This past Friday I wrote a post referring to Allentown as Dodge City. That post resulted from our police department determining that a shooting was justified. Yesterday's double daytime shooting and killings have managed to get the police chief's attention. He considers the daytime shootings less acceptable, because of the risk to school children. A local coffee shop owner said that such things can happen anywhere, even in the suburbs.
Actually, the incidence of such things happening in the suburbs is much, much less than downtown Allentown, north of Linden Street. Normally, such violence for an incumbent mayor running again would be a problem. However, here in Dodge City/Allentown, nothing is normal. We have an indicted mayor running for his fourth term while awaiting trial for corruption. The dominant Puerto Rican/Hispanic downtown population rarely sees or hears anything, before the ambulance and police come to pick up one of their own off the street.
If this post seems insensitive, you're at the wrong blog.
The neighbors always say they never saw anything like this before in there neighborhood. If that is so, one would have to think they haven't been there long. Shooting are a fairly common occurrence in the downtown and even in the surrounding neighborhoods.Fatal ones are less common.
ReplyDeleteThese shooting highlight the total 12 years of neglect of the Pawlwoski Administration to routine urban problems such as blight, housing, litter, poverty reduction, and home ownership.
scott@7:00, the reality isn't political, but very politically incorrect. allentown, simply put, attracted some of Puerto Rico's worse, by various agencies offering "move-in" money to anybody who came to town and applied. of course, many others that came are motivated, contributing citizens. eventually, we will develop a larger hispanic middle class, but in the meantime, it's Dodge City.
ReplyDeleteThis is reality that Boss Hog Pawlowski won't accept. The neighborhoods is where the problem starts and until we have a mayor who acknowledges this, we'll be in the same boat as we are now. So far, both alternative candidates, {Hyman & O'Connell}, have not provided any public safety platform to combat this. This is said, because "Boss Hog" is very vulnerable and both of these clueless candidates refuse to exploit this!
ReplyDeleteThe comments made by Pawlowski's hand picked Chief of Police that he is quite concerned by "day time" shootings is highly disingenuous. He should be concerned about any shootings, night or day, and illustrates this city and police administration's respect for the public and the community.
In any way, and at least for the four [4] more years, I see no relief on the horizon because these politicians are all in denial!
Not sure why anyone would assume Nat Hyman is clueless. Heard him on Gunther twice, he is well spoken,informed, and is a city native and resident with his office located apparently downtown.
ReplyDelete