This is post #100 folks!
100 opinions, adventures, hopes, and dreams. Thanks for reading this silly little blog about my life and my city. It's kept me focused, busy, and opinionated and I'm happy to share it with all of you. Before I get into this major topic I want to let you know that I know crime has touched us all and I am in no way going to try to minimize certain crimes as compared to others. There is a point I am trying to make and I ask that you please understand the big picture before picking apart the little things. The big picture is truly the message and I feel as if I need to make a comment for my own piece of mind. Instead of placing the blame on others, I have chosen to take personal responsibility for my own safety. We tend to point fingers when it comes to crime but I only have control over my own actions...and that's where I plan to start.Crime is a part of any urban area and has molded once great cities into the patchwork of gentrified neighborhoods, busy downtowns, and dangerous areas that they are today. When you ask people about cities like Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit they will usually respond with [insert compliment here] but it's too dangerous still and the schools are terrible. How do you fix a system where crime is glorified and going to school seems like it isn't mandatory? If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire consultant...but unfortunately I don't have a clue...and it may sometimes seem like neither do our neighbors, business owners, and leaders.
Growing up in the suburbs skipping school was never an option and breaking the law not only disappointed your family but brought along with it the crushing judgement of the community at large. Is that what's missing? Family and consequences? It's hard to say. The problem seems bigger than that and maybe that's it. Maybe it's insurmountable? The culture of crime in urban areas is complicated by many things such as areas of extreme poverty, an "I'm not a rat" mentality of not cooperating with criminal investigations, an Us vs. Them culture against the police or different ethnicities, a history of institutional racism or the perception of such, and no form of civic pride. It ranges from littering to murder and there doesn't seem to be a way to attack one issue without taking resources from another.
So do you start at the top and crack down on the heavy crimes or do you start with littering and jay walking? Crimes of any type leave victims who feel as if they have no outlet and no retribution. They're left scared and bitter at the system that allowed this to happen and for ever day that passes by without a resolution, they become more angry. 1 crime doesn't just leave just 1 or 2 victims tho. It affects the city as a whole and adds to the frustration of all people who call that city a home. That's why it's so dangerous to leave crime unchecked from any angle. I may never be directly affected by a murder in my life but I may be by vandalism or robbery. No matter what it is, it has the chance to ruin my opinion of where I live and what I believe.
As for perception, there is no lack of crime coverage on the news, in the paper, or on the internet. Trust me, there are important and influential people out there that are threatened by the resurgence of our urban areas and will try to bring it down at any turn. That's why it's so important for people to stand up and celebrate when justice is served. When the news conveniently forgets to follow up on crime, people need to get together and make sure that everyone know when, how, and why a crime is solved. It educates the everyday citizen on what they need to do if it ever happens to them and provides a sense of closure to victims of any crime giving them hope that justice will one day be served for them as well. A well informed public is a great tool against the negative culture that we are inundated with on a daily basis at all levels. Think if we never heard anything about 9-11 after it happened. If the public was kept in the dark about the war on terror, we could be living in a completely different time today. A time of fear, misinformation, and doubt about America.
Why does the information seem to fade away the further we get from a crime at the local level? The internet provides us with a vast amount of global information but it only feeds us what we want to consume. If we forget to care about a murder or rape after a few days but continue to crave more and more information about reality stars and pop icons, the media will spoon feed us what will give them more clicks. It is up to all of us to push the media towards reporting on what really effects us and not just tragedy. We should be shaped by our victories and not our defeats. That just doesn't seem to be the case today.
Crime effects different cities differently which mean that each city needs to prioritize its own issues. City government and the local police force need to have their finger on the city's pulse and know what needs to be prioritized 1st. They need to be seen more as protectors and less like big brother. Take for instance "Click it or ticket". We all know buckling our safety belts protects us in the event of an accident but when there's an armed robbery on my street, I want to know that it is being taken care of with as much fanfare as someone who gets pulled over for not wearing a seat belt and that just isn't happening. How about "Drive Sober or get Pulled Over"? There's not a person alive that doesn't know that drunk driving is illegal and could end up in tragedy yet every day we see it on signs and commercials. It's not a friendly reminder. It's an open threat which is fine but when someone comes into my city and murders an innocent person in broad daylight I want whatever info they have on the crime on the evening news every night until that person is convicted and sentenced. In comparison to the heavy crimes that happen almost daily, these petty crimes seem to be getting an unnecessary amount of push in places where they aren't even a blip on the radar. Let's make a deal... cut down on the traffic PSA's and start a campaign that says "Hurt one of ours and we'll hurt you back 2 fold." That message makes me feel like the police are protecting me and not lurking behind highway signs with their lights off looking to jump out and grab me. Murder, rape, robbery,...,then seat belt violators. That's my opinion anyway. I'm sure there's a driving force behind the way things are done (money) but doesn't that seem like it may be a problem.
So what can you do? Well other than just plain old being a law abiding citizen you can start with the easy stuff. Have some civic pride and don't litter. A clean neighborhood will always be perceived as a safe place to be. Make your area as clean and well lit as possible. A place you feel safe to walk is a great place to be at any hour of the day. Turn on your porch light and make sure to call in any street lights that may be out. If you see something, say something. It works (sorta) in airports and it can work on your street as well. There's no harm in it and if you save one life, it's well worth the effort. Stay informed. Go to safety meetings and get all the info you can on what's happening on the streets. You may just have your mind changed on how you perceive things are being handled by law enforcement. Try your hardest not to be a victim. Don't leave thing out in your car or on your porch that may attract people who may want to take them. Be a good neighbor. A great thing about the suburbs is their tight knit sense of community. Meet you neighbors, have block parties, and keep everyone informed of your concerns. Be the squeaky wheel. It's a fact in life that they will always get the grease and you should in this case since your tax money pays the people who are there to keep you safe. No one even comes running if they aren't called.
There will always be criminals in this world but they will always be a minority compared to people who just want to live a good life and be happy. Take it upon yourself to have safety start with you and your family. Carry the torch for safety and show the world that you are on the side of good and you will not tolerate bad things happening in your community. If you feel like it's an up hill battle, talk to your neighbors, community leaders, and police force. Once you become informed you will see that you are not an army of one but a cog in the machine for safety. Progress is fine but for every building that is built in your city there are people who will abandon it if things get too bad. The mistake in the past has been not sustaining the progress that is made with safety, education, and a sense of community. Your city runs on your tax dollars so you in turn must treat it like you are the CEO. Demand that with progress comes a plan to make the best of it for years to comes. You have all the power to make your life a great one where ever you live even if you as an urban adventurer feel like you are the minority.
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
PS. I'm not going grammar check all my then/than's and effect/affect's. It's just too much work for a weekend. Kick back and relax grammar Nazis!
If the Eiffel Tower can be a huge radio antenna, urban explorers, then a building can be used for anything no matter how iconic. Just set it up to succeed!
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