Before discussing my communication with Sergeant Ritchie, I want to step back a couple of weeks before that began, and mention something that happened on the afternoon of December 8, 2008, as I witnessed something that had lately become a very infrequent occurrence here. On that day, I watched the several guys standing on the corner in front of my house long enough to be fairly certain that they were selling illegal drugs to passing cars. And so, I did what the public persona of the schizophrenic FWPD urges citizens to do, by calling them to report this activity. Of course, my call was met by the alter ego, the one that just wants people like me to shut the hell up.
Having seen no police presence for an hour after my call or for two hours before the call, and watching the guys on the corner move into the streets, blocking traffic as they fought (they may have just been dancing though, it’s hard to tell) in the middle of the intersection, I became more perturbed. I have tried hard to listen to FWPD and to do everything they ask of me.
The police tell me not to try and deal with the drug dealers directly, but to call and let their trained officers handle it. Even though the criminal activities here are almost always drug related, and the automatons who answer at the front desk frequently appear not to be properly trained in how to deal with such calls, they still tell me not to call Vice & Narcotics directly, but rather to call the front desk for non-emergencies. Then when I do this, the operator transfers me to Vice anyway. The people who answer in Vice seldom give their name and frequently aren’t even police officers, but make it clear that they are bothered by such calls.
Several of the patrol officers (on many different occasions) have stated or implied that I was contributing to the problem here by not actively working against it. Yet much of what is said by the people I speak with on the telephone indicates that they just want me to stop calling and to ignore the problem. Add to this the fact that official press releases by FWPD administration continually place the blame for our serious criminal problems upon citizens who are reluctant to speak to and cooperate with the police, and the cause for my anger should become apparant.
I’M TIRED OF THE BULLSHIT !!!
So, I drew up a letter, detailing what I perceived the problem to be and asking for their suggestions on how I should handle the matter. In this letter, I asked why the person (officer?) I spoke with stated that a police car was already in the area when this was obviously not true. I asked for clarification as to whether I was to call the front desk or Vice when reporting drug activity. And I asked if I should take their apparent displeasure with my calls to indicate that I should just ignore the problem and quit calling.
The police have me over a barrel. If they do not intend to enforce the law here, I can not force them to do so. But if that’s the case, I want it on the record - for my own protection. It is not fair for them to complain when I do call and to complain when I don’t call. I just want these morons to make up their damn minds and let me know what it is they expect from me.
Since FWPD does not have any functional method for fielding citizen inquiries about such serious matters, I was going to send this letter to them through the only means they make available. With much reluctance, I was preparing to file a formal complaint with the department alleging that they improperly dealt with my phone call and my request for help here. I had gone as far as writing up the letter, and even stopped by Creighton Street to pick up an official complaint form. And then, just before I sent this in, I received an e-mail from Sergeant Jim Ritchie of FWPD, offering to take me up on my offer to engage in dialogue.
And that (I promise) will be the subject of my next post.
Jim Ritchie is a stand up guy, and I believe he'll do everything within "his power" to assist you.
ReplyDeleteIf he doesn't get anywhere, maybe you should consider taping the activities and posting them on this blog. Remember Tom Ostrognai? The local Fort Wayne landlord filmed drug related activities in the late 80's and I think he got a favorable response.
King,
ReplyDeleteI just added a comment to my last post regarding Ritchie. I will also say that I understand that his position would give him limited ability to change things if he thought that were necessary. I accept that and my expectations of other people are always contingent upon their ability to affect change.
But, in my opinion, he has made it clear to me that he will not accept anything being said that is even slightly critical towards his department of towards individual officers. There are problems within that department, and I think the way they (FWPD administration) deals with such charges by myself or others (either saying nothing or issuing statement that is obviously nothing more than B.S.) is indicitave of what the true problem is.
I would like nothing more than to sit down with a select group of FWPD officers like Ritchie and a few others I know and tell them in private what I see going on in my neighborhood. They need to understand why many people think their department is running drugs here. They need to understand why many people do not call or speak with police because they believe that none of the police give a damn.
The views of these people are very likely incorrect, but the police (in order to effectively do their job) need to understand these views and respond to them in an honest manner. Obviosly that is not going to come from an administration which states that an FBI task force on violent criminal gang activities coming to our city does not indicate that we have a gang problem.
But I would expect more from the average officer who has not yet spent a lifetime kissing political ass and learning to obfuscate the truth and evade serious questions. I simply do not understand why the individual officers are blindly loyal to an administration that frequently sues or otherwise harasses it's own officers for minor offenses.
King:
ReplyDeleteOstrogni would be my choice if you needed to video the crap going on.
