CT mayors wrestle with what data show is at root of gun violence: Chronic repeat offenders

Hartford Courant via Yahoo ^ | February 20, 2023 | Edmund H. Mahony

[Ikeon]

By their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:20

[Rdct29]

They didn't put the race of these criminals in the part of the article that was posted. I lived in Waterbury two years ago. I would say the race of these violent criminals is 70% black 25% hispanic and 5% white. They can circle three areas of the city where most of the shootings take place. Crime spiked in Waterbury over the last two years. It use to be pretty quiet.

[Chewbarkah]

“...exploit weaknesses in bail, sentencing and parole laws to stay on the streets and terrorize neighborhoods.”

These “weaknesses” don’t happen by themselves. How to fix:
1) Identify the legislators, DA’s, judges, mayors, magistrates, and parole board members who have caused the weakness.
2) Throw them out of any position of responsibility immediately, and ban them from “serving” again.
3) Pass laws that set bail relative to the risk the bailee poses; speedy trials; no plea bargaining; long mandatory sentences and the death penalty for significant felonies.

Doing less than the above is promoting violence. Why do people tolerate this garbage?

[DeplorablePaul]

I grew up in Waterbury. I lived in the Hope Ville area. Back when I was a kid, Waterbury was a great place to live. The factories were humming and neighborhoods were lined with lovely three family homes. It had a bustling downtown. I life guarded at Lakewood Park for 4 years and ran the Hamilton pool one summer. Back then the only sketchy area was the north end.

[Osage Orange]

If I was King...things would be different. The electric chair would be humming...

[mewzilla]

Startling...

SNORT.

[Osage Orange]

DITTO THAT!!!

[Rdct29]

My family is from North Main St but moved out in 1970 when I was born. My grandfather owned the auto car wash on North Main St called Rocket Car Wash. The North End was nice up until the mid 1960’s. That's when people started moving out. Did you ever have anyone drown or come close from the drain they had to drain water under Lakewood Rd? My father saved his cousin from getting sucked under when they were kids.

[Osage Orange]

Ha!!

[cgbg]

I grew up in West Hartford.

When I was a kid everyone kept their doors unlocked.

That ended one day (I am thinking 1966) when a woman got viciously raped by a Hartford “native” in her home.

Then everybody in the neighborhood bought burglar alarms and started living in fear.

That is why I always believed that black people owed white people reparations.

[DeplorablePaul]

I worked Lakewood when I was in college 1968-1972. I had two people drown while I was on duty: an old man and 11 year girl. That was tragic. Unfortunately, I found both of them on the bottom. There was an abrupt drop into deep water. A lot of people got in trouble stepping off the ledge. We used to have a boat between the ledge and the raft. The swimming area was pretty far from Lakewood Road.

Across the street was the Italian American club. They threw great parties and the food was excellent.

[bdfromlv]

just like an alcoholic they have to want to be rehabbed before they will change.

[bdfromlv]

and clubbing long nails and hair extensions come first.

[wgmalabama]

One statistic is missing. I think it’s religious affiliation … nope not that … hmmm I might have to think on it a bit.

[Vermont Lt]

I sat on a grand jury not far from Hartford this past summer. Most of this stuff is Latin and black gangs.

The part that got me angry is how the cops and DOJ know who the gang leaders are. They know where they live. They know how the whole thing is organized…and yet they are not arrested.

We heard a case where there were no fewer than eight state, local and federal agents were involved in a pretty lengthy drug investigation. When all of these agencies were done….they arrested two front line dealers with 50 packs of Heroin. They rolled no one. Arrested lady May….these guys were out in a week and their cases plead out with no time served.

Our law enforcement agencies need to spend more time breaking down these organizations and less time justifying their existence.

[Night Hides Not]

Most are aspiring rappers, and all of them love their mamas.

[Rdct29]

Lakewood was once a nice place. They use to have a big Italian festival there every year. Then around 1984 that stopped because of shootings and problems that came from the projects. I have a hard time picturing my father's house with grape vines and fig trees all around. His grandfather bought the 2 family house on 1 acre for $13k in 1918.

[cgbg]

CT politicians and judges have a long history of corruption.
It sounds like there is every reason to believe it continues to this day.

My grandfather was in the construction business and won a lot of state contracts in his day.

He was trying to recruit me into the business when I was a teenager and gave me a full briefing and tour. (I did not get into that business and you are about to hear why....)

One day he took me to a hot dog stand in Colchester. It was a very unimpressive shack and out in the sticks.

He didn’t like hot dogs so I knew “something” was up...

The owner of the stand gave him a big hug—they obviously knew each other very well.

As we sat at a picnic table eating the hot dogs grandpa explained to me that this was where he won his state contracts.

He brought suitcases of cash and key state officials would come here to get their bribes.

It turned out the “sealed bids” were totally rigged.

(Btw I was very skeptical—so after my “briefing” I asked the hot dog stand owner the names of prominent people who visited the stand. He listed every senior politician in the state including the governor and the Speaker of the House.)

Probably the drug gangs today have to give their “cut” to senior politicians—”protection money” to stay in business.