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RE: Woodbine Break-in
Very Interesting Response Reported From District 8
I find Rich's comment on the Woodbine break-in very interesting.
I called the substation in regard to the break in on 69/71 Woodbine St. [A policeman] called me back and told me "It's an issue for a detective to work out, we just take reports". I could not get his ear to what was going on around here; he did not want to hear it. This is the 2nd time for us.Very frustrated with the police.
Editors note: The above quote reflects the opinion and viewpoint of the writer, (Rich) not the opinion of the Mt. Hope Community Website or of the GCCC organization. It should not be taken as fact.
Blogs, generally, are the site of emotional and heated expressions of opinion and invite heated and argumentative debate.
What Rich did not tell us is this: what specific complaints does he have about the police. This is very important. Exquisite detail is needed here. It is very frustrating to be the victim of a crime. The way the police respond should not exacerbate that frustration.
Criminals ply Mt. Hope: that is why we wish to change the culture of Mt. Hope and change the way the City Administration thinks of Mt. Hope.
For one, I'm surprised that Rich claims that the police were not more helpfull. Isn't it the function of the District 8 police to oversee all the police functions going on in District 8? Don't they do that?
If the Detective unit is handling the case it is the duty of our District 8 Police to act as the liasion between that unit and the victim. Is that not correct?
That is how I understand the duty of community police as explained by Col. Esserman and Mayor Cicilline. The District 8 Police function as the Local Police Czar to the citizens of the district.
I know that our District 8 Police take their responsibility very seriously, and I would urge you to speak with them again and voice your displeasure with the police response as specificly as you can.
If you get no satisfaction, call Maj. Fitzgerald, the head of the Uniform Division at 243-6102, he is the boss, and if he doesn't help you out, call Col. Esserman, the Chief, at 243-6109 or 243-6110.
Believe me, these guys are accessible, they want to do a good job, it gets overwhelming to them at times, but once they know that you are serious, they will respond to you.
But remember this, it is not the police's fault that you were the victim of a crime, nor is it your fault for living in Mt. Hope.
If you are angry express your anger by writing to Mayor David Cicilline about what is going on in Mt. Hope. When only a few express their anger, they are easily marginalized as crazy, ner-do-well mal-contents, but when a neighborhood rises up en masse to express their displeasure with the city's handling of affairs, the politicians listen.
You see, they want to get re-elected, and they don't want to be embaraassed.
That is why writing hard copy in conjunction with this website is so important. Write to the mayor and write to ProJo and the ESM.
Get the facts out there, because the facts are embarassing.
We are in a fight. Anyone who wants to win will join the battle. It's either that or move to a neighborhood where these punks, thugs and scumbags won't try to ply their trade because the City Administration will not allow it in certain neighborhoods.
When Col. Esserman took the job as Police chief, he bought a house on the East Side. How different would Mt. Hope be today if he had bought a house in Mt. Hope?
I think very different.
Don't tell me we have to live like this. Don't lie to me.
John Twomey
Posted at September 12, 2005 11:27 PM