On Tuesday evening as a group of concerned citizens were meeting at a church on Ridge Avenue to discuss the recent spate of 24 shootings, another one took place. On facebook there is talk that the city needs better leadership, at both city hall and the police department. I do not subscribe to those theories. In larger urban centers, shootings are a daily occurrence. Although Allentown is still a small city, the poverty ratio now defies the normal socioeconomic bell curve. Many people consider associating poverty and crime as racist. I'm not a sociologist, nor prepared to provide qualifying data, but observation and crime reports certainly suggest a strong relationship between poverty and crime.
In 2005, as an independent candidate for mayor, I claimed that Allentown was becoming a poverty magnet. I saw thousands of people on entitlements being staked to move-in money by several well meaning but misguided agencies. For my observation, I was inappropriately accused of racism. My contentions were based on the apparent connections between poverty and crime, regardless of people's race and ethnicity. I certainly realize that not all poor people are criminals, but poverty does seem to generate desperation. Here we are 15 years later, and people are wringing their hands about what can be done. In reality, if anything easy could be done, the shooting deaths in Baltimore and Chicago wouldn't be going up every year.
Despite my bluntness, I do believe that things can be made better in Allentown. Obviously a zero tolerance crackdown is in order. Hopefully our leaders will have the fortitude not to be intimidated by accusations based on political correctness, whether they be of profiling or even of racism.
photocredit: Rick Kintzel/The Morning Call
I would suggest that the local Neighborhood Watch Groups become more involved with the Police Dept & City Hall.. Like our own 8th Ward Group is.
ReplyDeleteNow I know this is "easier said than done" But the wife and I keep a sharp eye (along with several other good neighbors) on our own block area, and it makes a big difference.
Not perfect, as we still have problems. But the police seem to respond quicker when we call to relate the smaller infractions of drug dealing, prostitution &
squabbling, that could lead to the bigger ones,like all the shootings & stabbings.
Just a suggestion....Think about it!.....PJF
From the original post: "On facebook there is talk that the city needs better leadership, at both city hall and the police department. I do not subscribe to those theories.
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"...I do believe that things can be made better in Allentown. Obviously a zero tolerance crackdown is in order. Hopefully our leaders will have the fortitude not to be intimidated by accusations based on political correctness, whether they be of profiling or even of racism."
I think that those two statements contradict each other. I also believe the second statement above is obviously the correct one.
This blog has documented many of the problems that the city faces. For instance:
1) Illegal dirtbike/ATV's are ignored by police;
2) A mob forms and follows police when making arrests and nobody in City Hall stands up for police and says this is wrong and won't be tolerated;
3) Intermediaries (individuals and organizations) with their own agendas are used by police and City Hall to reach out to minority communities instead of the police treating everyone the same.
Those are just a few recent examples - documented on this blog - of what's wrong with the current approach by City Hall and the police department. And the problems are spreading beyond traditionally tough neighborhoods, going into previously tranquil areas and areas that are supposedly being revitalized.
In addition, you note that you've been pointing out the problem with the "poverty magnet" for over a decade. But what has the current crop of leadership done to reverse that trend. If anything, they've adopted and support policies that attracts even more poverty to the city.
A current city council candidate is running on a platform of more affordable housing in the city. Obviously, the city's poverty rate proves that there is already plenty here. But has even one of our current politicians spoken up and pointed this out?
So it is more than fitting that we start holding those in City Hall and at the top of the police force accountable. But instead of hearing even a basic statement acknowledging the problem from either, all we've heard are crickets.
The problem won't be solved if City leadership (Mayor, Council, and police administration) can't even acknowledge that there's a problem and things need to change. If they can't speak up about the need for something to change, then they're the ones that need to be changed.
Perhaps the most cost effective solution that will not trample on anybody's Constitutional Rights is to simply let the herd thin itself.
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