[Dewey-Darrow] Court Hearing for Crain Breakins (Gordon Darnell Watt)

[Bearhair]

Forwarding as requested.



"Steve" <steve at evanstonphoto.com> wrote:

Lora,
I know I am not on all the lists that this message was sent out to, so I
ask, if you are willing, for you to forward this to those concerned.

By the way I very much enjoyed meeting you last night.

Back to the point.

I hope that what follows is not new to anyone reading it, but it seems to be
worth repeating.

Too often I hear people decrying the rising crime rates and saying
"something has to be done". It is a sad fact that in times of economic
stress, opportunistic crime, along with more premeditated crime, increases
and that then overstress' the resources of those charged with combating
crime. As a community we need to pull together and assist wherever possible,
if that means keeping a watchful eye on our neighborhoods, accurately
reporting suspicious activity and showing up at relevant legal proceedings,
then so be it. This is true not only for the victims but also, in some
cases, as advocates for the accused, that ensures a fair and just system
remains so. If you feel that someone has been falsely accused then show up
and present your case, especially if you have first hand knowledge of their
innocence, but in the same vein if you have first hand knowledge of their
guilt show up and present your case. 
In the not so distant past I have heard from a hard working police officer
who had been berated for not "doing his job". When the officer did do his
job he asked the victims to come and identify the person he had arrested.
The victims then claimed that they did not want to be involved. WHAT?????
I could clearly see in the officer's face that he was frustrated and that a
part of him had realized that he could not be effective at his job. What is
the point of paying men and women to put their very lives on the line (every
day), if we do not support them in their efforts to "do their job"? 
I am not saying that all officers of the law should have our unquestioning
support; clearly they are as human as we and some succumb to temptation and
human frailty.

The bottom line here is if you want your neighborhood to be a safe one then
get involved, it will not happen without your direct involvement. 

One more thing, as homeowners we have a vested interest in keeping our
neighborhoods safe. As the crime rates climb so the market values decline.

SLJ.