Time to Take a Bite Out of Crime

Hello, Blogolanders.  I was not at Tuesday Live because of car issues; The Kid suggested I have the spark plugs checked, and he was right.  This morning, my faithful mechanic, Paul Eaton, replaced the plugs and the wires so all is now well.  I did watch Rob Chilson's video so I realize one after another citizen spoke about the crime in the city of Trenton.  Yes, there is a lot of crime in Trenton.  And sadly, whenever large groups of people live together, there is crime.  I'm not sure the answer is more police.  Blogolanders, we could have a police force of 5,000 men and women, and we would still have crime.  Why?  Because far too many Trentonians engage in what can only be called anti-social behavior.  Here's what I'm talking about.  Take Glen Afton - one of Trenton's finer neighborhoods.  How many drive by shootings take place?  How many, "quality of life issues," take place such as open air drug dealing?  Floating dice games?  Gang members hanging on corners?  Damn few.  Because the residents do not engage in anti-social behavior.  No one gets hysterical because someone,
"disrespected," them.  In fact, few even care  You have a beef with a neighbor, you stop talking to them; you cross their name off the Christmas card list; you don't invite them to your parties.  That's it. 

It can be done.  Several years ago, just after a blizzard, two of my neighbors got into a verbal snipping match about shoveling snow.  Neither pulled a gun to shoot the other; they just ignored each other.  And we need more of that in Trenton.  Get the word out there are socially acceptable ways of expressing anger without killing. 

I would suggest that Councilman Bethea worry less about McDonald's and more about the kids who leave Trenton Central High and beat some kid up on the way home just for laughs.  Get the word out that this is unacceptable behavior.  I would also look to the parents and ask what values are they using to raise their kids.  Another example from South Trenton.  One of my neighbors had a Mercedes; my next door neighbor's kid was bounching his basketball off her car one afternoon.  She came outside and asked him to stop.  His answer, "Mind you own business, f###k face."  So my neighbor crossed the street and knocked on the door and explained to the kid's mother what happened.  The mother's reaction, "He's a boy.  They talk that way when they get annoyed."  Far too many kids in Trenton are raised with that attitude. 

Until most Trentonians adjust their behavior or insist that their kids adjust their behavior, crime will conintue no matter how police officers we have.  Don't believe me?  Just check out places like Lawrenceville or Princeton where anti-social behavior is kept to a minimum.  Thank about it.