Stopping Bullets

Posted By Si Kailian, 08/05/08 1:58 PM

Ok all its WTF time and let me start off by stating that I am NOT harping on the police because our officers are doing an amazing job.

Remember the last eruption of gunfire? Officers were at 5th & N and heard the shots coming from the 400 block of N and they responded immediately. The police chased 2 suspects to 4th & M between two parked cars where they were detained. They recovered weapons that had been discarded in the immediate vicinity. One male victim was grazed by a bullet. We coudn't ask for better police work.

Well, turns out the 2 (juvenile) suspects have been released without arrest. The police assert that there is not enough evidence for an arrest. How is this possible? Well I'm not really sure and I haven't gotten a very good explanation from any of the MPD brass. Is there really some sort of impossible standard that our officers have to meet to even arrest people? Do they really have to fully investigate, get lab results, essentially prove a case worthy of a court victory before even arresting a suspect? What ever happened to probable cause which seems to be abundant in this situation? I'm no lawyer but this is truly baffling and unacceptable.

Harry Jaffe recently lamented our soft gun laws and IMO he is right. These guys know that if they get caught NOTHING happens. No wonder we hear that pop pop pop! so often. There are no consequences to their actions. This week there is a vigil & funeral for a shooting victim, Chris Taylor, a sober reminder of the ultimate terrible eventuality. We can have all of the meetings, forums, programs etc. in the world but if there are no penalties this is not going to stop.

So who do we turn to? The courts, the lawyers, and the lawmakers. While you all are bickering about gun rights, perhaps you might think about penalties for abuse. I am speaking primarily to our elected leaders and Acting AG Peter Nickles

One more thing. Remember Jack Evans July 16th press release announcing Shotspotter up & running in Shaw? "Criminals Beware" & all...Well, it turns out Shotspotter isnt operational yet. At this point I dont even know what to say.

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Comments

I say that the next time there is a something big at the convention center, we have a demonstration out front, and hand out leaflets to the visitors to our city telling them that they should be very careful because they're in a neighborhood where people can literally get away with murder.

Let's give the city a black eye over this.

Posted By Charles Walker / At 8/5/08 4:31 PM

council member mendelson is chairperson of the judiciary committee. http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/mendelson/LIVE%20Site/index.htm

Posted By richard rogers / At 8/5/08 8:07 PM

We have this problem of all our city officials in positions to change things for the better living west of the park.

Posted By Nicholas McKenna / At 8/5/08 9:23 PM

Good article on "why DC Bad Guys have so Many guns" in the Washingtonian...ask Phil Mendelson what he's doing about it...

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/8002.html

Posted By bob c / At 8/6/08 5:34 AM

Toughest gun laws in the country yet absolutely no enforcement. Harry Jaffe hits the nail on the head. Our city council is completely out to lunch.

Left-liberal thinking seems to defer to the criminals since criminals (in their minds) are a product of the environment. I believe (and I think most people do too) that everyone should be held accountable for their actions.

The US Attorneys refuse to prosecute many, many crimes. Their excuse is that they are overworked. Well, maybe if they prosecuted criminals, the crime rate would go down. They will give you stats of crimes they prosecute but they won't tell the number of arrests that are "no papered" ie not prosecuted.

The courts are at fault as well. A mountain of evidence is demanded. Even if the criminals are found guilty the sentences are extremely lax.

DC has more cops per capita than any other city in the US. That is not including park police, capitol police, fbi, etc. We have roughly 60 officers per 10,000 people. New York City has about 40 per 10,000. Having more cops clearly doesn't help if the courts and prosecutors won't back up the police.

It is about time the people of DC demand better courts, prosecutors, and council members.

Ed Six
Vice-Chairman
ANC2F Committee on Crime and Public Safety

Posted By ed / At 8/6/08 8:38 AM

Maybe it is time for Congress and the DC Government to figure out that the residents of DC are grown ups and we need an elected Attorney General and prosecutors that work for him/her versus us depending on U.S. Attorneys to prosecute local cases. The current system makes no sense as the prosecutors are not motivated by the local citizenry to bring these cases to trial and do their part to help bring down the crime in the city.

Posted By JohnD / At 8/6/08 3:09 PM

correct me if i'm wrong but didnt council pass and mayor williams sign legislation for an elected district attorney? or was it just the creation of the office of attorney general?
there was criticism that having an elected attorney general wouldn't work here because some crackhead could be voted in and the stupid voters would never fire her or him.

Posted By richard rogers / At 8/6/08 7:02 PM

Ed Six - what's wit the attack on Liberals? Completely unnecessary.

Posted By CARMEN / At 8/7/08 4:34 AM

Richard: I believe the voters passed a referendum for a district attorney but the council and mayor did nothing as they where afraid of congress over ruling them since it comes under the home rule act that governs DC. You could call and write to our voting members of Congress but as we don't have any we're kinda screwed.

Posted By Sam Farmer / At 8/7/08 4:54 AM

when a relative was raped and killed a few years ago i got less liberal about law enforcement. if park rules were enforced at the DPR park at 6th and N Chris Taylor might not have been killed.

Posted By richard rogers / At 8/7/08 5:23 AM

It's never been about the number of cops, although that's what the city always falls back on. It has always been about the lack of enforcement. We do not need one more or a thousand more cops. We need people to 1) allow cops to arrest people, 2) prosecute the offenders and 3) lock up those prosecuted for an appropriate length of time. Until these three things happen, this city will continue to face the same crime issues. We need a Guiliani style mayor. I've never heard a peep from Fenty on this and find that most of what he does speak to is hot air. Individual rights need to be maintained in proportion to that of the greater good, liberal city or not. Unfortunately the situation Si recounted is the norm, not the exception.

Posted By Megan / At 8/7/08 9:12 AM

Carmen, then who is to blame for the present situation? It is necessary to recognize that ideas have consequences. I suggest you read, The Dream and the Nighmare by Myron Magnet. It took a Republican to clean up NYC.

Posted By ed / At 8/7/08 1:28 PM