Comments on: PoP Exclusive: Interview with Councilmember Phil Mendelson, Chairperson Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary – “Crime is at an Unacceptable Level”

By: Pennywise

Pennywise — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:31:34 +0000

Thanks O. Also, these issues seem enormously difficult to discuss in DC as we have no real stats on number of arrests versus convictions, number of trials versus convictions, and other such useful data that really describes what’s happening in DC. Do you know of data sources that provide such detailed info? I am also on a Takoma, MD list and am so envious of the stats they put out. They just sent an email detailing internal affairs complaints and results therein. Can you imagine!?

So, to Odentex and anyone else still reading this thread, is there any reason not to unite against Mendelson and drive him out, ideally to a poorhouse, at the least to to express extreme dissatisfaction with the never ending systemic problems in DC law enforcement? Simple yes or no.

By: Odentex

Odentex — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:49:06 +0000

Penny: There is no DA here. Both federal and local crimes (other than juvenile and some misdemeanor matters) are handled by the US Attorney for DC who is, as you note, a presidential appointment. Judges are appointed by the prez too. Most local jurisdictions elect their district attorney or state’s attorney, and some, like Texas, elect judges.

BUT, I have to disagree with Mendelson that the problems lie with the prosecutors or judges being too soft. As has been noted here before, the Judges follow the sentencing guidelines 90% of the time. The guidelines are a product of a sentencing commission appointed by the council (and a body the Mendelson is a member of). If there is a problem with the sentences imposed it is directly the responsibility of the council and no one else PERIOD. The fingerpointing, while predicible, is unfounded.

By: Pennywise

Pennywise — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:30:51 +0000

Back to the Mendelson issue, we as DC voters have very, very little leverage on law enforcement in DC. We cannot elect a police chief, nor a prosecutor, and I think we don’t even choose judges and DA’s. We elect a mayor and councilmembers to make at least some of those choices for us (the judges and DA are federal/colonial appointments I’d say). It seems logical that the chair of the councils crime/justice committee (aka Mendelson) is really the best target for our wrath. Followed by Fenty of course. I say both should be voted out ASAP, as a message to other politicians. If we cannot punish criminals via vigilantism, we need to target our elected officials. Mendelson may not be responsible for all the crime problems, but he is certainly the most responsible person we can vote against. And Fenty of course. I’d personally love to destroy Fenty’s obvious federal and possibly presidential ambitions by relegating him to the status of one-term-mayor. Maybe we could get a pic of him smoking rock with a whore while we’re at it…

Which brings up another point: will we ever have an effective law enforcement regime with a convicted felon continuously winning elections in a landslide and sitting on our highest governmental body?

By: Odentex

Odentex — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:17:50 +0000

Future PoP attorney: Nodding along with all the other thoughtful progressives that tougher sentences have no impact isn’t grounded in reality while it may be a popular stance. While there are plenty of fairness, proportionality, disparity, and other arguments to make against the very stiff federal penalties for drug trafficking and guns there is little doubt they’ve had an impact that can be seen very clearly when reviewing federal statistics over the last 20 years. Simply listening to that cool law professor, who happens to live way, way, way up Wisconsin, without investigating the facts yourself will get you nowhere.

Crime, while still of serious concern, is NOTHING like it was 20-25 years ago when laws like the Sentencing Reform Act and a plethora of “get tough” state laws started being enforced. Perhaps you’re too young to remember, but ignoring the very obvious effects of tough sentencing is to be oblivious to very recent history.

While nothing will ultimately change until DC gets serious about education and directing youths (and youthful offenders) into a positive direction, the idea of yet another “vocational” program having any effect on the recidivism rate of violent and repeat offenders is more than laughable, it’s inane. While non-violent drug offenders and other minor offenders do have a better chance of not recidivating (if not a great chance), the point of the legislation being discussed here is REPEAT GUN OFFENDERS who have a prior felony (at least).

Another program is not the answer for repeatedly carrying guns and creating mayhem on the streets of this city; swift, sure, and significant punishment is.

I suggest you take a serious look at recidivism studies before you try to talk about alternatives for repeat adult offenders. While the “better angels of our nature” cause us to want to believe there is “another way” forward for violent and repeat offenders, the experiences of criminal justice experimentation in the 1970′s and 1980′s shows this to be a fool’s errand. Google “Kenneth Allen McDuff”, my young friend. I was in Waco when he was released “rehabilitated” into the community. There is no rehabilitation for some – and that leaves few options.

There is a lot more to say about this, but I don’t have the time to get into it now. Suffice it to say that while Mendelson’s response is typical and I will have much more on this topic (for those interested) when work and time allows for a more serious discussion.

By: Pennywise

Pennywise — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:32:28 +0000

Re: vocational training, I could support that for burglars and thieves and maybe even drug dealers. However, I care little about such crime, though I do note the link between dealing and violence (though its not guaranteed). For the shoot em up thugs, no rehabilitation or training, but permanent incarceration. Like mad dogs, they need to be put down. No exceptions, no mercy. Are we not a society? And are they not violently anti-social? Civilization is learned, and when that fails, imposed by force.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:56:17 +0000

We could just stop the crime in DC by actually having the cops do their jobs, like arresting and citing people. But that would probably be asking way too much.

By: Prince Of Petworth

Prince Of Petworth — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:52:01 +0000

future PoP attorney – actually he did mention the need for vocational and other rehabilitation training.

By: future PoP attorney

future PoP attorney — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:34:05 +0000

It does not matter how much work police, prosecutors, and the courts do. There is just too much crime to handle. The problem begins well before any of these actors are brought into this sad little play.

If the system designed by the legislators and the community from which all these “criminals” come from continue to simply “punish” without any thought to rehabilitation, nothing will change.

I don’t mean to sound like I’m “soft on crime,” but for far too long, legislators have simply claimed that harsher penalties will be the deterrent. They are not. If they were, we’d already see substantial drops in crime. Instead, legislatures continue to create more statutory crimes and harsher penalties, and so more people go to jail, more people become part of the system, and more people lose out on their ability to contribute to society.

Being “tough on crime” alone is not the answer. And clearly, Mr. Mendleson does not get that.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:44:36 +0000

I have to say that MPD, Park Police and Metro Policy have been doing a good job of increasing exposure on the Ft Totten metro path in light of recent spait of muggings. Granted the exposure is mostly drive throughs, with occasional camping out at the midway point. At least the drive bys keep the pedestrians on our toes!

By: 900sQuincy

900sQuincy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:51:08 +0000

Here’s an interesting quote from the current issue of the Northwest Current about a recently solved mugging spree in Georgetown:

[2nd District Cmdr] Klein moved officers from other units to “beef up patrols” in the affected neighborhoods. The situation was notable, he said, because of the location of the crimes. “It’s unusual to have the residential streets in Northwest targeted,” he said. [/endquote]

Must be nice to be able to grab manpower from other districts to deal with a few muggings. And, gee, I thought Petworth was in Northwest, yet I read about muggings on residential streets here every day. Nothing new here, but frustrating nonetheless.