Pubdate: Wed, 08 Feb 2012
Source: News Journal, The (Wilmington, DE)
Copyright: 2012 The News Journal
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/1c6Xgdq3
Website: http://www.delawareonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/822

WILMINGTON POLICE ARE SEEING THE LIGHT

Some 440 miles from the heart of Wilmington's crime-ridden
neighborhoods, it's obvious that light bulbs are going off in the
heads of city officials.

They are learning that viable alternatives to the typical lock 'em up
law enforcement exist for fighting the city's record crime rates.

In the beginning, no one expected Mayor James M. Baker's
administration to uncategorically rah-rah the High Point, N.C., police
department's efforts at redefining police work.

There are tough questions to consider when it comes to reaching out to
people who are notoriously dangerous. Reluctance is
understandable.

As News Journal reporter Mike Chalmers reported in front-page stories
this week, these necessary tough inquiries are occurring face to face
with personnel of both police forces this week.

Wilmington's Police Chief Michael Szczerba pressed for details about 
differences between Wilmington and High Point: population density, 
racial makeup, economic forces, the availability of needle-exchange 
programs and medical marijuana, etc.

He wanted to know about the diversity of the police force and if
officers are required to live in the city; both have been sore points
among Wilmington residents.

What a welcome change from the initial reaction of Wilmington police
and city officials when Chalmers first reported on the High Point
success late last year.

That success came as result of providing repeat offenders with an
alternative to jail, in exchange for their participation in programs
that provide a path to finding work, educational assistance and access
to family counseling resources.

High Point deployed the strategy successfully in four drug markets and
applied it to gang violence, youth crime and robberies. And its
violent crime has been reduced by 47 percent since 1990, even as the
city's population climbed 34 percent.

From this visit, Wilmington police have gathered enough evidence to
plan a "call-in meeting," possibly next month, to tell a group of
repeat offenders that their behavior won't be tolerated any longer.

Rather than coddling them as hapless victims of a culture of violence,
WPD will connect them with the kind of social services that
acknowledge their personal challenges and assist them in leaving a
life of crime.

Wilmington police should be congratulated for pursuing this promising
crime-fighting strategy. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.