Guest opinion: Proposals offered to W&S Steering panel
As a taxpaying resident of Lehigh Acres, I offer the following proposals to be
considered by the Steering Committee and the Lee County commissioners in an effort to fight crime in the community.
I request a written point-by-point response for a public record from the Committee regarding these strategies at its earliest convenience.
If after earnest consideration by the Steering Committee and the county these proposals fail due to lack of merit, then so be it.
If, however, these proposals “never see the light of day” due to procedural mumbo-jumbo, are not entered into the Committee’s or any public record, are not officially scrutinized and commented upon then the residents of Lehigh can very well understand that Weed and Seed (W&S) is just another government lie. And goodness knows government has lied to us all too often.
These proposals address the W&S program itself, the crime area environment, the influx of federal money, the criminals and the spread of crime.
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W&S:
As in war one must have a plan: the plan chosen to fight crime in LA is the W&S program.
In reference to W&S I refer you to the website that was published in the Lehigh Acres Citizen on February 25, 2009: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdf-files1/175685.pdf from the National Institute of Justice. I suggest you visit the site because I wish for you to see for yourself and not have to take my word for anything I write. In fact, how many of you have examined that website?
I have visited the website and found its data to be 12 years old and inconclusive.
Since W&S’s study involved Akron, Ohio, I also Googled that city’s crime demographics and discovered nothing but bureaucratic nonsense. While there was an option to “View Akron’s 2007 Crime Rate” it revealed, “site options not available.”
Questions:
Is there any sense in perpetuating a plan of action that has no history of success?
Could the W&S program be just another government “let’s-pretend-we-are-doing-something program”?
Target Area and Influx of federal money:
As in war one must identify where the enemy lives and who the enemy is. It is no secret that the preponderance of crime comes from areas that have low-income, public housing facilities and that the criminal perpetrators are among its residents.
W&S has identified the target area.
The goal then should be to contain that area and not allow it to spread.
Under no circumstances should we allow those crime-breeding areas to expand; that is just common sense.
But containment of the target area is not what is going to occur. The fact is the influx of federal money is going to expand the spread of crime by expanding the breeding-areas.
Does it make sense to ask for stimulus money knowing the funds are going to create more crime-breeding environments?
Does it make sense to take stimulus money knowing the money is going to “run out” very shortly and that those who requested the money are going to get stuck paying the costs, forever?
The Criminals:
The next objective should then become one of how to address those that commit the crimes. At this juncture I am going to specifically address parents and their minor children who commit crime.
It is commonly known that the people who inhabit these crime-breeding areas are “entitled” by the federal government under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Very briefly, what does that mean? It means that these folks were basically turned loose on society without obligations of accountability or responsibility. The only “condition” to their entitlements is they must vote as they are instructed.
Entitlement of these folks also means the government has sworn to support them from the cradle-to-the-grave. This single fact by itself is why any program designed to fight crime is tremendously difficult to implement; these folks see no need to change and do not intend to change. They have lived on Uncle Sam’s Plantation for generations and they have no intention of supporting themselves or changing their lifestyle. This is sad to say but it is true.
So, we have a situation whereas these parents are not even required to be responsible for themselves, let alone their kids. That has to change.
Responsibility and accountability must be established and it can most easily start with the kids first.
When one of the kids gets into trouble, enforce the law that the parents are responsible for their kids. This can be done by demanding the courts and the Department of Juvenile Justice do the jobs they are paid to do.
If a kid has been ordered to perform duties, require the parents to be with them each and every minute. The authorities are going to have to inflict some pain on the parents.
When a court addresses a minor child, it is by statute also addressing the parent. For strictly political reasons this legal fact gets swept under the rug.
Any restitution or costs the child incurs is actually, bottom line, those of the parents. Enforce it.
In the case of community service obligations require the parents to not only be with their child at all times but also the parent must provide liability insurance for whatever the activity is. If the child or the parent refuses these conditions you can extend the child’s sentence, costs, fees and any other obligation.
Enforce the law regarding the parental obligation to ensure their child attends school and is not disruptive. Any penalties imposed by the schools (extra-curricular duties, etc.) must also involve the parent. This is just a matter of enforcement and the authorities have those options.
Does it not make sense to hold all parties to criminal activity accountable?
Does it make sense to try and “deal” with a child when the parents can do whatever they choose?
More Spreading of Crime:
The next proposal also regards the spread of crime. Besides creating more breeding areas we spread crime via cross-district school bussing.
We take kids from high-crime areas and bus them all over the county. Cross district bussing is comparable to trying to fight a fire using gasoline! Bussing is the perfect opportunity for the criminal element to be exposed to new victims and to sell drugs.
These kids are also on their buses for hours each day which detracts from their ability to be attentive and expend their energy on their studies. The bussing is an added and un-necessary danger to the kids. The bussing is tremendously expensive.
In times past, forced bussing was implemented on the false premise that all kids should be exposed to those of other races and nationalities to the advantage of a better education. The result of that premise has been just the opposite as educational achievement has fallen drastically since 1964. History has also shown that ethnic groups within our nation choose to be segregated from one another.
There is no Supreme Court ruling that orders cross-district bussing.
Is there any rationale that sanely justifies cross-district bussing?
Is this practice dangerous?
Is this practice expensive?
Does this practice offer opportunity for kids to spread crime and drugs?
Would the kids involved in bussing have more quality school and study time if they were not bussed?
Conclusion:
We know where the preponderance of the crime is committed in Lehigh Acres.
We understand the breeding grounds that nurture crime.
We know who commits the crime and, basically, where they live.
We know that the federal money is going to be used to develop more crime-breeding areas.
We know the federal money is also going to attract more of those that commit crime.
We know those who commit crime are not held accountable or responsible for themselves much less their kids.
We know we have resources that can force accountability and responsibility on those that commit crime and let their kids run the streets.
We know that bussing criminal elements throughout a community makes no sense whatsoever.
And finally, and maybe most importantly, history has given us good reason to believe the people that live in breeding areas have no desire to change their status in society. We have been feeding them, clothing them, housing them, furnishing them with medical attention, putting up with their kids and that is just fine with them. That, too, has to change.
As I believe most of you will agree, there are no legitimate reasons for not implementing what is suggested. But I fear none of this will happen.
To the politicians (and to those that desperately want to officially become politicians) these proposals are sensitive and some will consider them politically incorrect, so be it. They fear their “public-service careers” would be in jeopardy if they supported these proposals. Their careers mean more to them than your safety.
Do we determinedly fight crime or do we sit back and allow it to burden us with fear and insurmountable debt?
Keith Kaye is a resident of Lehigh Acres.