That is a nice start. It has been tried before. I will continue to preach that law enforcement and more police are only a part of equation. The judicial system is the larger part.
There are many criminals out there that have rap sheets the size of bounty paper towel rolls. Some have over 100 arrests yet have never spent one day in jail. The judges blame the lawmakers and the prosecuting attorneys. The prosecuters blame the judges and the lawmakers.
What is clear is that the judicial side of this equation is broken. Continuing to arrest the same people over and over and over again isn't working.
I want to know whether our laws regarding incarcerating criminals are weak or if the judges just have too much latitude in imposing sentences when the laws are broken. I have been seeking answers to these questions for a very long time. I hope sometime soon to get some answers.
Early I advocated using the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee of the city and the county as the vehicle to develop a long term strategic plan for addressing the crime on the north and south sides of Minneapolis. The committee needs to add some citizen seats to their membership and perhaps a few seats for the State Crime offices and legislators.
Parading the Mad Dads around town to throw hot dog roasts and holding corner vigils in response to shootings is not addressing the issues. The attention span of the media doesn't stretch beyond the hot dog or the candle. I hope the same is not true of the people in power that can bring real resources to the crime problems.
Barb Lickness
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
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