Courier News Editorial, Saturday, May 12, 2012
A pair of shootings this week in Plainfield left one person dead and
two others injured. That increases to at least 10 the number of people
in the city who have been shot within the last month.
But Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs says do not fear.
“I’d like to assure the residents of Plainfield that this situation is
under control,” she said Thursday after the latest incidents.
Is she kidding? At least 10 people shot within a month with no arrests,
in a city that has been periodically plagued by violence for years, and
it’s all under control? The mayor is insulting the public with that
stance.
But that’s nothing new for Robinson-Briggs, who too often seems far more concerned with image than reality.
We can appreciate the desire of city officials to try to ease concerns
about another prolonged outbreak of violence like the gang-related
incidents that bloodied the city in late 2010 and 2011. Public Safety
Director Martin Hellwig said most of the recent shootings do not appear
to be linked to gangs, with several seemingly tied to robberies or
attempted robberies. Investigations have also been hampered by
uncooperative witnesses, he said.
Those aren’t terribly comforting words, however.
While no one wants gang warfare, residents can hardly feel more secure
that the victims in a series of shootings appear to be largely random,
and that authorities are having difficulty finding the shooters because
few are willing to share what they know.
There are also
concerns that the attacks aren’t as random as they might appear on the
surface. Some Hispanic residents, for instance, believe their community
has become a frequent target for such violence. The victim killed in
this week’s shooting was reportedly a hardworking Hispanic immigrant
with children — a description similar to at least three other murder
victims in Plainfield in the last five years.
All of this
leaves the public with a whole lot of unanswered questions about
another wave of violence, with the backdrop of the city’s long legacy of
mayhem only heightening the concerns. And yet the mayor simply claims
that everything is under control. Sadly, there is no evidence of that.
The city’s leaders shouldn’t panic, of course. It’s natural in
circumstances such as these to attempt to minimize public fears. But
there’s a big difference between calm leadership and outright denial.
Robinson-Briggs wasn’t just offering reassuring words — she was
pretending that there’s really nothing to see here.
Plainfield’s history of violence is undeniable, and an element of danger
remains very much a part of city life. Even a hint of a fresh outbreak
is going to rightly put residents on alert. But that doesn’t mean nearly
a dozen shooting victims within a month should be considered par for
the course for the Queen City. The mayor should be conveying a sense of
urgency in finding answers, not breezily dismissing any potential impact
on public safety.
The city’s residents deserve better than that from their mayor.
Delivered to 15,000 Plainfield "doorsteps" Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Courier editorial: Plainfield violence not 'under control'
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
She is an absolute disgrace to this city. I mean it. Random shootings and robberies, she has said nothing about any of it. She is suing the city council to protect her "reputation." Lets be real here, she is a joke.
True, so true. Many of us will not be subscribing to the on-line Courier and many do not get the hard copy each day. Too bad for us and the Courier.
Someone else sees what a joke this mayor is. I don't feel so alone now. Thanks.
Relax its just an UPTICK
Well in all fairness last time she tried something she got a ration of trouble for the wbls debacle. She reacted to an emergency and got hell for it.
Gannett should be one to talk. They endorsed this mess of a mayor.
See how many extra papers Plainfield's issues sold you Gannett? Glad you're going under!
Post a Comment