Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz, Jr. talks about his plans to reach out to gang leaders following the shooting of a teenage girl caught in crossfire.
I am the detective that called the show earlier. I apologize for my tone when on the air. Hearing Mr. Diaz talk about his day of outrage really upset me. The political machine is set up to completely undermine any advancement or initiatives put in place by the criminal justice system. Community policing has been shown to be a waste of money. Community BASED policing on the other hand is a proven concept. The difference is that it needs to be understood by all involved that the sole purpose of the police is to prevent and solve crimes. We are not a social service agency. When appropriate we can and do make referrals, but to look to us to be a cure for social failings is naive. The only proven approach to handling the type of daily violence we see in areas like the Bronx is a coordinated effort with community involvement and support that follows the Broken Windows philosophy. To that end Stop Question and POSSIBLY frisk tactitcs need to be understood and embraced by the community. A ZERO tolerance attitude towards quality of life issues needs to be supported. An aggressive stance towards prosecutions must be taken by the Bronx DA's office, and these issues must be stressed by leaders such as Mr. Diaz. Additionally instead of talking and legitimizing gang members his attention and dialogue should be directed at those children in the community who are not involve dwith drugs and guns. Spotlight the success that these children have (and there is a lot of success)and do not legitimize those individuals who glorify criminality.
There was an undercurrent of total absurdity to this interview, from start to finish, starting with this term: 'gun play' (?) There is nothing 'playfull' about picking up a gun with the intent to terrorize: criminals pick up and use guns, everyone else tries to survive. Diaz is utterly undeserving of his position. He said he would 'meet with gang leaders to ask them what they need'. Unbelievable. Like approaching the Mafia and asking them how best to allow their criminality to continue unmolested. Nothing but one tired, worn-out, debunked excuse after the other: 'comprehensive gun-law legislation, more after-school activities, more jobs'. Just one long list of career politicians without the guts to call it as it is: gang culture is criminal culture, and parents, wherever the hell they seem to be here, are responsible for bringing up people who understand right from wrong.
When negotiating with police and other municipal unions, Politicians need to apply a little common sense, If a city is to survive "Police NEED to LIVE IN THE CITY". Like carrying a radio that works, this is not a point of negotiation.
Without community involvement it's just a paycheck or mortgage payment in a "GOOD" area. Otherwise, to cite a blatantly obvious parallel, it's just like the US Troops in Iraq, an "Occupying Force". This methodology only attracts gang members and escalates the problem.
Anyone who looks at the history of gangs in New York knows the only way that element is managed is when police live in the kinds of local communities they oversee.
To put these gangs in perspective and realize just how easy it is to deal with this relatively modest problem, read a little history, gangs were not invented in the 1990's.
"Gangs of New York" by Herbert Ashbury ISBN:1-56025-275-8 The Ken Burns film "A History of New York" wouldn't hurt.
How did "Ruben Diaz, Jr." get elected in the first place? He sounded ineffectual and totally disconnected from such a major issue such as this.
One topic that was danced around but not addressed directly is the "Culture of Honor" in some communities that makes violence the only alternative for settling disputes.
How can community leaders address systemic poverty and violence? It would help if our leaders would demonstrate a basic understanding of why kids are out shooting each other in the first place.
The problem is the concentration of disfunctional behaviors. It is too much for one place to handle. The answer is integration based on income. We should be moving poor people from the bx to more affluent communities and moving rich people to the bx. White suburban racism and bx crime have subsided enough to make this possible. Small scale, scattered site affordable housing in the suburbs plus yuppie high rises or gated communities in the bx. It is the blatant selfishness and lack of responsibility of the suburbs along with the real estate developers who are the problem. Check the Mt. Laurel which was defeated at every turn. Only 60 of 566 in NJ participate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Laurel_doctrine
There's a lot of criticism of the "Stop Snitching" campaign, but politicians seldom challenge the "Blue Wall of Silence" that prevents cops from "ratting out" their corrupt colleagues. Same goes for elected officials and corporate America, where whistleblowers often discover that doing the right thing is the end of their careers. It's easy for politicians and police officers to criticize young people who fear cooperating with officials, but when will they realize that their hypocrisy makes them difficult to trust? "Stop snitching" is not just a "street culture" campaign-- it's everywhere, on up to the White House, and needs to be addressed as such. It's dangerous at every level.
That detective who called in earlier, whether he really is on or isn't since there is anonymity like the internet was exactly on the money. There is a similar if not worse problem happening in CA, similar gun/gang violence and also the two hour plus gang rape of a girl at a school dance. Her peers watched for hours, recorded the event on their cell phone video cameras and finally one of these highly disconnected youths decided to call 911...the call and detached tenor of the caller was a frightening testament to youth today and their lack of seeing each other as fellow humans and merely internet derived ciphers.
