So, what is going with these beatings with clubs and rocks? And a shooting?
And why does it seem like the police are shrugging their shoulders? Are they not doing more than just waiting for the next attack with the hopes of getting more information on who might be doing these things??
Seriously, I would like the cops to act like the dude on The Shield or at least comfort me by saying they’re going to take proactive steps to prevent the next attack other than just saying “we can’t be everywhere.” No, they can’t, but come on, they can do something more, can’t they? This city ain’t that big. (And no, it’s not New York. Or: Are these crimes being done so this place will seem more like New York? Because having a couple coffee shops and some art galleries is not cutting it…)
Is our local police force burned over getting in trouble for racial profiling with the rape situation?
Anybody got any ideas on what’s going on with this crime spree? Gang? Is anyone changing their behavior because of it?
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Tagged as: Charlottesville, Rants, The Hook
I don’t really understand how police can be more pro-active about stopping crime. Unless you prefer more privacy intrusions or more “profiling” I’d say that things won’t change. It’s not like you refer to organized crime or something that is easily targetted.
Two words: bored kids.
I wish I didn’t have to look at it that way, honest, but as a recent transplant from Norfolk (where the crime at least *seems* a bit more authentic) it’s just what makes sense to me. No fault of a lack of community centers or boy scout troops, no matter what The Ad Council would have you think. It’s just what happens in A Small Town sometimes. And no, I’m not taking a lackadaisical “boys will be boys” attitude to this either; we’re not talking about a few bashed mailboxes and upturned dustbins here.
The police, God bless ‘em, most likely are doing the best they can since the traditional patterns of gang violence don’t really apply here. No turf disputes, no power plays, just a gaggle (or two?) of miscreants determined to look badass. I lay no claims to knowledge of Charlottesville’s history with this issue, but from my perspective either a gradual fizzle or an eventual chronic problem are equally possible at this point.
(Sure hope no one was waiting for me to launch into the solution, all you asked for was a possible reason and that’s kinda all I got.)
The Charlottesville police continue to impress me. I had a crime happen to personal property while I was on a trip, and they made the report process very easy for me. Even the receptionists don’t roll their eyes in front of me when I appeal parking tickets. And, while we all know the bicycle cops don’t appear to be the most active, it’s way better than the alternative: Segways. I blame the criminals!!!
Regarding the gang angle, I read somewhere that the gangs here may use the names of established gangs in other cities, but that they have no relationship with them. That seems to back Marshall’s thoughts up.
I doubt it matters what they’re calling themselves to the person on the receiving end of the bat.
You don’t need a turf dispute to foster gang violence, unfortunately. I had heard in another report that the police suspected it was related to initiation activities–little would-be gang-bangers trying to earn their stripes. [Coincidentally enough, that was just the subject of a Shield episode.] I’m also inclined to be skeptical about any Charlottesville gang bangers who have delusions of grandeur that they are the peers of Bloods or Crips. Nonetheless, a violent cretin is a violent cretin, and the effect on the victim is pretty much the same.
I love that part in the article where the police allude to the fact that all the trouble is on Garrett Street, while they have a strong presence on the mall. Er, thanks?
The fact of the matter is we live in a town where there are a lot of poor people and a lot of rich people who are young and sometimes drunk living within close proximity to each other. Most of the violent crime in this town is carried out on or near campus or the downtown mall at night. As someone who lives on Prospect and often walks home through there late at night, I almost never see anyone out. What makes matters worse is that violence is promoted within certain communities. I’ve heard of certain gangs moving in and certain “rites of passage” take place for gang initiation. These aren’t “real” gangs, though. Just racially motivated muggings. I ran into a girl in Miller’s who had (along with her boyfriend) been beaten nearly to death just a block off of the downtown mall about a year ago by about a dozen young men. I myself have been a victim of racial intimidation numerous times. Racism is a door that swings both ways; remember that.
While I wholeheartedly agree that the police have a tough job and can’t be everywhere, the simple matter is that a lot of these crimes are occuring only a block off the mall. While there is visible police presence on the mall, you really are starting to risk things by using the parking garages that the city itself recommends, after dark. Visible presence on Market and Water would help immensely. I live on the same block of the mall as the South Street shooting. Unless there is already a report of activity, you don’t really see police in my area.