Friday, March 09, 2007
the Chief and the Angels
In the QC Times is a statement from Chief Bladel about crime in Davenport. While it kind of follows his statement released, it doesn't appear to quoted word for word. I'm not going to pick it apart other than to say unless I'm reading it wrong, he's not against the Guardian Angels coming anymore. Makes me wonder what brought on the change of heart. I didn't realize that we could have all these shootings, stabbings, and the first in my memory, car jacking, with this many people protecting us. I know he didn't reassure me at all. If we have 66 Neighborhood Watch groups, over 200 full-time police, the civilian program, and all this is still going on, maybe we need the National Guard.
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25 comments:
It still seems like he's against them to me.
"Prior to the Angel’s scheduled demonstration patrol at 7 tonight, Davenport Police Chief Mike Bladel issued a statement saying he cannot support the organization’s policy of making citizen arrests."
Hell, take away their policy of taking overt action against alleged criminals, and I don't have a problem with them either. Of course, take that away and they're just duplicating what we already have with the VIPS program.
QCI,
This post was meant as sarcasm. Bladel wouldn't give these guys the green light if they rode around town in pink Neons. My point was, and is, if that many people are protecting us, I want more. I'm going to the meetings, and might join if allowed. Maybe the Chief needs to teach his world class department how to take a bite out of crime.
They're taking big bites every night, its just a lot of work and not something that will change overnight.
Bringing in amateurs isn't the answer, especially if they're going to physically detain people.
QCI,
Which would you rather see around town; the Guardian Angels, or groups of armed vigilantes? People are getting fed up. Someone needs to tell the Police Chief his shit does stink.
I'd rather see groups of VIPs, being the eyes and ears, but not fists, of the DPD.
Bladel should be announcing that they're taking 100 new applications for this program instead of just saying he's against the GAs.
I went on the demonstration patrol with the Guardian Angels tonight. You would not have been very popular there QCI. I'm actually going easy on the Chief compared to what other Davenport citizens had to say.
The people involved with this don't care what Chief Bladel thinks one way or the other. If the patrol tonight was any indication, they're coming.
The only thing I like about this so far is that it can happen no matter what the city staff thinks of it. They can't stop it. No way am I sold on the GA's yet but will listen to what they're about. The GA website does a very poor job demonstrating if or how the group succeeds; its nothing but PR and accolades. Wikipedia has more to offer.
Cruiser, I thought you knew what I think of the Chief, and its probably not far from what you were hearing. I just happen to agree with him on this particular topic.
anon,
It was the intention of Alderman Lynn not to hold anything regarding the Guardian Angels on city property. And you're right about their website, is more like a big pep rally instead of informational. Everything thing I've heard so far is positive, but I'm waiting for the meeting to make a final decision.
QCI,
I haven't noticed you mentioning the Chief much lately, but I have been busy. I just chalked it up to you being a younger man. Sorry. I'll try to pay closer attention. Everyone I talked to at the demonstration patrol felt we, the citizens, had to do something because the Chief wasn't. It will not be the Guardian Angels coming in and taking over. They will train us, then we do the work.
Maybe we need to look at it with in a different light, I don't put all the blame on just the chief, so much happens behind closed doors these days. Maybe he is doing what he is told to do by his superiors and is not able to defend himself without disclosing that. Can't blame him for the speed cameras because he is looking at other ways to slow traffic and fund officers. Lets face it, Lynn went to the GA's thinking that it would curb some crime knowing that some people could get hurt or sued for their actions, pretty much what Bladel has been doing. What they are doing will not a failure unless you stop tyying and let it fail. Somethings just need to get tried before you pass judgement. Give Bladel a break not only because he is trying but because bad blood brews havic.
Rick says...What is the difference between neighborhod watch groups and the Guardian Angels? As someone who runs a NW group we have developed a good working relationship with Police, Fire, CED and Public Works depts. Each department has been helpful in addressing our issues and we hope these relationships continue. I don't understand what the Guardian Angels can do for our neighborhoods that our neighborhoods can't already do for themselves.
Exactly.
There's more to the Guardian Angels than patrols. They give talks at schools; go into assisted living facilities and nursing homes to teach older residents how not to be a victim, like paying more attention to surroundings. They give classes on home security, and take kids that are the troublemakers and work with them to make them productive citizens. They also have the largest internet safety program in the world. They lead by example and live by a strict set of guidelines. They are trained in martial arts and physical conditioning; but also the local laws, how to dissolve conflicts, and CPR. I see nothing wrong with leading by example, helping troubled kids, promoting going to the church of your choice and pride in the community. If you guys do, we're on a different page.
Hey, I don't see anything wrong with any of that. If they did all of that, AND patrols, but not "physical interventions" I'd be all for them coming here. I like the idea of 4 people patrolling a neighborhood, although there's still danger inherent to that. Its just not the kind of danger involved with jumping into a fight to break it up.
I just think one of you guys is going to get killed, and I think you could make nearly as much difference forming a very active citywide neighborhood watch group. Or by expanding the VIPs.
QCI, how is it that for more then a decade, in 87 cities, there has not been a GA hurt or killed...Hmmm?
Could it be that they are good at what they do, and select the right people for the job?
I would say about 1 parts training and 2 parts luck. Martial arts can't teach you to dodge a bullet, and you also can't talk your way out of every situation. If you could, cops wouldn't need guns either.
