In a message dated 11/30/02 9:37:39 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> The murders of those children then, and Tyesha now, were the result of not
> showing enough respect for our children to assign the needed resources to
> stop OPEN gang activities and OPEN drug dealing. The murders were the
> symptom of the problem that again is coming to Minneapolis. The ONLY way
to
> address the problem is to make it unsafe and too high a risk for criminals
> to be engaging in open criminal activity. These gangs are in open warfare
> over lucrative marketing areas for their products. They feel safe from
> police and from a citizenry that is not allowed to protect itself. The sad
> truth is that a normal person is more likely to do jail time for accosting
a
> drug dealer selling drugs on the corner in front of their children, than
the
> drug dealer is for dealing. IF he were arrested!
>
Keith says; A fire bomb this summer solved our perpetual drug machine, for
now, at West Bro./Irving. I officially withdraw this particular corner from
nomination to "MDC" status. MDC stands for- Most Dangerous Corner. I cannot
predict if we will have 5 homicides nearby again, next summer. Remember:
Equal protection under the law would mean NO bad neighborhoods in Mpls. We
would only have "starter home", and wealthier, neighborhoods. Note: Equal
Protection must include "1/4 Mile spacing".
Keith Reitman NearNorth
>From The List Archive, March 2002:
Keith says; We need a confederation of individuals who are truly
concerned about the open drug selling and street crime that is allowed in our
poorer neighborhoods. By default and design, the segregation and
concentration of street crime continues in our "starter-home" neighborhoods.
Perhaps the courts will someday recognize the discriminatory actions of our
City and order the "dispersal" of this criminal concentration.
In the meantime, whether at Irving/West Bro., Chicago/Lake, 28th and
Bloomington, or Lowry/Lyndale, if you complain and organize, your local group
will get a visit from: Safe, County attorney, Probation, City attorney,
precinct inspector, CM aide (or CM), Mayor aide (or Mayor) etc. In round
robin fashion many official people will come to your meetings, and then, I
guess they will come to mine.
Year in and year out, you and your neighbors and neighboring business owners,
in the hood, will speculate, "Is it better now?" or "Is it Worse?". You will
never all get to excited behind one conclusion or the other because each day,
all day if you have time, you will see the same drug addled thugs handing off
their stuff and taking money from drive up and walk up customers. You will
see women strolling and trolling for Johns and jumping in their cars and
trucks. And this will all be punctuated by the not infrequent shooting, car
chase, aggravated assault and wanton damage to public and private property,
in the hood.
We expected the new City Hall administration, led by RT, to act quickly to
insure equal protection under the law to all neighborhoods, rich and poor. To
send a clear and loud message out to the career criminals on the street; No
more wanton street dealing. I regret to report that the status quo continues,
as far as the eye ( I ) can see. And so does the round robin of visitation to
concerned neighborhood groups by officialdom.
I do not think this mayor's policy will include redlining Phillips or West
Bro. as drug transfer zones. As it was with the last regime. But he must
create and institute anti-street crime policy now. And he must do it with
much drama. At least as much as was used against airplane noise or for
housing low income folks.
RT, I have invited you off line to visit Irving/West Bro., with or without
me. I believe that when you see the open criminality, and the impact on
decent people and children, you will take immediate action at "Crime Scene
24/ 7>Crime Seen 24/ 7". But the wanton drug selling continues unabated, so I
guess you have not made your move. Have you made your visit? Other good folks
are clamoring in other tough sections of town for your brand of action. Where
are you?
In the old regime, the Police Chief enabled a drug seller to operate on a
corner or street in the hood. When property owners bailed, the MCDA got the
lot. Why did you dismiss the grim reaper over at MCDA, yet you re-upped
Sharon's redlining Police Chief? Cramer was a good soldier and vas just
followink orders to demolish most any property the city could bid-in from the
County Tax forfeited land Dept. The Chief was just preserving the better
neighborhoods from being over run. Was there equal complicity/duplicity?
Anyway, Mr. Mayor please beat the drum for safe neighborhoods and commercial
corridors. Do it loud and do it long. I believe you are too little/too late
on
this one now. Please prove me wrong. I will work with you to prove me wrong.
In the mean time we folks who are concerned, but geographically divided, had
better hook up to filter out the BS when the officials come a callin'.
Keith Reitman NearNorth
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