double digit percentage drop in shootings in Boston neighborhoods

[Viking Kitten]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/08/01/citys_crime_numbers_dive/

Excerpt:
To help keep the numbers down, [police commissioner] Davis said, police will continue to investigate and round up suspects they believe are responsible for shootings, but whom they have been unable to arrest on gun charges, by pursuing drug charges, parole violations, and other offenses.

"I want people to understand that those individuals who may be resorting to using firearms, if we don't get them for the shootings they've committed, we will get them for something else," he said by telephone.

==========================

**Can someone explain to me how the Boston police cannot arrest someone on "gun charges" if they have evidence? [sad2]

I don't think there's anyone in this forum who would not support LEO efforts to prosecute those who violate the law.

 

[S. Kelly]

Some suspects, who are known shooters, haven't been arrested on gun charges because they were not found with guns. So they were targeted in other ways.

 

[Bruce for NH State Rep]

Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis attributed the decline to an increased police presence in the neighborhoods, targeted investigations, and arrests of suspects police believed were responsible for shootings.

And, that made the number of shootings go DOWN???

Stunning.

Here I am, thinking it was New Hampshire's fault.

(frikkin' dopes)

 

[C-pher]

Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis attributed the decline to an increased police presence in the neighborhoods, targeted investigations, and arrests of suspects police believed were responsible for shootings. He also cited resources added to the city's job, youth, and recreation programs.

I've always said that keeping kids in sports, scouts, ect...will keep them from doing things to get them in trouble.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said he is optimistic the violent crime numbers will stay down, especially with the addition of 50 officers who will transfer from other police departments in the next two weeks.

At least he's doing something other than bitching about the states around him.

And I'm suprised that strict gun laws weren't ever brought up as the cause.

 

[Pilgrim]

The .gov couldn't get Alphonse Capone for murders but they got him on tax evasion.

I wonder how many of these poor misunderstood people would qualify for a tax rap? I wonder how many even file taxes.

 

[Riverside]

The BPD makes lovely Power Point presentations and filters out any old data. By using just the data for the fews months they want you to see, a Boston resident could believe they lived in Paradise. I was at one of this spiffy presentations and all of the data from the previous months were not presented. The fact is, no matter what the cops say, the crime rate went so high it is outrageous. An actual drop in the crime rate is insignificant in the larger picture. If there were 7 murders within a mile radius of my home over the past 3 years, and no murders all the years before that, then there's a tremendous leap in crime. It doesn't make me feel safer that there were ONLY 3 murders within a mile radius of my home so far this year. Data can be manipulated and the BPD does a fantastic job of showing you the statistics they want you to see.
The streets of Boston are not as safe as they should be. The cops don't want to live here, they don't feel safe. How the hell safe do they think the average unarmed citizen feels?
Overall I'd agree with the statement that sports keep kids out of trouble. The Esdale young man recently mentioned in the selling of the off duty cops gun was very involved with sports. His dad was a coach. Esdale lived at home with mom and dad. He has older siblings who have done well in life. Over the past two years, Esdale started to hang with some hispanic guys from the hood, leaving his sports-minded friends to their fun. You can be sure he came from a hard-working, good family but something went wrong with young Dan.
Best Regards.

 

[drgrant]

I wonder how many of these poor misunderstood people would qualify for a tax rap? I wonder how many even file taxes.

Kinda hard to track "thug life" types selling guns for raw cash... whatever money they do make probably goes into a mattress or
something. It's hard to audit people until they start doing obnoxiously huge things with money (like buying a mansion, etc.)

-Mike

 

[jamz]

Wait a sec... you mean putting bad guys in jail reduces crime? Color me amazed.


Seriously, where's the captain obvious sign when I need it?

 

[Arioch]

Except for the tripple shooting last night.

 

[pipmaster1971]

Of course. You do all realize that the ant-gun nuts will all be saying that this is proof that gun control works don't you?

 

[KMaurer]

There are two standard press releases/powerpoint presentations. Only the dates and numbers are changed to reflect current conditions. If crime is up, it's all the fault of lax gun laws in New Hampshire, and enhanced flogging of legal gun owners in Massachusetts is needed to address the problem (see "sympathetic magic" for an explanation if this doesn't make sense). OTOH, if crime is down, then it's entirely attributable to superb police work, better funding for recreational and job programs, and (all together now) the toughest gun control laws in the nation.

Ken

 

[Garys]

The .gov couldn't get Alphonse Capone for murders but they got him on tax evasion.

I wonder how many of these poor misunderstood people would qualify for a tax rap? I wonder how many even file taxes.

Good point. Where there's the will, there's a way.

I know of a case several years ago where the Feds took over a shooting case in Boston. Boston wanted the help since the Feds have much more in the way of resources.

What brought the BATF in on this case was the fact that they knew who the shooter was, had recovered a spent round, and I think recovered the weapon and some unfired ammunition. They were able to show that the ammunition was made out of state and had to have been shipped into MA. That made the crime partially interstate in nature. The federal charges had a much stiffer penalty and higher mandatory minimum sentences.

If the politicians would stop whining about New Hampshire and allow the cops and DA to actually arrest bad guys and prosecute them, we'd all be a lot better off.