In 1938, Chico Police Officer Carleton J. Bruce was shot and killed during a disturbance call at a business near Main St. and 1st St. The suspect was apprehended and taken to the Police Department (now the downtown Police sub-station). A mob formed outside of the Department in response to the killing. The suspect later hung himself in the jail cell.
In each case the citizens rallied to see that justice was done.
In the last few weeks, Chico has had several violent crimes. The worst in my estimation is the reported rape of the former Chico State Student on the bike path near W. Sacramento. Yes, again with the bike path. The night following, myself along with several other Officers patrolled that area heavily. My partner and I found no less than four girls walking drunk and alone in that area. The responses to our warnings ranged from fear to denial (i.e. "I know, I'll be alright. I've only got a few blocks to go.")
Add two bank robberies at Tri Counties Bank, two armed robberies at a 7-11 convenience store in north Chico, two armed robberies of taxi cab drivers on the same day and a man shot in the face and chest on Floral Ave.
Pile on top of it all, school season is starting and it's already been a busy start. With last year's out of control parties (riots, or whatever you call it), it will be interresting to see what the student's attitudes are. One Officer has already been hit in the head with a beer can while trying to deal with an out of control party. Not a good start.
And for the cherry on top of it all, add the pending release of 40,000 inmates from the California Prison system. Butte County will not go untouched with this release. All this at a time when the Chico Police Department is apparently at it's lowest staffing ever. I hate the word "Unsustainable." It's widely overused to exagerate people's positions. In this case, I will use the word. Cutting law enforcement at a time such as this is in my opinion, unsustainable.
It seems, that despite all of these events, there is no public outcry. I'm not sure if it's a lack of interest, a lack of a united front, or some other thing. The question is, where does this lack of interest come from? I'd frankly like some comments on this one, so I can form a better opinion.
Is it that Law Enforcement is not doing enough to notify the public?
Is it that people just don't care anymore because their world is centered in front of their living room television and their internet?
Is it because it's not in "their" neighborhood?
I don't have the answers on this one. Please comment and share your opinion.
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6 comments:
The link to the bank robberies appears to be broken.
Frankly, the city council seems to be just as unresponsive to the community as congress and state government is. Only elections will make a difference, and only then if people are paying attention. It boggles my mind.
James; I think the point is well taken, however the laws always protect the criminals. We as common citezens have all the liabilities and something to loose if we go out and patrol that area, If I go out there with my dog and I send him to do his job I would be under a great big law suit from the guilty, the penalty for being a good sameritain does not out weigh the good. I think people are CYA. I don't think people under stand there are not enough police officers to cover Chico. I don't think most people understand how much resorces go into the south campus community. A common person almost has to rely on themselvs to protect their assets. With all the budget cuts we are doing it to ourselvs.
Unfortunately, too many citizens go home at night and think crime doesn't follow them. They lock their doors, or don't, and attempt to shut off the rest of the world or watch it via television (again, at a distance). They retreat into a "safe haven" of where nothing can go wrong and everything will be okay. Somehow. As someone who was followed home (I live with my parents at age 21) from a local gym last year, at night, I have a different opinion.
With the economy the way it is at the moment, citizens and criminals are desperate. Throw in out-of-control college students and it just gets worse. Unfortunately, with the lack of officers, crime rates go up. I believe consistently pushing community awareness, and not "brushing things under the rug", is more than a good start.
(BTW, I didn't stop at my house because it was too obvious what he was doing. Kept driving around and he eventually turned away. Don't want to know what could have happened if I wasn't AWARE and had chosen to stop.)
With the availability of internet, email and even television available at the touch of a button, no matter your location, interpersonal contact and connection with your daily environment is halted. Add the dooms day, sensationalized media portrayal of the state of our economy and you see people go into their own isolated, self controlled environments.
Denial is a powerful state of mind, and with rich programing such as the Bachelor or American Idol, the bubble that people live in is pretty comfortable.
I am new to this side of the coin, and my perspective and awareness of myself as well as our community is challenged and broadened daily.
I am surprised how little people know about the danger, lack of coverage and responsibility carried on your shoulders as police officers in our 'sleepy' little town.
Sadly without awareness there isn't public outcry.
This was left in my email. Only fair that I post it:
James, why is it that when a chico city resident wants to speak to
the parking cop the women at the front desk tell us they have to talk to the city and that the police department doesn't have any
jurisdiction over them. They dawn the uniform of a police officer and
drive your cars! Then if you have a dispute they tell you that you have to write a letter of dispute to some one in San Jose. what the heck is that all about, don't we have the right to face our accuser? I am referring to 4 parking tickets that Oscure something wrote to my tenant
about parking in the alley at 5th and chestnut, yes there are signs but I own the propertyy that buts up to the alley and my tenants were on that propertyy not the city alley way. They were cited for parking in the ally, no front licence, and parked the wrong way. None of these tickets are leagal while parked on private property. I feel that the chico police department is harassing me and my tenants, the chico police department also knocked down a portion of my fence last week to
apprehend two white males after they beet up a black man. I'm all about you and the police doing their job to get the bad guy but when your pit bull code enforcement is off his leash cheating to make the city
revenue that is when my support ends, your police department also
tickets behind the el ray theatre in that city owned lot. It is not a
leagal lot, it is made up of compact parking spots only and are shorter than code allows, the handicap cap signs are not placed per code, nor are the spaces the right width, I was ticked there two years ago, the city engineer just said something like "what do you think were going to change all the lots to meet code?" The police said sorry lance that's the way it go's. My point is this, If your department wants to cheat the people of chico to get revenue why would you think we would want to
give our support.. Lets see you post this complaint and see what
comments you get. lance Wright
Again in my email...
James, I seem to get myself in more trouble when I write what I feel at the moment, I need to send my apology the you and the men and women of the chico police department. Today (Friday) I made contact with officer drechl sp? he made contact with Mike not Oscure who wrote the tickets. He then met with me at the sight of the tickets and we were able to come to a reasnable solution. I want to thank him for giving me his time and respect. I think an honest mistake was made and my harsh words of cheating were inappropriate and wrong. I can see that with the budget cuts there are not enough officers to patrol the streets, take care of we the people, and be everything to everybody. The parking lot comment is true, but really has little to do with the police department, its an engineering and building department thing. My humble apologies, I will do better at being politically correct. Sincerely Lance Wright
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