Jay Bowen, sent me these additional comments he received by email related to the new vandalism at Harris River Front Park:"(My Wife) and I took a walk to this park a couple years ago and there were a number of young people there high on something. After 8 years in NYC, I can generally recognize the affect of drugs on people in a public environment. We left in a hurry, because we were being scrutinized.
We have our "River City Park". It is grass. That's all. And there are posts all around the grass area where people picnic, so that nothing but a motorcycles or bicycles can get in there, but still we have to fix up the mess after some drunken events. There are tables, but they are made of composite, and do not rust and cannot be moved without some significant tools, and at that, everything would be on film.
For a while in the early 70s, the police had an SOS policy. Our park system is so huge that it is impossible to police it all, and if we arrest someone, we have nowhere to put them if they are convicted, so it's a joke. Through vigilance and constant innovations, we have mostly solved our vandalism problems, but it took much time and a lot of money and the consistent efforts of several administrations, and the people of Louisville. It also took a constant flow of money, and probably some police abuse, to accomplish these goals.
I try to take care of Joe
Creason Park the best I can. There are five of us, and we pick up crap and write e-mails to report damage or vandalism, and it is fixed right away. Aside from that, the need is for a community attitude of "no broken glass", like Giuliani put into effect in New York. Again, this may require some abusive police tactics, but it works, and you get your city back.
What I fear about Huntington is that without the extreme generosity of the handful of the truly rich, no progress will be made. The tax base simply doesn't exist. As for the hidden endorsement of police brutality, it's tricky business, and must be handled with great care. Everywhere I go I am armed with a .357 magnum. I shoot well, and would not hesitate to fire on anyone I saw committing a felony crime, as approved by local law. I have a carry permit, and am treated with respect by the police, when I report a problem, and call for assistance.
Here in Louisville, any criminal can count on every other person to be armed and ready to fire on them. As soon as we passed our carry law, our crime plummeted, and today, our violent crime is almost completely limited to areas of the city where cooperation is low, and drugs flow.
I don't think there is any nice answer to keeping control over one's city, and establishing its safety. I would rather not have to carry 3 lbs of steel around with me, and I certainly would rather not have to think about having to use it, but I have had to use it on a few occasions, and I keep going back to the firing range to stay up and accurate. Anyone who bikes, and is not armed, is an idiot. While it was proven that Gestalt is ineffective after behavioral modifications are taken away, the trick is to never take the modifications away. This is our reality.
I wish Huntington luck, but without tough law and love, the bad guys tell you how you are going to live, and what you are going to put up with."
Jay Bowen, one of our 1,227 Litter-Gitters, sent this message and photo to me:
