Dear Editor:
Your reporting of the Police Beat in the March 27 issue raised more questions than it answered. It looks like the first three stories were lifted item by item from the police blotter without connecting the dots that they were all within one block and 24 hours of each other, constituting a larger issue of public safety, which appears to be a violent crime spree in the area of Third St. from Garden to Willow. And it begs the question why the police have not alerted the public to be extra careful when trafficking this neighborhood late at night?
The police need to be interviewed about this and made to answer tough questions about what they know, what their concerns may be, and what it really means for the public. After all, two of these three events involved guns, and all three involved men wearing ski masks, hoods or skull caps. Can anybody say “Gang activity!?” Or are the citizens, once again like with the Parade hooliganism, getting the short end of the stick, for fear that local businesses will be impacted?
The public deserves an explanation as well as answers regarding what is planned for a response and whether the suspects have been apprehended or not. This is the most densely populated city in America — let’s stop treating the residents like hayseeds. Without a warning to the public, the police could be just as responsible for the next event that may result in a far worse outcome than what has already transpired.
Gary Ferrari