Thursday, March 10, 2011

North Precinct police officers to be "proactive" in community over Spring Break to "root out gang influences"

School Spring Break is a good time to focus on youth crime prevention in North Nashville, because a lot of kids are in the 'hoods with not a lot to do. Too bad Metro Parks couldn't have coordinated expanded community center hours and programming in tandem with this increased community policing effort announced by North Precinct Commander Anthony Carter:


Beginning this weekend with onset of Spring Break and for the foreseeable future, I have instructed the officers of North Precinct of a change in our deployment and current strategies. Our efforts will concentrate on rooting out gang influences in the communities that the North Precinct currently serves. It is my contention that in doing so we will reduce not only street level crimes like personal robberies and narcotics distribution, but also have a positive influence on the crimes of burglary and larcenies committed by gang members who facilitate the gang trade.

This is a very proactive initiative and will result in a lot of contact between officers and members of the community who we jointly serve. As we gather intelligence throughout North Nashville, it is likely that those engaged in suspicious activity or even what appears to be lawful activity that is consistent with our experiences of gang involvement will find themselves subject to consensual encounters with police officers. There will be persons who will likely be contacted multiple times throughout multiple shifts as we work towards uprooting gang and criminal influences throughout North Precinct.

I share this with each of you on the front end that you may share with your constituents and followers our intentions. It is also important to me to know I have an ally in each of you. This effort that we are preparing to embark on is an unprecedented presence that will not go unnoticed. We anticipate some may choose to call our tactics with street menaces "harassment", or "racial profiling." I assure you that neither is the case. Our goal is to disrupt the gang influence and all criminal commerce associated with it, such as drive by shootings, robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults.

In that vein, I ask that you assist us with the following. Tell the people that "Now is the Time" to step up for the sake of their neighborhoods and their children. The Police Department will be talking to all citizens in the area, explaining our intentions, and seeking information about all gang and criminal wrongdoing. This information can also be provided to us anonymously through North Precinct's Tip Line (862-7873.)

3 comments:

  1. When did Mayor Dean begin having McNeely, Piggott and Fox start writing speeches for our police department? That wasn't written for the folks in that precinct. It's a Dean campaign speech designed to bring attention to the notion that he is tough on crime. Once again, Dean proves he has absolutely no ability to roll up his sleeves and devise real, hands-on solutions. His administration is so based on spin he should open a factory that makes toy tops that twirl on their own.

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  2. Tene Hamilton FranklinFri Mar 11, 09:39:00 AM CST

    In my opinion, this letter serves as nothing more than a threat to our young people: Stay inside, or you will get in trouble.

    I agree with Mike. It would be nice if Metro Police and Metro Parks could have coordinated activities.

    I would love to see our police officers interact more on a personal level in our North Nashville community. I challenge Metro police to get out of their vehicles and walk the streets of North Nashville from time to time.

    There are young people on my street that play ball on a regular basis. Open the door for dialogue. Walk up and say, "Hey, How you doing?" Ask if you can pass the ball or take a shot at the goal.

    This strategy is called "getting to know the community in which you serve"--AKA "Crime Deterrent."

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  3. I've thought about this story in regards to the Enclave story reporting the announcement of a new police precinct in the Belmont/12th South and fairgrounds area.

    It's beginning to strike me as a case of Dean "buttering his bread" rather than concentrating on baking a quality loaf. I think the new precinct ties into Dean's plans for the fairgrounds.

    The 12th South District has historically been a rough neighborhood. During the past ten years (and particulary, the last five), things have changed for the better. However, I'm willing to bet the reputation of it being "rough" is something realtors have had to battle in closing sales. I also bet that contractors and home-flippers seeking bank loans have battled the same issue. Those folks who are always looking at their own home-values likely point to the same issue. And we may as well add the soccer moms who are frightened by some of the more "funky" people who are seen in the area.


    Does the area REALLY need another precinct? I don't think so. As I stated in another post, I think the Metro Police Department is doing a great job in the area. I also think the area is growing safer on its own accord. The issue is not a "policing issue." The neighborhood has evolved past that. A new police precinct is simply decoration.

    So, Dean comes along to "butter the bread." He's looking for support from that neighborhood to push his misquided plan for the fairgrounds area. So rather than coming up with a real plan for the area, he's gonna stick his butter knife down in the tub and start layering it on his half-baked loaf.

    Then he'll start passing out slices.

    In the old days, they handed out half-pints of whiskey on election day. Today, Dean is happy to take tax-payer money from one group of people and give to those who he hopes will return the favor on election day.

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