Codefor is not the end all program for ridding the
streets of drug dealers and prostitutes. It's barely a
start-all. Do you honestly believe a few cops pulling
people over for broken tail lights and J-walking is
going to magicly cure the drug dealing problem?
I sat in a Ventura Village meeting and listened to a
judge talk about what he does to people who come
before him in drug court. He talked about treatment,
community service and a variety of options. He went on
to say that "after the fifth time he sees them in his
court, he starts to take things seriously". Well, I
pretty much lost sight of what he said after that
because I was too disgusted. Needless to say there
were a few people in the room that wanted to come up
out of their chairs. I was one of them.
I lived in a war zone of gangsters, drug dealers and
prostitution in the early 90's in Whittier. There was
a war going on but there weren't any soldiers to
protect you. The first week I lived in my house I was
met by a gangbanger with a gun asking me not to park
in my own driveway. I pulled into my driveway to watch
a guy chasing another guy with a gun headed right for
my car. I lived 24-7 with the possibility that at any
time a stray bullet might come flying through my
house. I lived through waking up to find a desparate
drug addict in my bedroom at 3:00 a.m. who was robbing
me. I lived with the fact that I spent three weeks
full time investigating and solving my own robbery
with no help from the police. I lived with the fact
that the guy who robbed me had pages of previous
arrests for burglary of dwelling and never spent one
day in jail. I lived with the fact that bedtime for
the people living in the drug house next door to me
was 4:00 a.m. when the crack was gone, while my
husband had to try to sleep through it because he has
to get up for work at 5:00 a.m. I lived with the
doorbells ringing and the knocking in the middle of
the night cuz somebody had the wrong house. I lived
with the guy next door shooting off his gun in the
middle of the night because it was fun.
I watched the Mercedes Benz with the white guy from
the suburbs drive in once a week to "drop off the
package". Everyone else seemed to know who he was,
where he came from and when he came, why didn't the
police?
I lived with the "hooker" who lived across the street
sitting on her steps with no underwear on while
parents were wisking their kids from the bus stop
quickly back into the house. I didn't see those kids
again until the next day when their Mom escorted them
to the bus stop. She wouldn't let them play outside
because it's too dangerous. She wouldn't send them to
the park because that was too dangerous too.
I have been raising a neighbors child for 10 years
because his mother was hopelessly addicted to crack
and I couldn't stand by and watch this little boy
become another victim in this war. His mother died
from cirrhosis last summer. He is now our son.
I live with the fact that my son counts prostitutes on
Franklin on his way home from school. The principal of
his school has to call the police everyday because
someone is urinating on the building or dealing drugs
outside. He knows the local prostitute by name.
I sympathize with the people from Ventura Village and
East Phillips right now. I sympathize with the people
over North. They are living in hell and no one is
coming to save them. Not even the police. Why? Because
the chief will have them judging a donut contest at
city hall!
I know you are asking, why didn't she move? Why don't
the people in Ventura Village or over North move? My
answer is "Why should we"? No one told me when I
bought my home in this neighborhood and took on that
30 year mortgage that Whittier was the "sacrificial
lamb" for the cities crime problems and I am sure that
the people living in Ventura Village and East Phillips
feel the same way. We should be able to expect the
same sort of safe neighborhoods every one else in the
city enjoys. Or are their "enclaves"?
I hear through the illustrious grapevine that the
Detroit boys are back in town! This summer is going
to be atrocious if the city doesn't make a concerted
effort to do something.
Maybe R.T. can hold a "crime summit" in Ventura
Village or East Phillips and he and the cheif can lay
out plans to address the problems this summer.
Here's one for you. After the police have finished
picking the best donut, I would love them to come
enforce to Bloomington Avenue and Franklin Avenue.
Whoever arrests the most crackheads will get dinner
for four at Maria's.
Barb Licknes
Whittier
=====
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed,
it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness
http://health.yahoo.com
_______________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy
Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more:
http://e-democracy.org/mpls
