DC police to set up military-style checkpoint for cars entering violence plagued neighborhood

[Traviesa 0]

If you ask me what is being done is all that can be done, there really is no other way to make an area where 8 people were killed safe other than try to regulate who goes in and out and making sure they have good reasons to be there. We enjoy our freedom and we enjoy not being burdened with the need to explain ourselves to to the police but those same people complaining about the hassle would also be complaining if their child or loved one was hit with a stray bullet and died. What is it they expect to happen? What else could be done?

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be going places where things like that happen. If someone chooses to do so, then that's obviously a risk they're willing to take and I don't really think it's anyone's problem what happens to them. What are they going to do with the bad guys? Kick them out of one neighborhood so they'll go take over another? What exactly is the point in that? Just because you seal off one neighborhood, or even 10 neighborhoods, doesn't get rid of the bad guys. They will always be there to shoot someone else's children. But...I guess we only care about the children in this neighborhood. I just don't get it. It makes no sense whatsoever.

[Jack and Barbara 0]

but i thought dc had a gun ban..........

But don't most of the guns come in from MD, VA, and NC?

[Jack and Barbara 0]

If you ask me what is being done is all that can be done, there really is no other way to make an area where 8 people were killed safe other than try to regulate who goes in and out and making sure they have good reasons to be there. We enjoy our freedom and we enjoy not being burdened with the need to explain ourselves to to the police but those same people complaining about the hassle would also be complaining if their child or loved one was hit with a stray bullet and died. What is it they expect to happen? What else could be done?

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be going places where things like that happen. If someone chooses to do so, then that's obviously a risk they're willing to take and I don't really think it's anyone's problem what happens to them. What are they going to do with the bad guys? Kick them out of one neighborhood so they'll go take over another? What exactly is the point in that? Just because you seal off one neighborhood, or even 10 neighborhoods, doesn't get rid of the bad guys. They will always be there to shoot someone else's children. But...I guess we only care about the children in this neighborhood. I just don't get it. It makes no sense whatsoever.

What about the innocent people who live there. It's not always as easy as packing up and moving to a nicer part of town. There are certain sections of DC known for violence and they also tend to be the same areas with cheaper housing. Moving from one poor part of DC to another with crime isn't going to exactly change these peoples' way of life.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

but i thought dc had a gun ban..........

But don't most of the guns come in from MD, VA, and NC?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It does seem to be yet another example of blunt (treat the symptoms rather than the cause) thinking.

Heavy enforcement doesn't alter the causative factors of high crime. Something you'd think would be realised by now...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It does seem to be yet another example of blunt (treat the symptoms rather than the cause) thinking.

Heavy enforcement doesn't alter the causative factors of high crime. Something you'd think would be realised by now...

In fairness, the Mayor does recognize that this is a short-term solution:

"...the number one way to make the residents safe, in the short term, is with police action."

[Traviesa 0]

If you ask me what is being done is all that can be done, there really is no other way to make an area where 8 people were killed safe other than try to regulate who goes in and out and making sure they have good reasons to be there. We enjoy our freedom and we enjoy not being burdened with the need to explain ourselves to to the police but those same people complaining about the hassle would also be complaining if their child or loved one was hit with a stray bullet and died. What is it they expect to happen? What else could be done?

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be going places where things like that happen. If someone chooses to do so, then that's obviously a risk they're willing to take and I don't really think it's anyone's problem what happens to them. What are they going to do with the bad guys? Kick them out of one neighborhood so they'll go take over another? What exactly is the point in that? Just because you seal off one neighborhood, or even 10 neighborhoods, doesn't get rid of the bad guys. They will always be there to shoot someone else's children. But...I guess we only care about the children in this neighborhood. I just don't get it. It makes no sense whatsoever.

What about the innocent people who live there. It's not always as easy as packing up and moving to a nicer part of town. There are certain sections of DC known for violence and they also tend to be the same areas with cheaper housing. Moving from one poor part of DC to another with crime isn't going to exactly change these peoples' way of life.

I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't feel sorry for them. I could go on forever about how government programs for low-income families hurt the very people they're "intended" to help and how there's a cycle in place that's breeding "bad guys." But the simple answer is that there will always be low-income areas, there will always be bad guys in these areas. It's unfortunate, but it's the way things are. If you kick them out of DC, they will move to other areas until eventually they're in the neighborhoods which are now maybe still liveable. I've lived in PG County my whole life and have watched its steady decline. Just wait until we get all of DC's garbage on top of that.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It does seem to be yet another example of blunt (treat the symptoms rather than the cause) thinking.

Heavy enforcement doesn't alter the causative factors of high crime. Something you'd think would be realised by now...

In fairness, the Mayor does recognize that this is a short-term solution:

"...the number one way to make the residents safe, in the short term, is with police action."

I guess the bigger question is does he have a plan to address the wider issues, or if he merely pushing for a short-term drop in the crime rate to butter-up the voters for his reelection.

Edited June 5, 2008 by Number 6

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

N6,

Most likely, he just wants the homicides to drop off the news.

[Traviesa 0]

It does seem to be yet another example of blunt (treat the symptoms rather than the cause) thinking.

Heavy enforcement doesn't alter the causative factors of high crime. Something you'd think would be realised by now...

That's pretty much what I was trying to say. It's the way we do things. Another fine example is illegal immigration. That's a whole other topic though.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

But the simple answer is that there will always be low-income areas, there will always be bad guys in these areas. It's unfortunate, but it's the way things are. If you kick them out of DC, they will move to other areas until eventually they're in the neighborhoods which are now maybe still liveable. I've lived in PG County my whole life and have watched its steady decline. Just wait until we get all of DC's garbage on top of that.