Don't hear much from him these days...miss his "show" on cable access.
Phil:
I also have issues with the way MY "locals" BEHAVE (which would be anything SHORT of civilized...MOST days), and I try whatever methods I can reason out to advise the FWPD of the ongoing situation in my area.
MY "belief" (and this IS purely my OWN opinion) is that the ethnics are ALWAYS breathing down the necks of MOST officers (and the department), and have called to task CERTAIN officers due to "racial" concerns.
This is a weekly gig with these people...well, they have nothing BETTER to do with ALL that time, right?
Sad thing is, these "groups" NEVER take into account that it is NOT a racial issue (although these people would have you believe otherwise and want to force that down everyone's throat), but it IS a LAW-ENFORCEMENT and CITIZEN PROTECTION issue.
You just CANNOT get these people to see it for the truth it really is, though.
Must be a "cultural thang".
(hint - stay the hell in school, dumbasses)
Now I don't mean to say that the FWPD takes a "hands off" policy...it's just when you have a chief that clearly wants to make "everyone happy", some people might get cheesed off along the way...and they might not be wearing civilian clothes.
ANd those people might start to view their career (path) differently, that's all.
My solution to the problems we face in both our neighborhoods is simple, albeit highly illegal and frowned upon (and again...MY opinion):
1) A 1/2 stick of TNT goes a LONG way with these rentals.
2) Nothing says "urban renewal" like a .308 w/ supressor, a 10x scope, and about 500 rounds of ammo.
3)The drug dealers WANT your neighborhood...and mine, and probably are already eyeing the area NORTH and WEST of where we live (they need room to grow...how facist of them), and if someone doesn't grow the balls to stop them, they WILL turn this city into another DETROIT.
When less than 20% of the population in this county account for more than 80% of the crime, you (as any head of law-enforcemnt) HAVE to see that something NEEDS to be done.
For starters, get a prosecutorial staff and some judges with cajones to put these thugs A-W-A-Y!
If some people cannot live like civilized humans, then they simply have no reason to keep on breathing MY air, and stealing MY tax dollars to front their lazy- asses, or sell their poison on MY streets.
Sorry to ramble on, but facts are facts.
Stay safe.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI understand what you're saying about the pressure on the police from the other side. I was talking with an officer recently and he told me that one of the local drug dealers here once filed a complaint for "harassment" and caused another officer to get suspended.
I know these officers don't have it easy, often being criticized for being either too harsh or too easy on crime. I also know that anyone says the situation here is cut and dry and an officer only needs to follow protocol to keep from getting in trouble does not know what the hell they are talking about. Protocol is developed by their superiors as a means for keeping their own asses out of the trouble, and often disregards the effects this has on residents or even their own officers.
It's the same as in war. The politicians draw up rules of conduct which they publicly demand the soldiers adhere to. Then, in private, the very same people or their lackeys tell these soldiers that if they don't disregard these rules the war will be lost and the nation destroyed.
What's a soldier/officer to do? Adhering to the rules means they won't affect the battle. And no points for making a kill/collar means no promotion. Yet if they do what their superiors "imply" they are supposed to do, but get called out for it, those same superiors will usually throw them to the wolves.
That is why in the summer of 2006 I began to openly identify myself and my alignment with the police. I knew this posed a great personal risk to myself (the proof of which was my home being fire-bombed that October), but I felt I had no choice.
The officers here are putting themselves on the line to help me, and I wanted to let them know I was on their side. I have told several individual officers that if anyone here ever files a complaint against them to check with me. There's a good chance I have something in my files that can help them defend against such bogus claims.
An officer stopping to question a guy who is standing on the corner can appear to be harassment. But when they have it on record that a resident called in to report drug activity, identifying the dealers by name, and sometimes even pointing out to the officers where the guys stashed their drugs as they were fleeing should work to their advantage. Now, instead of harassing, they are responding to a call for help.
It bothers me greatly that some of the patrol officers and most of the higher ups see my involvement in this way to be a hassle for them. I am standing on their side, allowing them to point the finger at me when a drug dealer here claims he is being harassed, and stiil their behavior suggests that they just want me to keep quiet.
The FWPD publicly tells residents to get involved and to communicate with them. But nearly everything they do actually sends the message that they want no meaningful engagement with citizens. That is truley a schizophrenic pattern of behavior.
As far as your take on the prosecutorial aspect, I expect you and I would have a lot of agreement in this area if we discussed the matter in detail. I will be writing about Anthoony Parish soon and we can check then to see how our thoughts compare to each other's.
Finally, Rambling? - what are you talking about? I find your thoughts and statements to be every bit as concise as my own. Wait a minute. I think I see what you mean now.
:)