What is your problem QCI, why are you such and "againster"?
You are a per mar security guard - maybe you can be a GA?
But, you are in denial of our crime issues and support Brooke and the Chief.
QCI is not the only one besides Bladel that doesn't like the Guardian Angels. There were even some at the meetings. The whole thing is this-
-no one is being charged a dime
-3 months of training
-Angels learn to handle stress and harrassment without violence
-they learn CPR and first aid
-they work with our kids
-they work with our schools
-they work with our places of worship
-they lead by example and are role models
So let's hope a few naysayers can adopt a wait and see attitude.
QCI, do you realize how foolish you sound? You are saying that the GAs have been lucky in 87 cities for more then a decade? Give me a break. Why not attribute it to what it really is? A great program to help the community. Nobody is buying your story that you can get lucky all the time all over the world!
Are you saying they're better trained than cops? How is it that police have guns pulled on them and are shot at when trying to make "physical interventions?" Its because sometimes situations get beyond your control, no matter how well-trained you are.
I would think that most people would admit that there's some luck involved in their recent years without a fatality. If you refuse to believe that, to what do you attribute it to? Better traning than police officers?
QCI,
You can be lucky for one or two years in one or two cities. This "lucky streak" has been going on since 1989, which is roughly 16 years. That is around 5840 days of luck. If we multiply that times 89 cities, that is 519,760 days of luck.
Do you really believe in more than half a million days of luck???
No Angel has been killed and nobody has been successfully sued their organization in that time period. QCI, you are a logical person, lets admit the truth here. Part of being a big person is admitting when you are wrong.
The Guardian Angels work because they have an exceptional program.
They don't tend to interject themselves in every conflict, sometimes they just wait for the police to arrive, it is all about the situation. They are trained well. And yes, I do believe a national organization which is in 89 cities in seven countries and has been recognized by numerous Presidents and police departments and which has turned around the crime problem in the City of New York might know a little bit more about how to deal with gang problems then Mike Bladel. I am not alone on this thought. The following local people all agree with me that the Angels are a great thing....
Sheriff Connard (who is higher ranking then Chief Bladel)
The Bettendorf Chief of Police
DPD gang control veteran and former 2 term Davenport Mayor Phil Yerrington
All of those people agree (and Connard and Yerrington were even adversaries in a heated political race). And, on a national level, the Chief of Police of Washington D.C. just gave the angels two way radios to aid in their contact with the police. Why shouldn't Bladel do the same thing?
Well, I never heard them say anything about not getting into some conflicts, or how they choose which ones. That would make a difference to me, because that could affect their chances of being shot. I am curious to know their guidelines on when to get into something physically.
However, any incident can turn into a shooting. Not every dangerous situation looks like it from the start, so yes, I still believe a lot of it is luck. Also, your figures are misleading, because not all 87 of those cities are as dangerous. If you were at the meeting you know that they were involved in cities that don't even have enough crime to warrant a police department. In adddition, I suspect many of the 87 don't have daily patrols all year. So its probably far from half a million days.
You didn't answer my question about police, however. Why do they get shot at and killed on a daily basis, sometimes on completely benign-appearing calls? I find it strange that you can't agree that physically stopping crime is a fairly dangerous job. The fact that the GAs might avoid clearly deadly-looking incidents might cause me to change my proportion of training to luck, but I still believe they've been very lucky.
QCI,
First let me get something out of the way. I hereby acknowledge that police work is dangerous and can be deadly, and I am thankful to all the police in all of the different departments in our great country. I did not mean to make you think otherwise.
Having said that, you can discount my figures by half if you would like, (although that is way too much of a discount) and that still leaves more then a quarter of million days of no incidents of deadly force or lawsuits against the Guardian Angels. And, although some of the cities may be less violent then Davenport, some of them such as the South Bronx and, the South side of Chicago and Washington D.C. make Davenport look like pre-school hour by comparison. That does not happen by luck. That happens by having a wonderful program. And why, QCI, would the chief of police of D.C. just give all of them two way radios?
Open letter to Bladel:
Do you really think you are smarter then all of the other police chiefs of 87 other cities where this is working? Do you think you are smarter then the Sheriff, Mr. Connard? Do you think you are smarter then your own police union????
You can turn this around Mike. Give the GAs two way radios and welcome them to town. Do it now, before it is too late and a guardian angel does get hurt, because you were the first police department to refuse to work with the GAs!
I'm a soon to be 56 year old man with alot of health issues, my son is 17. Neither of us are afraid of being shot doing this. If the GA's are non-confrontational to begin with, unless it's a drive by shooting it lessens the odds. With whats been going on around town lately you could get shot buying groceries. You were at the meeting, but did you go on a demonstration patrol? These guys are very sharp and proceed with almost military precision. All the GA's ask is to take a wait and see attitude. The city cannot be held liable, nobody's get hit up for money, and we volunteers aren't getting paid. After the 3 month training period the wanna bes and people not up to it will be out of the program. So as long as we are willing to do it; couldn't people just wait until late June early July when the first batch of locally trained and recruited GA's hit the streets to start telling us what we're doing wrong?
QCI, you should be the richest guy in the world by now! Since it is possible to have more then a quarter million days of good luck, how come you are not betting on roulette down at the riverboats?
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