On Life in the Ghetto

Many people are compelled to live in what are sometimes charitably called ghettoes. Not politically correct today, but when I think of a ghetto, I think of a well defined neighborhood inhabited by people who usually look alike. Notice this definition fits an upscale gated community as readily as a deteriorating slumlord owned and managed housing project, so there must be more to a ghetto than just space and look-alikes.

Say hello to African Americans. I don’t know percentages, but I’d guess most blacks live in what I’m calling a ghetto and most ghettoes are inhabited by African Americans. I get’em going and coming. It’s another story why that should be the case, but I’ll give you a hint: it involves bankers, public officials and all too often, Christian realtors and investors.

All the more, ghettoes are often abandoned by the local government. Property values are falling and the declining tax base produces less revenue. Ghettoes are a liability, not an assert. Such areas are unattractive to new investment. Many existing businesses have failed and are boarded shut. Those residents who are employed often work for minimum or near minimum wages.

Ghettoes are often untidy, with loose trash laying about. Wrecked or out of service cars are strewn about. Public services, street repairs, lighting and zoning enforcement is often lackadaisical to say the best. 911 calls may be answered too late to help. Police are slow to respond to cries for help. Fireman are often harassed. Ambulances are sometimes attacked for drugs. Many illegal activities take place in ghettoes. Selling illegal drugs. Pimping for prostitution. Taking bets, loan sharking and trading in stolen goods is not uncommon.

Yet despite these adverse physical surroundings, the great majority of ghetto inhabitants want to live in a safe place, want some semblance of decency and order around them and want to be able to come and go without fear of assault, mugging or worse. So how has our local political leadership responded to this claim for public services? To answer my own question, dismally.

You don’t have to be a trained zoning enforcement officer to recognize broken windows, loose hanging gutters and split doors. All this is visible from the outside of an apartment. On the inside, you will find evidence of leaking roofs, rusted or corroded sinks and fixtures, ranges with non-functioning burners, ovens with broken thermostats and kitchen cabinets without doors. Toilets that don’t flush reliably. This poor state of repair is visible to anyone who looks, but what may not be so visible, roach infestations, mice and rats.

Projects built after the 1970s will not (likely) have employed lead based paint, but any project older than that is suspect. Owners should be expected to prove the negative, that there is no lead based paint on the premises, before being issued a permit to rent.

Accepting we cannot relocate the ghetto’s inhabitants to upscale gated communities, how then can local governments best help people trapped in sometimes dangerous and always isolated ghettos? What to do is easy to describe. How to get it done is not so simple.

More than three decades ago the Neighborhood Watch programs were started. A few civic minded, energetic people could start such a program. People agreed to “watch” for their neighbors, to see their property was safe and the people were as well. Distinctive signs were posted around the perimeter notifying potential wrong-doers that there were people close-by who were committed to calling the police when something was amiss.

I am not familiar with applicable statistics but is seems entirely logical to assume crime rates would decline in such neighborhoods. That people working together can bring about improved conditions. You might say that is intuitive even without supporting numbers. On the down side however, this program works best in established and more stable neighborhoods where strangers are easily recognizable.

Ghettos OTOH, tend to be more transient. People also tend to remain indoors for a variety of reasons. And one very disagreeable fact, the inhabitants of ghettoes do not communicate well with the police. Much of this is historical, a lot of it is unfamiliarity with each other, and some of it is purely race based.

More recently, there is the CSO program, Community Service Officer.
In my city, young-ish people who aspire to be police officers later, are able to start their careers with a year or two of service in neighborhoods that have requested them. The CSO has a full time police officer as his mentor. The CSO is furnished all the necessary telephone number to report issues and solicit aid of every variety offered by the city. The CSO is expected to develop a rapport if not a camaraderie within the area he or she is assigned to. The CSO serves as a quick liaison to the establishment. This program seems to be welcome and no doubt offers improvements over existing methods of bring neighborhood needs to the attention of the proper officials.

I offer here a more direct program to address issues that so far have defied solution in so many ghetto-like neighborhoods. I believe there remains a gap not yet crossed for reasons only barely referred to above. For all too many generations of African Americans there has existed a very disagreeable relationship between them and the local police all around America. The Neighborhood Watch program is most useful in stable white neighborhoods. The CSO program is an order of magnitude improvement over the former benign neglect attitude that best described too many City Halls. But neither program addresses directly the issue of street crime, the sale illicit drugs and stolen property, prostitution, vandalism, rowdyism, and other vices including loan sharking. My suggestion will deal with these seemingly intractable problems the ghetto resident must face every day.

