A Charlotte apartment complex struggled with crime. Then the police showed up

[Lee-Lee]

with books.


http://m.wbtv.com/wbtv/db_346301/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=koNk1RFY

The neighborhood is technically known as Derita Woods/Tanglewood. For years, the Woodstone section has been a magnet for trouble, including a 2011 murder and a notorious 2012 incident in which people wearing bandannas over their faces surrounded a crowded Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus and threatened to kill the driver. Police said the four suspects were juveniles.

Those days appear to be over, however. Police say most of the drug dealers, petty criminals and wannabe gangsters have been forced out or are now in jail, including one former tenant who was convicted of murder and sentence to life in prison.

In their place?

One recent day, it was a pack of giggling preteens, who sat listening to police officers read books like “Green Eggs and Ham” and “Bad Kitty.”

.............

That's doing it right- the whole story is worth a read.

[LWolf]

1. Doing it right.

It's good to know it happens every once in awhile.

Let's spread this out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Ah yes, community policing

far more effecive than broken windows

[Lee-Lee]

3. It shouldn't be an either-or but too many departments treat it that way

It's effective to stop minor things from getting worse and address minor issues- but that doesn't work in a vacuum. When combined with true community policing you can have the best combination.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. I agree that "broken window" should never be used outside of community policing

because of the two approaches, community policing is the one that is more important by a long shot and by itself is proven effective both in terms of reducing crime and keeping the peace.

"Broken window" approaches w/o community involvement just creates a hostile environment.

[ncjustice80]

6. No it isn't

Just an excuse to haras minorities. And even a smiling cop I would never trust.

[Turn CO Blue]

5. This is the difference the guardian versus warrior mentality makes in policing and the community

The root of the police state problem lies in the leadership - what type of training, recruitment (what type of individual) and what are the priorities and who gets to choose. The other problem is the police and community being separate, they have to be combined and the oversight has to come from non-department citizens.