New Haven Independent

Posted by: TSM | August 17, 2006 8:31 AM

The events of this summer should get everyone thinking how to protect our kids. Youth programing, policing strategies, and community and the churches can play a vital role.

(1)Studies show the effectiveness of neighborhood based youth programs, many of which are suffering because of poor funding right now.

(2) New Haven does not have community policing. The police on the street are stretched. Chief Ortiz use of enforcement tactics, like his ID NET from Chicago, dramatize the point. Saturating a neighborhood, stopping cars for violations in the hopes to discover other criminal activity or grab some criminals, misses the point of Community Policing. The ID Net's 18 patrol cars are in the hood, the criminals and thugs lay low, they are not stupid. The ID Net leaves....and they are back out again.

When officers are unable to know the citizens in the hood, their effectiveness is diminished. Several years ago, Chief Warring, when there were more officers and beat cops, shifted the emphasis of patrols to get the guns off the street. It worked. The community responded.

Kudos for the arrest of the other teen for the murder of Justus....BUT A CHECK MINUS to Ortiz and Destefino for the disappearance of Community Policing in New Haven.

(3)Institutions in the community, particularly churches, have an important role in inspiring hope. Hope is not some day dream, but a virtue inspired by effective pastoring, to inspire the community to make those dreams a reality. Effective pastoring is not just consoling the sorrowful in these horrible moments, but to empower congregations, not just clergy, to make a difference so no more Justus die.

Faith, hope, and love, help youth and adults alike keep our world big, so the folks in NewHallville, Dwight, the Hill, Fairhaven, and other places of our community see ourselves as a powerful force for transformation and action for Justus, our kids, and for ourselves.

Posted by: Esbe | August 17, 2006 2:27 PM

I agree with TSM (and I have said before on this site) that the end of community policing in this city is a terrible thing.

The only way to stop these crimes is if the communities involved step in to help the cops (as well as vice-versa.) That happened all the time in the old "community policing" days, but the large number of unresolved shootings today shows the bad long-term effects of the current strategy.