I call it the Neighborhood Patrol. 1) To be a patrolman or patrolwoman, you must live in the neighborhood you will patrol. 2) The patrolperson must be of sufficient physical size to make unarmed enforcement a real possibility. 3) The patrolperson must be of sufficient maturity that he or she is no longer trying to impress his neighbors. 4) The Patrolpersons must know the inhabitants and be willing to enforce strict rules in their assigned neighborhood. 5) Patrolpersons would work in teams of 2 or 3, armed only with a radio able to contact a designated policeman who would respond to a call for help in moments.

The idea is that a Patrolperson just being present and watching can stop most street crimes. People who live in the neighborhood will tend to know where and who is involved in various uncivil activities. Those self same people know which laws need enforcement and which laws can be ignored. For example, selling crack coc aine would be verboten but smoking marijuana would be ignored. Rules for civility could be enforced as much by example as by requirement.

The Patrol would receive 4-6 weeks training including physical conditioning, and select their own uniforms. Patrol pay for working in daylight, $8 an hour and working in the dark, $10 an hour. There would be weekly meetings of the Committee of the Whole - that is, all residents - which would bring problems to the Patrol’s attention. The Committee of the Whole would have the power to engage or to dismiss patrolpersons by majority vote.

Example. A housing project with 120 rentable units. 3.25 persons avenge occupancy. A total of 390 people. Based on age 30% or 90-110 people would be eligible to serve on the Patrol. Two teams of 2 each for the daylight patrol, and 2 teams of 3 each for the night patrol. 2 or 3 people would be in reserve. 12 or 13 total. If we say 50% afer dark, 50% daylight, and assuming the Patrol is utilized 250 days (or nights) per year then the annual payroll would be on the order of $250,000. That would be the annual payroll for 4 white cops in a strange neighborhood where they are as much feared as the criminals preying on the neighborhood. Don’t forget it takes 4.2 cops on the payroll to have 1 cop on duty, dividing 40 hours into 168 hours in a week. For the same money, you could have 4 people in the daytime and 6 people in the nighttime, watching one 120 unit housing project. In this case, cheaper is better.

Interesting! I know how you feel. With my rediculous overly blow reputation. I was assigned a temp job in the most deadlyiest cities in the states at the time. East Palo Alto.

They assigned me this job because I'm not affraid of the ignorance that man generaly carries. Plus everyone else was too scared to take the assignment.

I have a general rule. You carry a gun and you will eventually die. This is wear everyone misses out. They think they need a gun to protect themselves, but actually carrying that gun will seal your fate. This is why a Hostage negotiator will go into a scene unarmed, even though the other persons are heavily packed.

Back to my job. I was Maintence at an apartment. That means I was going into peoples appartments to fix things. This never bothered me because I was experienced in handling these types of experieices. One apartment I entered in and was greated by a shot gun. I told him I did him no wrong , but if he was going to shoot me to do it know. He lowered the rifle and shook his head in amasement ment. I actually used my psychology experieince to prevent him from shooting me.

The same man stepped out of his appartment and killed a rival member of another gang in the middle of the street.

I did not trip or feel lucky because I'm very familiar with this type of scences in my life.

Obviously alot of you guys know who I am, so you can easily look this information up to verify the facts.

See I'm not one that is full of # and I take it very personally when people insult me by thinking otherwise.

If you lived a violent induced lifestyle obviously you are not going to glamourize it. I'm very insulted and leaving for awhile.

Plus I have work to do that I don't get paid for. I still have to make up for all the mayhem that I created in my life.

posted by MrMysticism

Interesting! I was assigned a temp job in the deadliest city in the states at the time. East Palo Alto. They assigned me this job because I'm not afraid of the ignorance that man generally carries. Plus everyone else was too scared to take the assignment. I have a general rule. You carry a gun and you will eventually die. This is were everyone misses out. [Edited by Don W]

Wednesday a week ago, CNN carried a 120 second report on new US Border Patrol trainees. There are to be 6,000 added by 2009. They will replace the National Guard currently on patrol. The report was re-run all day. It opens with new personnel firing M16s. Next scene is shooting the 9 mm or maybe .40 cal hand guns. I could not tell. Finally, it shows the new trainees engaged in a boxing match wearing 8 oz gloves. I was disgusted. Bush43 is killing America. Who wants a Border Patrol armed with M16s? This is not America, it is East Germany 20 years ago and removed 5,000 miles west.

I was in maintenance at an apartment. That means I was going into peoples apartments to fix things. This never bothered me. In one apartment I was greeted by a shot gun. I told him I meant him no wrong but if he was going to shoot me, to do it now. He lowered the gun and shook his head in amazement. I had actually used my psychology experience to prevent him from shooting me.

