It could be that this melting pot of various ethnicities and cultures doesn't feel the cops will do anything anyway, or maybe they're practiced at looking the other way. Some of the residents are from places where much worse crimes took place. I'm sure there are a number of factors. There's a very large amount of public housing units in that small area, one of the few highrise type buildings left. There are often inebriates wandering about as well. In my days of frequenting some of the establishments for music and/or adult beverages, I've always been amazed at the peacefulness of the very often just as mixed crowd. I've been elbow to armpit at shows and have rarely seen a ruckess - even though I'm hopeful the fire codes have been strengthened w/regard to crowd capacity...heh, heh.
Jill Harmon
Cleveland
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Michelle:
I fail to understand how the police engaging in the withholding of services could be construed as a reason for the under-reporting of crimes on the west bank area. Wouldn't the crime have to be reported for the police to selectively withhold services?
Also, how to the "gentrification forces" on the west bank stop these crimes from being reported? Is it an internal (within city government) conspiracy where the calls (by the victims) are actually made, but the internal forces just don't respond to, or does the "gentrification force" actually have undercover people that strong-arm victims into not reporting the crimes?
In all fairness (and I can only speak for my immediate neighborhood), on a daily basis, I witness numerous incidents (for which I call 911) of illegal activity and not only are they ALL responded to. MOST (not all) of my minority neighbors choose to turn a blind-eye. Seems to me that the issue is more an issue of trust (hopefully seating a new chief will help) than it is of conspiracy. Am I part of the gentrification force? My wife who is African American and native american, would be very surprised to find this out.
Dennis Plante
Jordan
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