With the violent murder of Joan Diver and the undercover cops shootout on Bailey, crime has hit home recently for UB students. Like in previous years with the war on drugs, police have suited up for a new fight against crime. But because of its escalation in countless areas, officers cannot and should not be expected to go at it alone.
In a poll conducted by The Buffalo News about the area's war on crime, only 24 percent of residents claimed the police were winning, and an alarming 59 percent believe criminals hold the stronger footing in Buffalo's uphill battle against crime. The easiest, yet most na??ve response to this is of course to bulk-up police force by having more officers patrolling troubled areas and more resources and funding for the department. But the poll begins to complicate the situation because of the residents polled, nearly 71 percent had a favorable opinion of the police department, and even more astonishingly 55 percent feel that the police are doing enough to prevent crime.
Having poll results in which a startling portion of Buffalonians say that criminals are winning the war on crime, but also believe the police department is doing enough in crime prevention, may seem contradictory. But in taking a closer look, this contradiction really does have a very perceptive message for the community. People can no longer see the police department as the scapegoat for our rising problem. According to that poll, it seems this sentiment is widely shared among Buffalonians, but to aimlessly adopt an idea speaks for less than putting that thought into action.
Identifying the limits of our police forces is the first step in addressing the terrifying rise of crime, but it is nowhere near the end of our fight. The fact is police are not the cause of crime, so how can they be the final solution in addressing the violence on our neighborhood streets? No one is saying that residents should take crime fighting into their own hands - creating some vigilante nightmare throughout the region - but if communities were to come together to form collaborative crime prevention groups, residents could find their part in crime prevention without crossing over a line into chaos.
Scattered streets in the area have loosely-knit neighborhood watch groups and many residents are concerned with the growing need for a solution, but these 'take back our neighborhood' attitudes need to be solidify into movable, workable forces. Half-baked community watch groups will not cut it. We need real commitment and a joint effort between these neighborhood organizations and police authority so that we can share the responsibility of safety for our neighborhood.
Buffalo is not a pestilent Gotham in need of a superhero, but our city is in desperate need for some everyday heroes to get us back on a safe track. Whether that hero will take the form of a few dedicated politicians and officials or diligent neighborhood watch groups is still up for debate, but one thing is sure: Buffalo is in great need of someone or something to take the next step.
Throw in the towel
Hevesi no longer fit for his elected position
Alan Hevesi may not have had time to officially strike his name from the ballot, but that does not mean he was unable to step down from his position. The choice to step down after such an image-shaking scandal would have been a respectful way to let his tainted presence fade out, but whether it was his stubbornness or his denial, Hevesi continues to pursue a position he does not deserve.
He is currently the comptroller of New York, an official responsible for the state's financial assets. Aside from the irony that his scandal dealt with mishandling assets in a personal matter, the idea of him running for reelection for a position he abused is insulting to voters and damning to more-promising democratic candidates.
With Election Day less than a week away, Hevesi has begun a slanderous surge of anti-opponent television ads to try to assemble the shattered pieces of his reelection chances. He has received an unprecedented flow of private donations to keep his run going, and as the headlines he continues to make drag office-hopeful democrats and faithful voters through the mud, New Yorkers are watching a man who symbolizes the epitome of mishandled politics and campaigning sleaziness.
Take responsibility for your actions and bow out, Hevesi. It's the responsible thing to do.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