Exactly. We did not have the current problem with (primarily) Mexicans until about 10-12 years ago when we adopted a new rule on border enforcement. Up to then, an illegal or undocumented worker could come here, work a few months, then go back home. Then, when he needed more money, he could return here. Now, with stringent enforcement, the illegal must hire a guide to get him or her across the heavily patrolled border, which may cost several 1000s of dollars. He can’t afford to go back and forth. Therefore, he stays here and wires his money back home via the rip-off Western Union. Our mistake. Not his. Now it looks as if we will be shooting at the illegals with full automatic rifles meant to kill people. Not animals. Our southern border will become a war zone. I hate it.

I'm not the one that is full of shi* and I take it very personal when people insult me by thinking otherwise. I have work to do that I don't get paid for. I still have to make up for all the mayhem that I created in my life.

I don’t know what you are referring to, MrM, but we all have things in our past we would prefer to forget. As any recovering addict will tell you, tomorrow is a new day! Or, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.

[edit on 5/8/2007 by donwhite]

Originally posted by donwhite
Bush43 is killing America. Who wants a Border Patrol armed with M16s? This is not America, it is East Germany 20 years ago and removed 5,000 miles west.

This whole "Mexican Illegel Immigrant" nonsense is just a political ploy to take everyone's mind in this country off of the real problems. I live in Arizona and have for a long time. This is not a new problem. It has always been around. The Bush administration and now others in politics are simply using it to distract from the real problems in this country.

The REAL problems:
1. We are in another Vietnam...this time in Iraq. The mega-rich and International Banking Cabal are making billions and trillions of dollars off of this war. The Bush family are making millions off this war. The blood of our military is making a lot of greedy scumbags richer and more powerful. There's no plan to end it or win it and there never was. There has always just been a plan to prolong it. Why?? $$$$$$$$
2. If we weren't spending so much on this farce of a war, we could take care of the real problems in this country like POVERTY! Forget Darfur and all these places all over the world with poor and starving peoples. We have plenty right here in the US. The money we waste on this new Vietnam would take care of all the poor people in our own country.
3. Why are Katrina victims still living in cheesy trailers and being subjected to serious crimes such as rapes and murders, etc. in these "camps?" A very small portion of the money being wasted in Iraq would take care of ALL the Katrina victims in a short amount of time. And why did most of the money donated to help Katrina victims never even make it to them?
4. The Mexicans aren't our enemies (most of our ememies are in Washington, DC and within the International Banking Cabal). They are just trying to take care of their families. They aren't coming here to get on welfare. They are coming here and in many cases, doing jobs that no one else wants to do. So they are illegal. SO WHAT? They are trying to take care of their families.....and again, IT ISN'T NEW. IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME!!
5. Gas prices are a joke. THERE IS PLENTY OF GAS OUT THERE. MORE THAN EVER. The Bush family is making millions off of this gas crap. They have money in oil remember. It's in our hideous president's best interest to raise the price of gas and line his pockets before he gets out of office.

I would trust a group of illegal aliens over a group of politicians any day of the week!!

I would agree with you guys on the immagrant issue. My situation did not deal with illegals though.

posted by Excitable_Boy

This "Mexican Illegal Immigrant" nonsense is a political ploy to take [our] mind off the real problems. This is not a new problem. The Bush administration and now others in politics are using it to distract [us] from the real problems in this country.

The REAL problems:
1. We are in another Vietnam in Iraq. There's no plan to end it or win it and there never was. There has always just been a plan to prolong it. Why? $$$$$$$$
2. If we weren't spending so much on war, we could take care of the real problems in this country like POVERTY! The money we waste on this new Vietnam would take care of all the poor people in our own country.
3. Katrina victims are still living in cheesy trailers subjected to serious crimes such as rapes and murders, etc. in the "camps" A very small portion of the money being wasted in Iraq would take care of ALL the Katrina victims in short [order].
4. Mexicans aren't our enemies . . They are just trying to take care of their families. They aren't coming here to get on welfare. They are coming here [to] do jobs no one else wants to do. So they are illegal. SO WHAT?
5. Gas prices are a joke. The Bush family makes millions off of this gas crap. They have money in oil . . It's in our president's best interest to raise the price of gas and line his pockets before he [leaves] office. I would trust illegal aliens over politicians any day of the week! [Edited by Don W]

Right On! Mr X-Boy, you have hit the nail on the head. It’s true we have sat by and not “forced” the petroleum industry to build 3 new refineries since the 1970s. Ford, Carter, Reagan, B41, Clinton and now B43. Or built the refineries ourselves, by the Corps of Engineers. As the Corps built the Manhattan Project in 1941-1945. One refinery on the East coast, one on the Gulf coast and one on the Pacific coast. Plus a 100 million barrels storage facility along side each plant to “cushion” oil price sticker shock.

[edit on 5/8/2007 by donwhite]