Another Fresh Idea From City Hall
From the Boston Globe:
Yes, metal security grates cause crime.
Menino's next move, no doubt, will be a $5 billion lawsuit against the people responsible for the city's graffiti problem - those evil spray paint manufacturers.
Actually, it sends a message that these small business owners in the city, trying to run a successful business in a dangerous, crime-ridden part of town, are willing to do whatever is necessary to secure their property and make a living to provide for their families.
And, we can't have any of that going on, can we, Mr. Mayor?
Jesus H. Christ? Why don't we get them to remove the locks on the front door while we're at it? Locked doors are just so uninviting. I wonder if the mayor's office is locked up at night.
Not only does this latest installment of the kind of feel-good, do-nothing crap, that we've come to expect from City Hall, do nothing to prevent the crime from happening, it's pretty much telling people, "Sure your property will be attacked. Your windows will be broken, and your possessions stolen, but after that happens, you just come to us, and we'll help you fill out some paperwork. In the meantime, you're on your own. Good luck."
For whose benefit, exactly, is this campaign being launched? Because, from where I'm sitting, the only people who stand to gain anything from this are the people breaking into these places and stealing shit. By all means, let's make life easier for these upstanding citizens.
Coddling criminals in Massachusetts - stop me if you've heard this one before.
No shit.
Your mayor, sadly, does not share your vision of reality, Mr. O'Brien.
I'm stunned.
Quote of the Day honors go to Jennifer Rose, the executive director of Allston Village Main Streets:
Yeah, we wouldn't want people to get that feeling while they walk down Geneva Avenue in Dorchester at 2:00 in the morning.
At closing time, storeowners switch off their lights, set their alarms, and then secure their doors. Then, the grates come down, one by one, in a cacophony of clattering metal.
For many business owners, the gray shields are the best line of defense against vandals after the sun goes down. They are staples of urban life in many neighborhoods. Some are painted with murals; others tattooed with graffiti.
Now, the city wants businesses to get rid of the grates, saying the metal fencing encourages crime after hours and blights environments in daytime.
Yes, metal security grates cause crime.
Menino's next move, no doubt, will be a $5 billion lawsuit against the people responsible for the city's graffiti problem - those evil spray paint manufacturers.
"It sends a message that this is not a place where you want to shop," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. "It's not inviting."
Actually, it sends a message that these small business owners in the city, trying to run a successful business in a dangerous, crime-ridden part of town, are willing to do whatever is necessary to secure their property and make a living to provide for their families.
And, we can't have any of that going on, can we, Mr. Mayor?
A campaign that was unveiled by city officials this week includes free insurance workshops on how to file claims for broken windows or stolen goods, safety audits conducted by the Boston Police Department, and some one-on-one arm-twisting.
Jesus H. Christ? Why don't we get them to remove the locks on the front door while we're at it? Locked doors are just so uninviting. I wonder if the mayor's office is locked up at night.
Not only does this latest installment of the kind of feel-good, do-nothing crap, that we've come to expect from City Hall, do nothing to prevent the crime from happening, it's pretty much telling people, "Sure your property will be attacked. Your windows will be broken, and your possessions stolen, but after that happens, you just come to us, and we'll help you fill out some paperwork. In the meantime, you're on your own. Good luck."
For whose benefit, exactly, is this campaign being launched? Because, from where I'm sitting, the only people who stand to gain anything from this are the people breaking into these places and stealing shit. By all means, let's make life easier for these upstanding citizens.
Coddling criminals in Massachusetts - stop me if you've heard this one before.
Officials say business owners will benefit from higher foot traffic and safer business districts, but many owners are resisting.
No shit.
"I wouldn't even consider leaving here at night not having that thing down," said one Dorchester merchant, Mark O'Brien, who owns a hardware store. "Reality is reality. This is Bowdoin Street, not Newbury Street."
Your mayor, sadly, does not share your vision of reality, Mr. O'Brien.
Even business owners in low-crime areas are on guard.
Dorothy Ryan, who is the owner of Jobi Liquors on Cambridge Street on Beacon Hill, took down her metal grates about four years ago because they were "ugly, and they were just looking old," she said.
In the past two years, she said, she has had to pay about $7,000 in repairs after vandals broke windows and stole liquor. Before the last break-in, about a month ago, she decided that she had to put grates back up.
I'm stunned.
Quote of the Day honors go to Jennifer Rose, the executive director of Allston Village Main Streets:
The grates create a feeling that "this is a place where crime happens[.]"
Yeah, we wouldn't want people to get that feeling while they walk down Geneva Avenue in Dorchester at 2:00 in the morning.
