PLAINFIELD SECURITY

Five shootings in one week! Probably the only ones in Plainfield who welcomed those headlines were the members of the Plainfield BOE who for the time being have been pushed out of the limelight.

Plainfield has become a city in anarchy. It is not, and truly has never been, the haven with a low crime rate that the Mayor and Public Safety Director were boasting about a year ago. Despite repeated news reports of arrests of various gang members the violence continues seemingly unabated.

My thoughts and opinions on solving the problem are only rudimentary and have in no way been crystallized. Yet it is evident that we may be approaching a point of no return.

The 2010 restructuring of the Police Department has not resulted in greater public protection. It seems inconceivable that the establishment of a satellite police station 7 blocks from the main station could increase instead of decrease police effectiveness. It is obvious that the answer to our crime problem does not lie in the so called traditional methodology.

A week ago I wrote in discussing Plainfield's redevelopment; "Redevelopment in the western end, The Grant Ave-Clinton Ave Station areas would be later, but also have an interesting concept that will require one prime factor before there would be any possibility of success. That is of course a sense of security." That statement is applicable to the entire future of the City'

AS an amateur sociologist I accept as a fact that people are not loners and it is human nature to want to belong to a group. The higher the group the more attractive membership becomes. A "hard-nosed" covey offers not only a sense of power but also a belief of security. This is the attraction of the gangs which the public offers no present alternative.

What we must do is change our thought process and understand that it will take drastic and costly measures to make a city a desirable place to live and raise a family.

There are initial steps that only give temporary relief:

• A strictly enforced curfew even to a degree of martial law if need be. Violators must be subject to penalties, not monetary but perhaps forced public day labor (shades of the chain gangs)'
• Interpretation of the present laws, so that there can be strict adult control of the family unit. The present atmosphere that convinces the juvenile that "he" can get away with anything because the law prohibits punishment has to be dispersed.

The longer term solutions, some of which can be implemented rapidly, are going to be costly to the tax payer and should have priority over other civic goals. They will take grant monies from State and Federal Government as well as Foundations to succeed but they are doable.

• First and foremost is the establishment of workable alternates to attract the vulnerable age group. This includes a massive expansion of recreational facilities including the building of new neighborhood venues as well as the use of the established school and "Ys".
• Staffing has to be even to the point of being excessive with qualified caring individuals. Trust and the desire be part of this program has to have a high priority. But supervision must be strict.
  
• The program must not be limited to athletics but should have broad diversified segments including social activities so that there will be something for everybody.
  
• The involvement of dedicated volunteers must be a core portion of all programs.
  
• A local equivalent of the depression CCC corps with reimbursement to upgrade the towns appearance should be a consideration.

We have created much of the problem ourselves by economising and destroying outlets for youth's energy. What we are doing will not succeed. These are just wild suggestions which I offer as food for thought. I would hope that as a community with the involvement of its political leadership some could be the cornerstone of a progressive solution for our problem.

Let it be understood that what I am proposing cannot in the short term eliminate the ineffective policies now in place but must be considered as an investment in the future of Plainfield. I am convinced that the returns will be rapid as the program progresses.