“Oh well! I was at home sleeping in my bed,” said the TCHC Special Constable who has been assigned part-time to monitor and protect our building, tenants and property, due to a recent upsurge in gun and gang activity city-wide which has prompted media coverage, political posturing, and a demand for solutions to the problem which appears to be radiating from community housing corridors.
Within our building and the surrounding neighborhood the authorities do have to deal with a high level of crime; assaults, thefts, property damage and false fire alarms (several per week and recently 3 in one day, 1 at 3 a.m which rang on for 15 minutes and occupied 4 fire trucks and crews until it was deemed malicious, ending with a verbal request over the speakers for anyone with info to call police). We are all sick of that one, wasted resources, interrupted sleeps, pathetic cries for attention that scare the shit out of my dog, but wondering why with all the new security cameras the culprits are never apprehended and charged.
Dealers, druggies, and drifters roam about frazzled day and night, each on a mission of their own, resulting in high anxiety for those out-side the social circle, the elderly and disabled ones. The longer the subculture is able to function feeding off the deviance, the more it becomes the norm, drawing new people faster than it can spit other’s out.
As as far as I know, no-one has been shot or murdered by the gun yet at this address. However, last year we did have back to front (literally) suicides by jumping in a 24 hour period, 2 females, one young the other old, separate apartments, different floors, opposite races; but somehow drawn together in a fragile bond that broke. May they rest in peace. Some dummy in a fit of rage smashed his fist straight through the front door window last weekend and a resident ruffian has been rudely ripping off seniors and other vulnerable people who have entrusted and paid him to do chores in their homes for months now and the victims are afraid to call the cops and as per their wishes I won’t identify them or the suspect name either, but I did call the alleged thief out when no one else was around.
Gun violence is a serious issue and I have heard rumours that weapons have been sighted and are being used to brandish and extort, but fortunately never have i seen such a thing. The above quote from the TCHC Special Constable came after a citizen stopped him in the parking lot to say that she thought she had heard gunshots radiating from someone’s balcony the night before; a distinct pow, pow, pow…pow, pow, pow. He showed zero concern and when pressed on the safety of the matter the bulked up 6 feet plus man dressed in intimidating and protective gear did not pull out his memo pad to jot down her concerns or say anything to ease the angst, nor indicate that the issue might warrant his attention at all. Instead he said with an air of arrogance, “call 911 next time,” and nonchalantly sauntered off to light a smoke and finish it before moseying into the office.
Who is that homeless girl? 