Jump to content

Perception of crime and the

michaelskis

By michaelskis
in Grand Rapids

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 70
  • Created
  • Last Reply
ModSquad Hamlet

ModSquad

Posted
Posted
Yes, and you can thank our Prosecutor.

But it's not really on another note, PR-15, it's very much on topic.

The original post asked about "perceptions of crime in the 'City', and in describing the fears of the EGR lady, seemed to suggest that perceptions of GR crime, especially among suburbanites (such as the EGR lady) were somehow unfounded, irrational, and totally untethered from reality. That a good marketing campaign and a few more cops on foot patrol could set everybody straight on just how safe you should feel in Grand Rapids.

The fatal shooting at Jeff's photography studio/home on the Avenue of the Airts, the shooting of the clerk at the gas station in Boston Square during an armed robbery, the shootings outside the Fish House...these were real, not 'perceived.' They were the most disturbing kind of violent crime, the latest in a long history of events, every one another brick in the wall that will ultimately cut off the SE side from the rest of the city, and the city from the rest of the region.

It's time to wake up. A truly violent crime culture has emerged in GR in the wake of meth, and acting like it's merely a 'perception' issue that racist suburbanites have with the 'City' will only allow the cancer to grow.

You and I know that these violent crimes didn't happen in Heritage Hill, or Downtown. But they did happen on the streets of Grand Rapids, really and truly. There's no unfair or misguided perceptions being formed. Property owners, business owners, citizens and visitors have all been victims of violent crime, either directly of indirectly. Until the citizenry --not just of the City but the entire region-- rise up in outrage and say 'Not in our Name' to the criminal subculture, we'll all be on a slippery slope.

At the bottom of that slope, it looks a lot like Detroit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
Posted

Sounds like the two main gangs, Bemis Street Boys and Eastern Ave Boys, have reached a "truce" of sorts:

<a href="http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7224227" target="_blank">http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7224227</a>

Will it stick? Will they be able to find opportunities in this area besides gang-banging?

And then on the same page of WOOD's website, this headline:

Shooting on Grand Rapids Southeast Side

Sensationalism? More Kool-Aid for the masses?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
grrwymg Hamlet

grrwymg

Posted
Posted
Sounds like the two main gangs, Bemis Street Boys and Eastern Ave Boys, have reached a "truce" of sorts:

<a href="http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7224227" target="_blank">http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7224227</a>

Will it stick? Will they be able to find opportunities in this area besides gang-banging?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GR Jackson Hamlet

GR Jackson

Posted
Posted

The thing about "perceptions" is that once they are established that is all people look for. Instead of seeing good progress, and people doing good things 99.9% of the time, people become fixated on crime and negative things. Its kind of like a stereotype, you don't notice other people who don't fit into the stereotype doing an action as much as you would notice someone who does doing that action. I don't disagree that there is crime, but if that is all that you notice then there is something wrong.

One more point is that the gangs here are not wannabe, they are doing the same things as other gangs. Also gangs from other places have moved in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
concretepoem Whistle-Stop

concretepoem

Posted
Posted

Thanks for your comments and corrections to my post, lighthousedave. I certainly respect your prespective on this.

True, it's crack more than meth, with the geographic and cultural distinction you've made.

And yeah, somehow I don't put 120 S. Division in my mind as 'downtown', though you're absolutely right, it is. But in my mind, South Division, since about the time Hoestra's Shoe Store closed, has been it's geographic designation. Like what the Cass Corridor is to Downtown Detroit.

Do you know how the $345,000 federal grant was awarded to the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative will be spent to combat gang-related violence in Western Michigan?

And what specifics do you know about the Department of Justice's award of $329,000 to the Grand Rapids area to fight violent crime will be spent?

How would you like to see it spent?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ModSquad Hamlet

ModSquad

Posted
Posted
Thanks for your comments and corrections to my post, lighthousedave. I certainly respect your prespective on this.

True, it's crack more than meth, with the geographic and cultural distinction you've made.

And yeah, somehow I don't put 120 S. Division in my mind as 'downtown', though you're absolutely right, it is. But in my mind, South Division, since about the time Hoestra's Shoe Store closed, has been it's geographic designation. Like what the Cass Corridor is to Downtown Detroit.

Do you know how the $345,000 federal grant was awarded to the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative will be spent to combat gang-related violence in Western Michigan?

And what specifics do you know about the Department of Justice's award of $329,000 to the Grand Rapids area to fight violent crime will be spent?

How would you like to see it spent?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
ModSquad Hamlet

ModSquad

Posted
Posted

Earlier in this discussion I talked about the way the SE side is portrayed in the media. Check out the following news story from Wood Radio:

NewsRadio WOOD-1300 News Team

Friday, October 26, 2007

Grand Rapids police tell us of a fatal shooting last night on Worden, near Franklin, SE. It happened just after 7pm. A teenager who was shot twice an area known for drug deals. Apparently people in two cars were shooting at each other but no arrests yet.

And another shooting overnight, this time on the city's northeast side. Grand Rapids cops report the victim was walking near Trowbridge and Lafayette around 4am when he was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects. He was shot in the chest, but the wound was not serious; he was released from the hospital within 90-minutes So far, no one is in custody.

What do you notice about the way the two shootings are being portrayed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ModSquad Hamlet

ModSquad

Posted
Posted
Yes, but the story says it was people in two cars shooting at each other in the first story. People in two cars shooting at each other to me means one thing: gangs. Who else drives around with loaded guns in their cars shooting at other cars with people with loaded guns?

The other guy was robbed at gunpoint as he was "walking near Trowbridge and Lafayette".

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
Posted
Yes, but the kid that was killed had nothing to do with the shooting in the cars. The shooting in cars was a separate incident that the police heard and investigated while they were on hand dealing with the 17 year old that had been shot. In fact there is nothing known at this point about the kid that was killed. We do not know if he was an innocent bystander or pedestrian. I believe using the word victim for one and not the other is subtle but also points to media bias.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.