Analicia Perry, a 20-year-old aspiring nursing assistant and mother, was murdered a week ago at the shrine to her murdered brother. Both the Globe and the Herald ran stories today on Ms. Perry’s funeral. Both reported Rev. William E. Dickerson’s challenge to the assembled mourners (this is the Globe’s account):
“If you know who did this, give him up,” his voice booming through the microphone. “Give him up! It’s not snitching!”…
“If you know who did it and you don’t say who did it, you are weak,” he shouted. “Weak!”
The sanctuary exploded with applause, mourners’ hands fluttered in the air in affirmation, and their feet stomped below.
“Weak!” they chanted in unison.
He asked the men to rise. Then he asked that they raise their hands to affirm that they would change how they are living their own lives. Some did, others did not.
Both papers also reported that Vanessa Kerry, the daughter of our junior Senator, was in attendance at yesterday’s service. Ms. Kerry had befriended Ms. Perry five years ago when Ms. Perry was pregnant and Ms. Kerry was in medical school.
Sometimes in politics it seems like a personal connection is necessary to make things happen that everyone knows need to happen, but that somehow just aren’t at the top of the priorities list. Is there any chance – any at all – that Ms. Perry’s connection to the Kerry family will somehow jumpstart the powers that be in the political establishment to actually do something? Might something like this lead John Kerry, after talking to his daughter, to pick up the phone to Tom Menino and suggest that it’s time to get to work on his promise not to “allow a handful of thugs to destroy families and lives”? I don’t know, but it sure seems like something is needed.
David, I applaud your concern for public safety. However, you repeatedly (here, here) put the onus on our public officials, as if the problem is that they are playing golf when they should be out doing whatever paperwork, press conferences and speeches may be necessary to bring crime in Boston to a screeching halt. I’m not sure what exactly you want them to do. Fighting crime is the job of the police department, and I’m not sure how a politician makes a direct contribution; especially not in the short term. (Over the long term, revitalizing a neighborhood with new business, better services, etc. certainly helps; but that’s neither easy nor fast) In any event, my question is, what exactly do you want our politicians to do in fight crime?
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By the way, if Menino made a campaign promise on that ground, I’m not saying he shouldn’t be reminded of that; but that doesn’t mean it was a realistic promise in the first place.
can fund after school programs. a politician can fund community police training. a politician can fund clean parks and recreational areas.
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the key power of the elected official is determining how public dollars are spent (or not spent.)
Everyone knows that information, and it’s too general to be helpful. What are the specific things that should be done now, by politicians, that aren’t already being done?
The Chief of Police is appointed by the mayor. Menino should insist on a return to the “Boston Miracle” techniques that were apparently abandoned around 2000.
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Here’s a website about the “Boston Miracle”. I’ll be reading more — and we should ask how much of this is still being followed today.
that someone in Menino’s position can do that I’m actually quite surprised to see this question. In addition to all the things set forth by other commenters above, look at what has happened with the Big Dig. Politicians can, and sometimes do, decide that a single incident is the trigger to get something to the top of the agenda. When that happens, the public is engaged, and politicians as well as those who serve under them start doing things they should have done long ago. A big part of being a good politician is choosing your agenda items wisely, and making those items a priority through more than occasional campaign promises. That just doesn’t seem to be happening.
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Remember a few weeks ago when Menino drove over a pothole and got so annoyed that he shut down all city construction as a result? That got a lot of attention – and it was about a fucking pothole. Maybe he should try getting that engaged about people killing each other.
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For one thing, Menino should stop dicking around with the headless BPD. Kathy O’Toole apparently was gone long before she actually left. He should have fired her when it became obvious that she was disengaged. He should have found a permanent Commissioner by now – and he should find someone who, as Charley says, can and will go back to what worked so well in the 1990s. An “Acting” Commissioner by definition has no mandate to do anything – he just tries to maintain the status quo until a new permanent commissioner is found.
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Another big thing is that he has a bully pulpit, as he proved with the pothole thing. He should use it. As it is now, it just seems like each murder is “business as usual.” He should do what Romney did right after the Big Dig tunnel collapse: get out there every day in front of the cameras explaining what he’s done in the last 24 hours to make the city safer, and what he’ll do in the next 24, and get out into the communities. Get engaged. Show the people in the communities that the city takes this seriously.
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No one’s expecting Menino to strap on a pistol and start patrolling the streets (at least, no one in their right mind). But to say that fighting crime is the job of the BPD and that pols have no direct role lets our elected officials off WAY too easily.
Basically, if Menino were out there daily saying “…and I fully support the BPD in their continuing efforts to…” that would be the contribution you’re looking for.
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Because you didn’t mention anything concrete, other than appointing a new CoP; which I obviously agree with, but I don’t know how long it takes to find a real replacement. In any event, that’s one item, important but not earth-shaking.
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Beyond that, obviously directed cheerleading is one role of politicians … “engaging the public” on an issue as you say Romney did with the Big Dig. But really, there’s only so much cheerleading that’s productive – I think the people of Dorchester, Roxbury, etc. are fully “engaged” already on the crime problem they face. So if there really is SO MUCH the politicians can do in terms of direct contributions, and you have some ideas about it, you ought to lay them out specifically.
The BPD’s alleged “continuing efforts” are a big part of the issue here. As I and others have repeatedly noted, they made a lot of progress on this a decade ago, and they seem to have abandoned what seemed to be working pretty well. Why, I cannot imagine. Menino sets the agenda, and he’s been mayor for a long time. So a lot of that is on him.
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And I do wish that Menino would do what I suggested. If he does that – REALLY goes to the mat for it – and nothing changes, we’ll talk again.
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You can deride it as “cheerleading” if you want. But what, exactly, is it that the Mayor of Boston is supposed to do in his job? Is the only way to do something about crime to patrol the streets yourself? That seems to be your position. Many would disagree.
I’m not against your argument; I’m just trying to see if you have any specifics in mind.
nor do I play one on TV. (Maybe Kerry Healey would have some ideas.) I almost don’t care what he does. I’d just like him to do something. Set up a task force. Hire a goddamn police commissioner. Act as though it matters.