Nov16
York Dispatch | Editorial | November 16, 2011
Five shootings -- two fatal -- in four days.
It's outrageous.
Mayor Kim Bracey responded by pledging to beef up patrols in York City's west end, where the first three shootings occurred Thursday.
That's a start, and hopefully will help ease tension in our rattled community.
But there's only so much the police department can do. Officers can't be everywhere, all the time.
And it often seems that calming a particular neighborhood simply means chasing the criminal element on to another area.
While the west end might benefit from the additional patrols, it could be at the expense of the east end, or the north and south ends.
If we want to stop the cycle of violence, everyone -- individuals, community groups, churches -- is going to have to do more.
Bracey knows this.
In announcing the increased patrols, the mayor called on residents to step up and assist police with the investigation.
"We have individuals infecting this community and acting so careless that we as a society should not be willing to protect them any longer," she said. "We cannot remain passive while family members, children, and neighbors are victims."
It seems too often people don't want to get involved when they see something's not right, whether a crime being committed, a heated argument, or simply someone loitering about.
Getting involved doesn't mean stepping into a dangerous, or potentially dangerous, situation. It means picking up the phone and reporting it. It's a simple act that can help officers do their jobs -- which is to keep us safe.
We shouldn't resign ourselves to locking the door and pulling the shades, hiding in our homes and hoping we aren't victimized ourselves.
Giving up isn't an option.
This is our community, where our families live.
For Pete's sake, we need to fight for it.
Read more: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/viewpoints/ci_19347668