As someone who lives in a "nice" suburb in proximity of a rapidly gentrifying urban area, I know precisely what you mean.

[000 0]

If you ask me what is being done is all that can be done, there really is no other way to make an area where 8 people were killed safe other than try to regulate who goes in and out and making sure they have good reasons to be there. We enjoy our freedom and we enjoy not being burdened with the need to explain ourselves to to the police but those same people complaining about the hassle would also be complaining if their child or loved one was hit with a stray bullet and died. What is it they expect to happen? What else could be done?

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be going places where things like that happen. If someone chooses to do so, then that's obviously a risk they're willing to take and I don't really think it's anyone's problem what happens to them. What are they going to do with the bad guys? Kick them out of one neighborhood so they'll go take over another? What exactly is the point in that? Just because you seal off one neighborhood, or even 10 neighborhoods, doesn't get rid of the bad guys. They will always be there to shoot someone else's children. But...I guess we only care about the children in this neighborhood. I just don't get it. It makes no sense whatsoever.

What about the innocent people who live there. It's not always as easy as packing up and moving to a nicer part of town. There are certain sections of DC known for violence and they also tend to be the same areas with cheaper housing. Moving from one poor part of DC to another with crime isn't going to exactly change these peoples' way of life.

Exactly, while crime is a part of any major city when you have 8 people killed in a weekend I am sorry but that requires some type or extreme measures to be taken. No one should feel as if they are a prisoner in there own house. Im not saying they only care about the children in that neighborhood but its pretty clear those neighborhoods have a bit more problems than the average area. And they arent sealing it off, just trying to make sure that the people going in there dont have the intention of doing illegal things or hurting someone. What makes no sense to me is the business owners thinking that the road blocks will have a negative effect on their sales, I wouldnt go into those neighborhoods just for the fact that 8 people were killed in one weekend there, to be honest I would feel safer knowing that atleast the police are trying. DC has come a long ways since the 80's and when I lived there 8 years ago there were places i would not go for anything still but it wasnt a feeling of everywhere I went I was in danger. If the police do happen to get the right car or the right people that are referred to as "bad guys" and they have illegal drugs (main driving force in crimes such as these no matter if it is a sale gone bad, a turf war, or just plain robbery for the money) or illegal guns the minimum mandatory sentence for some of those is atleast enough to take them off the streets all together for 5 -7 years. They can take over a prison neighborhood if they desire to do so but these innocent people who are trapped in this violence are really just that, trapped.

[Leafgal 3]

Unfortunately I live on the edge of a bad neighbourhood here in VA and I sure hope someone figures out what to do and then brings that solution down here. I have no suggestions of what would work, but I can see the Mayor of DC recognizes this is a short term solution and I am guessing until someone comes up with a better plan they will stick with what they have and see if it works.

[Traviesa 0]

If you ask me what is being done is all that can be done, there really is no other way to make an area where 8 people were killed safe other than try to regulate who goes in and out and making sure they have good reasons to be there. We enjoy our freedom and we enjoy not being burdened with the need to explain ourselves to to the police but those same people complaining about the hassle would also be complaining if their child or loved one was hit with a stray bullet and died. What is it they expect to happen? What else could be done?

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be going places where things like that happen. If someone chooses to do so, then that's obviously a risk they're willing to take and I don't really think it's anyone's problem what happens to them. What are they going to do with the bad guys? Kick them out of one neighborhood so they'll go take over another? What exactly is the point in that? Just because you seal off one neighborhood, or even 10 neighborhoods, doesn't get rid of the bad guys. They will always be there to shoot someone else's children. But...I guess we only care about the children in this neighborhood. I just don't get it. It makes no sense whatsoever.

What about the innocent people who live there. It's not always as easy as packing up and moving to a nicer part of town. There are certain sections of DC known for violence and they also tend to be the same areas with cheaper housing. Moving from one poor part of DC to another with crime isn't going to exactly change these peoples' way of life.

Exactly, while crime is a part of any major city when you have 8 people killed in a weekend I am sorry but that requires some type or extreme measures to be taken. No one should feel as if they are a prisoner in there own house. Im not saying they only care about the children in that neighborhood but its pretty clear those neighborhoods have a bit more problems than the average area. And they arent sealing it off, just trying to make sure that the people going in there dont have the intention of doing illegal things or hurting someone. What makes no sense to me is the business owners thinking that the road blocks will have a negative effect on their sales, I wouldnt go into those neighborhoods just for the fact that 8 people were killed in one weekend there, to be honest I would feel safer knowing that atleast the police are trying. DC has come a long ways since the 80's and when I lived there 8 years ago there were places i would not go for anything still but it wasnt a feeling of everywhere I went I was in danger. If the police do happen to get the right car or the right people that are referred to as "bad guys" and they have illegal drugs (main driving force in crimes such as these no matter if it is a sale gone bad, a turf war, or just plain robbery for the money) or illegal guns the minimum mandatory sentence for some of those is atleast enough to take them off the streets all together for 5 -7 years. They can take over a prison neighborhood if they desire to do so but these innocent people who are trapped in this violence are really just that, trapped.

That's an excellent point, which didn't occur to me. Hopefully they will be that successful.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Unfortunately I live on the edge of a bad neighbourhood here in VA and I sure hope someone figures out what to do and then brings that solution down here. I have no suggestions of what would work, but I can see the Mayor of DC recognizes this is a short term solution and I am guessing until someone comes up with a better plan they will stick with what they have and see if it works.

I'd imagine DC can't very well solve this problem by itself. The immediate surrounding area is depressed too isn't it?