Shootings Mar Parade During Violent Long Weekend
The big news this morning is how many people were shot in the city over the holiday weekend: According to the Daily News, the tally stands at “at least 48.” The Post, meanwhile, reports that nine of the shootings took place at or near the West Indian Day Parade yesterday, and that 15 out of…
The big news this morning is how many people were shot in the city over the holiday weekend: According to the Daily News, the tally stands at “at least 48.” The Post, meanwhile, reports that nine of the shootings took place at or near the West Indian Day Parade yesterday, and that 15 out of 16 people shot yesterday in the city were in Brooklyn. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is quoted as saying the following: “Quite frankly, this is something that does happen with this parade. It’s gotten much better, but we’ve had some violence associated with it in the past.”
Two Cops Shot in Brooklyn Gun Battle [NY Daily News]
Gun Terror Rocks Carib Fest [NY Post]
Bloody Holiday Weekend Ends [NY1]
Photo by Jannelouise
of course, there is a solution. move it to february. end of senseless violence and death.
“It is the job of the police to make the parade safer, fsrq. Period.”
Not really a view of society or community that I share. IMHO Its all of our jobs to make things safer/better/nicer – and the police ( in a democracy) are a tool that the people use to help achieve that. They are not the only tool, nor does having a police force absolve us all of responsibility for ourselves or our families for maintaining public order and a civil society.
Well I think long-term effort amongst the community and the Parade organizers would help (as Mrshankly rightly points out) this problem may be limited to a few, but others could do more to root it out. Second, we have a million people or so at Times Sq where everyone is searched and/or screened. A similar approach could be utilized here. Additionally, , money could be raised through the event itself and as you MM suggest, private (or quasi-private security – utilizing NYPD resources – like at Yankee Stadium) could be put forth utilizing both more visible security presence as well as a larger undercover one.
“All I do know is that getting rid of the parade is not going to do anything positive for safety either, and will sure make things worse”
– why???? This isnt AT ALL like shutting an airport due to terrorism. A Parade isnt a right, or essential to the economy of our nation or city. Its a f’ing Parade, and if the organizers and the City cant together come up with a reasonable method of ensuring some security – it should be cancelled, scaled back or otherwise changed until it can be reasonably safe,
I cant imagine any parade organizer or city official having to tell the parent of some innocent person that their kid was killed because ‘ hey the show must go on.’ – which is essentially what you are advocating
The WI Day Parade is unique in its consistent and unacceptable level of fatal and near-fatal violence and no amount of spin will change it – it must be addressed.
Again MM, I am sympathetic to your POV but by trying to make this a ‘universal problem’ you are ignoring reality – which at best helps no one and at worst undermines finding a solution to a specific problem.
The DEADLY violence (shootings/stabbings) is not endemic to all “sporting events, parades, New Year’s Eve, political rallies and pop music concerts” The WI Day parade SPECIFICALLY has been marred by violence over the last 10 years (including at least 2 homicides) and a peaceful parade has been the EXCEPTION.
Of course the violence is perpetrated by a very “small group” of individuals with “no respect for the law, or their community or anyone else” – that is virtually ALWAYS the case.
But the community you love is being victimized by this small minority and a cultural event you care for is being destroyed by the violence they bring to THAT EVENT.
I am sorry it is simply not acceptable to throw up ones hands and say “what can we do.” If the WI Day Parade cannot take place w/o violence then THAT event should be cancelled – but I believe that if the Parade organizers and the community acknowledged the SPECIFIC problem, they could work with officals toward a solution that doesn’t destroy everyone elses civil rights, while maintaining an acceptable level of safety for the public.
Violent shootings and homicides are not the price for a “free society” or a parade.
Sounds like Iraq.
Actually there are fairly violent incidents at most of the WI day parades. ’03 and ’05 had actual deaths but there have been shootings and stabbing more recently than that. It is frankly disgraceful.
Uh, it turns out she was killed by a police bullet. Which just goes to underscore my previous post. Are we to blame the WI parade on the cops inability to aim straight too?
Its THIS type of stuff that makes it hard for the black community to trust the police. You dont hear about cops accidentally shooting white people when things go awry. If it was a similar situation at a St. Paddy’s day parade, the cops would be less wanton in shooting wrecklessly in a residential area.
This was no doubt a severely tragic incident. But it can’t be blamed on the parade anymore than it can be blamed on Glock. Blame the criminals and the cops who responded in like fashion.
Cooperate with a police force that has shown historically they don’t trust the very citizens they are sworn to protect? Not likely my friend. How many wrongful shootings and beatings of innocent black men does the NYPD have a reputation for committing? The reason the community doesn’t trust them more is because they act like an occupying force than as protectors of the neighborhood.
Perhaps the police should think of treating ALL New Yorkers as EQUAL citizens if they want more trust. Cooperation breeds cooperation.
No one’s willing to talk about the elephant in the room, so I will: this is more of a racial/ gentrification issue than anything else.
I’ve attended more rock concerts and St.Paddy’s day parades that had their fair share of violent beatdowns and fistfights. Yet no one calls for it to end.
Prior to katrina, Mardi Grass was the most violent event in the country. No one called for it to end, because much of the violence was done by drunken white people. Hell: many football arenas have a jail right on the premises that are filled every home game with more drunken white people (Philly comes to mind immediately). Yet the games goes on.
And are we to believe the shootings in Queens and the Bronx were somehow related to a parade in Brooklyn on that day?
This is really about young white yuppies and others, who want to feel safe in a fastly gentrifying area, who have NO intentions of understanding the greater community they’ve invaded.
Instead of seeking to understand the complex dynamics of the community at large, you instead resort to the old cowboys vs Indians approach: ’round up the savages and make’em go away!’
As history has taught us about that approach: IT NEVER WORKS. Those calling for the shutting down of the parade are secretly afraid of such a large gathering of blacks. Lets face it: the thought of having a million black people in your back yard makes your heart race a bit faster, doesn’t it? Get rid of the parade, and your heart rate returns to normal next Labor day…
The solution is simple: more whites should come out to the next WI parade by the thousands. Make the announcement in advance. That way enough police will show up, and they will go out of their way to ensure a safe event. Who knows: some of you may really grow to love it. That way everybody wins.