Pubdate: Sun, 25 Sep 2005
Source: Sentinel And Enterprise, The (MA)
Copyright: 2005 MediaNews Group, Inc. and Mid-States Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://sentinelandenterprise.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2498
Author: Jeff  McMenemy, Sentinel & Enterprise

CRIME STILL A PROBLEM IN FITCHBURG

If you attended the Fitchburg City Council debates we co-sponsored 
this  past week with Fitchburg State College, you couldn't help but 
come away with the realization that crime is still a major problem in 
the city. Candidate after candidate said the city must do more to 
combat crime, mostly drug-related crime, so the hardworking, 
law-abiding people who live in Fitchburg  get the city they and their 
families deserve. I couldn't agree more.

The police department has made solid strides fighting crime in the 
city, and the amount of violent crime in the city this summer seemed 
to drop noticeably from last year.

Yet the crime rate in Fitchburg remains too high, and we can't let 
ourselves be satisfied with the progress we've made.

The good news to me watching the debate is that most of the 
candidates understand that.

In addition, the two minority candidates in the debates -- at-large 
City Council candidates Jay Cruz and Dean Tran -- also called for 
cracking down on criminals. It just goes to show you that good people 
of all backgrounds want the same things: a good job, a safe place for 
their family to live and good schools for their children to attend.

Many candidates lamented the fact that too many criminals and drug 
addicts hang out on Main Street and in the neighborhoods around the 
college, which in turn keeps residents away.

Michael McLaughlin, another at-large City Council candidate, 
recounted how he drove home after a late municipal meeting earlier in 
the week and saw three prostitutes on Main Street.

He also noted quite correctly that things like that ruin a city's 
image. Fitchburg has the potential to be a great city.

But we can't be afraid to do the hard things that need to be done to 
make Fitchburg great.

First, we need more police officers walking the streets, every day 
and every night. And we need to adopt a zero-tolerance policy dealing 
with criminals. That means if there's someone hanging out on Main 
Street, or in someone's neighborhood breaking the law, even if 
they're just drinking on the sidewalks or yelling at people, they 
should be arrested, not warned. Anyone who comes to visit Fitchburg 
should know that this is a family-friendly city, and if they break 
the laws, no matter how trivial, they're  going to spend the night in 
the concrete Hilton.

If that upsets the liberals in town, so be it. And then the judges 
have to set high enough bails so the criminals are not back out on 
the street the next day.

I'm all for giving people second chances. But a lot of the people who 
loiter on Main Street and buy and sell drugs have gotten numerous chances.

They don't deserve anymore. That's just the way it is with some people.

There's a lot of kids out there who given the right help and a second 
chance will turn their lives around.

But there's also a lot of jerks out there who no matter what you do, 
will continue being jerks.

It's their decision what road to take. I don't know about you, but 
I'm sick of running into them on Main Street in Fitchburg.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman