Here, here! When and where is the line drawn between crime and mere legal
violations? What constitutes a mere legal violation? To some, it's a DWI, or
a speeding ticket; to others grafitti, excessive noise, or someone trampling
your azaleas. Why must we wait until a mere violation becomes a full-blown
crime before reacting? Codefor was meant to be proactive and though may have
it's problems and I agree authority should be accountable for misuse of
force and/or justice, but I've yet to hear a better suggestion for letting
any and ALL citizens that live in this city that they're expected to follow
the rules...
the golden one comes to mind.
JHarmon
Cleveland
>From: Richard McMartin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: Issues Minneapolis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: [Mpls] code 4
>Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 08:49:31 -0600
>
>
> > This statement is contradictory and full or problems. Jaywalking and
> > driving damaged vehicles are not "crimes," but mere legal violations.
>
><...>
>
> > In addition, when stopping people for non-criminal violation in CODEFOR
> > neigbhorhoods, the police regularly engage in intrusions that are only
> > legally permitted for criminal violations. For example, in February,
> > 1998, a month after CODEFOR was started, I was stopped by Minneapolis'
> > finest for riding my bicylce through a red light at Franklin and Park
> > Avenues.
>
>So... Let me get this straight. If I drive my car through a red light, I
>have not committed a crime?
>
>Maybe none of the follow are not my rights but do I at least have the
>expectation that our society will protect my family and the everyone
>else in the neighborhood from some of the following:
>
>- Having guns aimed at your daughter while waiting for the bus near our
>home.
>- Having a guns fired at a drug house when your spouse walks down the
>alley near that house.
>- Having you neighbors 14 year old son murdered by his brother's
>unsatisfied drug customers. My family heard the last dying gasps of
>this youngster while his sister cried that they had shot her brother.
>- Having bullets pass through my living room 3 feet under my bed.
>- Having a guy continue urinating on my garage in front of my daughter
>and I as she drives up to the garage. After all he was just visiting
>friends down the alley that "were minding their own business".
>- Not being allowed to get to my garage because some of those friends
>"minding their own business" blocked the alley.
>- Having my house, squirrels, cats, various garage doors, pelted by
>pellet guns.
>- Having glass broken all over the alley by guys playing "baseball" with
>at aluminum bat and a couple of empty 12 packs of Budwieser bottles?
>- Having guys urinate on the sidewalk in front of and across the street
>while my family is on the front porch.
>- Having a peace making neighbor named Darell get stabbed and die in our
>alley just because he was trying to break up a fight over a gambling
>dispute. This happened while my daughter had a friend over. No wonder
>parents were reluctant to let there kids come over to our place to play.
>
>And yes running a red light is a crime - no matter what the mode of
>transportation. It is just a minor crime known as a misdemenaor. Why do
>we have such laws as "don't run a red light"? It is an attempt to make
>the transportation system work by providing a common set of
>understandable rules that everyone can follow. It makes it less likely
>that we will accidentally kill each other.
>
>The police need to be monitored and punished when they break the rules.
>There are ways for this to happen. YOU have to do some of the
>following:
>- attend Precinct Advisory Committee meetings.
>- Start a block club.
>- Talk to your SAFE officer and your CCP. Let them know when you have
>concerns about police or problems on your block.
>- Get to know the cops so that you become a human to them and they
>become humans to you. The police need to try to reach out and do this
>too.
>- Listen to the C4 meetings instead of protesting them. Bring up your
>concerns at those meetings.
>
>
>
>--
>Rich McMartin
>mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Bryant Neighborhood of Minneapolis
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