Jwill's Log

Source: Boston.com
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The Boston Police Department’s record of solving homicides has not shown improvement since 2006, despite the commissioner’s highly touted efforts to strengthen the homicide unit and a range of new initiatives designed to protect witnesses and bring cases before grand juries more quickly.

Unfortunate news. The commissioner is trying his best but it doesn’t seem to be getting better. Maybe a fresh approach is needed? They are about ten percent below the national average of 55 or so percent in solving cases. The article explains it better and in more detail.

Source: rawstory.com
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Claims, using two different sources, that the amount of deaths from terror-related attacks has increased since Bush took office, despite the White House claiming they are having success. Give it a read.

Source: Boston.com
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A scientific study was put together in Toronto, Canada concerning the difference between what people say about racism and what people do about racism.

Here’s the scene: Researchers in Toronto recruited 120 non-black York University students for what purported to be a psychology study.

A participant was directed to a room where two actors posing as fellow participants — one black, one white — waited. The black person said he needed to retrieve a cell phone and left, gently bumping the white person’s leg on the way out. The white actor then did one of three things: Nothing. Said, “I hate when black people do that.” Or used the N-word.

The researcher then stated he was beginning a study and that the students had to pick the black or white person to be their partner. Half of these students saw the quoted incident, and the other half read about the incident. A stark contrast formed — those that read about the incident had a tendency to state that they would not choose the white actor and that such comments would upset them. Two-thirds of those that witnessed the incident, however, picked the white actor to be their partner, despite what they just saw. York University professor Kerry Kawakami, as a result of the experiment, stated that “It’s important to remind people that just because a black man has been elected as president doesn’t mean racism is no longer a problem or issue in the States.”

Kanye West did say “Racism [is] still alive.” The general problem is that people will say they stand for something but when actually confronted with it, they may not do anything about it. Eliot R. Smith, an Indiana University psychologist, says something to this effect at the end of the article. While this is true and perhaps obvious to some, the problem goes a little deeper. These students were most likely not confronted with the white actor when they had to choose a partner — that said, why did they choose him anyway? Did they not care that he might have called the black actor the N-word? If they were, it would reinforce Smith’s point; the article states that more experiments will be done to see if the people who witness these racist claims are just shy to confront the person. I would love to see the results.

Source: Boston.com
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To help stem a rising fear among residents in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan, the MBTA has begun formally escorting buses through crime-plagued neighborhoods, has placed more transit officers on its most notorious line, and has increased the number of security cameras monitoring passengers.

It is a pretty well known fact that Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury are areas that have relatively high crime rates. Unfortunately, routes taken by buses from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) through these areas are not exempt to these crimes. Maria Cramer, the article’s author, cites a stabbing on the 28 on New Year’s Eve and a shooting on the 23 near the Washington Street and Columbia Road intersection. As a response to the complaints about crime, the T has decided to increase surveillance on these buses. This surveillance consists of three cruisers that will drive behind buses with video feeds and officers that will ride the buses during the afternoon hours in which students are returning home from school.

I’ve been on the 23 and the 28, the buses that will be followed. I’ve once went to the Burger King right across the street of the crime scene the day after the shooting happened. Eerie, needless to say. As a former high school student who travelled these routes and a person who believes safety comes first, I think this a great idea. People tend to commit fewer crimes when there is police presence. Also, if they do commit a crime, the police will be much closer, closer enough to at least catch the perpetrator quickly if not stop the act before someone seriously gets hurt. Cramer says, “MBTA Deputy Chief Joseph O’Connor said the efforts have more to do with changing the public’s perception of the Route 23 bus than responding to crimes onboard, which he said are infrequent given the nearly 13,000 people who ride the route on an average weekday.” I don’t mind that his main motivation is to change the perception of the public, as people don’t care about statistics when crimes are committed. They just see the crime and get freaked out, keeping themselves and their families away from what caused the crime if they can. I don’t blame people for thinking that way; it’s completely human nature and makes sense. There will be an extra cost in following these buses and placing officers on the buses during peak hours, but it’s worth it because it will give the community peace of mind, and General Manager Dan Grabauskas has said that “Safety is our number one priority.” This makes me feel like his motto is being followed.

There are some good comments in the discussion, like someone who said we need to go to the root of the problem and people who overall agree with the idea. A few readers on the site, however, don’t agree with this, claiming things such as it being a waste of money and blaming the liberals (including picking a bone with Barack Obama who has absolutely nothing to do with this) even though this isn’t a political thing (the internet isn’t quite idiot-proof yet, folks), One comment, though, is quite appalling:

MBTA/Boston Police= Waste of Tax dollars!!! Where were these bums when the stabbing took place on the 28 bus??? Dunkins…… Why of the 300+ cameras installed on these buses in town, this one was NOT On!!!!! Typical Bull…Face it ppl SAVE YOUR MONEY, BUY A CAR stay off these buses. These thugs will always be around.

This user obviously does not understand the point of mass transit and is a cynic. It saves fuel, consumer money, and the environment. It also reduces traffic. These “thugs” will always be around if we say they will always be around; this user has no idea what a self-fulfilling prophecy is, either. We have to stop the thugs in the act when they commit a crime, but that isn’t enough. That will only treat the situation. In the meantime, we should also be looking for the cure, the thing that will minimize the problem as much as possible. Everything starts at the household, the family. If people are brought up right, there will be less motivation to commit crimes. It’s not so simple, of course, but I know that the root is there. For now, though, this strategy by the MBTA will help against crimes committed on these bus routes, and I’m all for it.

Source: Newsvine.com
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NEW ORLEANS — A man who initially told police gunmen kidnapped his 2 1/2-year-old son was arrested Saturday, accused of committing an “extremely hideous” murder because he was ordered to pay child support, Police Superintendent Warren Riley said.

I’ll agree that paying child support sucks (if you get yourself into that situation, though, it’s your duty to pay it). But killing your child because you don’t want to pay? Not only is that truly heinous, it’s stupid. I don’t know about you, but I would much prefer to pay child support, money, than go to prison and pay time. The judge he faces in court will have no sympathy toward him whatsoever, even if he makes a plea and is completely cooperative. Then again, he did first claim that gunmen kidnapped his son. The man is only 22 years old — he had a lot of life ahead of him. He’s ruined himself and brought great pain to his wife.

It’s time he gets his punishment — the maximum charge.