandalism have become major problems. The question to the police department and the city was, 'what can be done about it?'
THE COPS COP OUT
The police response? "We don't have the resources."
Well, it would be unreasonable to expect the police to hang around on the off chance a burglar might turn up. But the problems at the park are another matter. Most would agree that an arrest or two at the park would send a message... or even a patrol car cruising around would help.
The lack of resources argument seems a little hollow after hearing so many stories of the police ticketing people who make innocent driving mistakes, even when the drivers have a 30 year clean driving record. Of course innocent mistakes are against the law but so is drug dealing. Is this a copout, or is it easier to pick up someone making a simple mistake than a drug dealer who perhaps carries a gun?
THE CITY COPOUT
It seems the city is eager to get us off their backs by proposing to drive the drug dealers out of Highland Vista, to another neighborhood perhaps. To achieve this they suggest spending money on park upgrades which may or may not help.
While they were quick to hand out $600 plus tickets to people walking their dogs without leashes, they apparently couldn't take people from the dog patrol and reckless driving senior citizen programs and put them into addressing the drug problem. Spending money on park lighting and gates might work but the dealers will just pop up somewhere else.
ARE WE COPPING OUT TOO?
Is it a copout to accept the city's offer to upgrade the park, thereby giving our problem to someone else? There don't seem to be other options, it's a take-or leave-it offer. The best we can do is make it known to the city that this isn't the way we will see an end to the drug problem. The dealers have been given a message... the police aren't going to go after them. Business as usual, hopefully somewhere else.
At a recent neighborhood meeting many voiced their concern over crime in Highland Vista: burglaries, drug dealers at the park and vandalism have become major problems. The question to the police department and the city was, 'what can be done about it?'
THE COPS COP OUT
The police response? "We don't have the resources."
Well, it would be unreasonable to expect the police to hang around on the off chance a burglar might turn up. But the problems at the park are another matter. Most would agree that an arrest or two at the park would send a message... or even a patrol car cruising around would help.
The lack of resources argument seems a little hollow after hearing so many stories of the police ticketing people who make innocent driving mistakes, even when the drivers have a 30 year clean driving record. Of course innocent mistakes are against the law but so is drug dealing. Is this a copout, or is it easier to pick up someone making a simple mistake than a drug dealer who perhaps carries a gun?
THE CITY COPOUT
It seems the city is eager to get us off their backs by proposing to drive the drug dealers out of Highland Vista, to another neighborhood perhaps. To achieve this they suggest spending money on park upgrades which may or may not help.
While they were quick to hand out $600 plus tickets to people walking their dogs without leashes, they apparently couldn't take people from the dog patrol and reckless driving senior citizen programs and put them into addressing the drug problem. Spending money on park lighting and gates might work but the dealers will just pop up somewhere else.
ARE WE COPPING OUT TOO?
Is it a copout to accept the city's offer to upgrade the park, thereby giving our problem to someone else? There don't seem to be other options, it's a take-or leave-it offer. The best we can do is make it known to the city that this isn't the way we will see an end to the drug problem. The dealers have been given a message... the police aren't going to go after them. Business as usual, hopefully somewhere else.