Yesterday I happened upon an Associated Press article on the startling crime reduction in East Orange since 2003.
Read the article here.
As you can see, gunshot detection was one part of the solution, but there were many others. Police Director Jose Cordero personally developed a database to track crime by computer instead of paper reports. All patrol cars received wireless computers. Video surveillance cameras were placed in high crime areas. Most impressive of all to me, a "virtual community patrol system" was established so residents could text police about crime incidents.
The city also reached out to all sorts of funding sources, and some companies, apparently intrigued by the initiative, even donated time and equipment.
I hope you can take the time to read this article word for word. The themes are: Use of technology, vigorous innovation, easy grassroots involvement of citizens and a "community resolve" to change things.
So where do we stand here in Plainfield?
The ShotSpotter system was showcased without relevance to other aspects of detection and surveillance, at least until police officials gave more information to the Planning Board Thursday night. It now comes out in the wash that the funding source is not immediately known for the $1 million tab. And community involvement has consisted of bringing in The Rev. Al Sharpton for a cameo appearance along with an overloaded Town Hall panel, and putting residents on buses to hand out leaflets in trouble spots.
Not quite the same thing as the plan in East Orange.
Even contrasting Cordero's approach as police director with our situation here, we have seen police leadership expanded from five to seven captains and then reduced to three. The reorganization of the bureaus is not yet reflected on the Police Division web site.
These are the facts of our situation and just adding ShotSpotter is not likely to produce the same effect as East Orange has seen.
There is an urgent need to do something about gun violence, especially since Operation Ceasefire is no longer in effect. But on the face of it, Planning Board member Horace Baldwin may have had good reason for his feeling of "unreadiness" to embrace ShotSpotter as the whole solution.
--Bernice Paglia
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What about reinstituting the death penalty for one thing? Also, how about forgetting rehabilitation . . . it does not work! The old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but can't make him drink!", says it all! No one is going to change, unless the desire to change comes from within that person! Make jails and prisons places that you don't want to go to in the first place, and definitely under no circumstances want to ever go back to! Apparently, everthing which they are trying to do to control this situation . . . do not and have not ever worked! A heavy hand, True Grit and enforcing laws already on the books as oppesed to creating new, unecessary laws. I heard one Plainfield officer, at a community meeting laugh about the gang problem and say that even she had gang members in her family . . . whatca gonna do?
ReplyDeleteThanks for providing some context and perspective into the ShotSpotter proposal.
ReplyDeleteNote to tax collector: feel free to raise my property taxes $100 if it helps to recruit and hire a smart (Cordero developed his own crime database in his spare time) and dynamic new police boss. A better mayor would be good, too. Take another hundred bucks.
Don't worry about taking the extra $100 or $200 - they are going to get in no matter what
ReplyDeleteBernice, thank you. This article offered key insights. As noted above, Cordero was obviously a priceless hire for the city. We need that kind of dedication, intelligence and experience. The description of their surveillance system and technology network also make the proposed ShotSpotter installation pale in comparison. The deterrent effect is also duly noted. However, if we do not cover the entire city, do we not then give the gangs incentive to simply relocate their activities beyond the grid?
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