Gangsta rap, hip hop culture and the rest have been a disaster for youth in places like the Bronx. It's pretty sad that Ms. Diaz sees talking with gang leaders as part of the solution. Comfortability indeed.
Umm, maybe calling your gathering "Day of Outrage" isn't exactly the best way to teach young men not to be violent. How about "Day of Peaceful Protest"
Yeah, the gangs will show up for the rally. It's a lost cause folks. You don't just reach out for handouts you pull yourself up at the same time and make an effort to get out of the mud.
guns are not the problem,it is the bad parent who are young, ignorant and poor. You do not see this inthe more afluent communities. Poverty is the problem not GUNS.
My Bronx apartment was robbed two weeks ago. When I called the 47 Precinct for the report number I was told the responding officers never filled one out. So how accurate are crime statistics if there is no record of the crime?????
The real problem here is "POLICE COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY"
The live in Long Island and other places outside of the communities, and as a result the community lacks respect for their presence and do not trust police. Also the police are not present after their shift. The spend 2 hours commuting back home when the could spend that time in NYC.
The real problem here is "POLICE COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY"
The live in Long Island and other places outside of the communities, and as a result the community lacks respect for their presence and do not trust police. Also the police are not present after their shift. The spend 2 hours commuting back home when the could spend that time in NYC.
The NYPD is not community based. Police patrol the neighborhood from a power mind set. They should approach the community as a service based organization not a power based. The bridge between community and police will lead to a holistic approach to neighborhood life.
The breaking point should have happened decades ago. This too will fade away. The Bronx city government is corrupt to the core. It will be hard to get that changed because no one votes in the Bronx nor gets inspired to move to demand that changes are made. Just check the election records.
This is all part of the Latino Mafia which IS the Bronx. This is a complicated situation and nothing will change it, unfortunately. Ruben Diaz is the son of Ruben Diaz, enough said.
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more.
Learn more. Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm
your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the
right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the
Comment Guidelines before
posting.
By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's
Privacy Policy and
Terms Of Use.
Sponsored
About The Brian Lehrer Show
It's your neighborhood, your city, your country, your world, and now your website. Brian Lehrer delves into the issues and links them to real life.
Comments [27]
You do not have to apologize to anyone detective. Academy class of 81
Diaz is an embarrassment
I am the detective that called the show earlier. I apologize for my tone when on the air. Hearing Mr. Diaz talk about his day of outrage really upset me. The political machine is set up to completely undermine any advancement or initiatives put in place by the criminal justice system. Community policing has been shown to be a waste of money. Community BASED policing on the other hand is a proven concept. The difference is that it needs to be understood by all involved that the sole purpose of the police is to prevent and solve crimes. We are not a social service agency. When appropriate we can and do make referrals, but to look to us to be a cure for social failings is naive. The only proven approach to handling the type of daily violence we see in areas like the Bronx is a coordinated effort with community involvement and support that follows the Broken Windows philosophy. To that end Stop Question and POSSIBLY frisk tactitcs need to be understood and embraced by the community. A ZERO tolerance attitude towards quality of life issues needs to be supported. An aggressive stance towards prosecutions must be taken by the Bronx DA's office, and these issues must be stressed by leaders such as Mr. Diaz. Additionally instead of talking and legitimizing gang members his attention and dialogue should be directed at those children in the community who are not involve dwith drugs and guns. Spotlight the success that these children have (and there is a lot of success)and do not legitimize those individuals who glorify criminality.
It is sad to see the poor quality of the leadership in the Bronx. Inarticulate, poorly educated, ineffectual and ignorant.
The problem is the culture of ignorance begining with the music, the parents and the lack of respect for education.
There was an undercurrent of total absurdity to this interview, from start to finish, starting with this term: 'gun play' (?) There is nothing 'playfull' about picking up a gun with the intent to terrorize: criminals pick up and use guns, everyone else tries to survive.
Diaz is utterly undeserving of his position.
He said he would 'meet with gang leaders to ask them what they need'. Unbelievable. Like approaching the Mafia and asking them how best to allow their criminality to continue unmolested.
Nothing but one tired, worn-out, debunked excuse after the other: 'comprehensive gun-law legislation, more after-school activities, more jobs'.
Just one long list of career politicians without the guts to call it as it is: gang culture is criminal culture, and parents, wherever the hell they seem to be here, are responsible for bringing up people who understand right from wrong.
When negotiating with police and other municipal unions, Politicians need to apply a little common sense,
If a city is to survive "Police NEED to LIVE IN THE CITY". Like carrying a radio that works, this is not a point of negotiation.
Without community involvement it's just a paycheck or mortgage payment in a "GOOD" area.
Otherwise, to cite a blatantly obvious parallel, it's just like the US Troops in Iraq, an "Occupying Force". This methodology only attracts gang members and escalates the problem.
Anyone who looks at the history of gangs in New York knows the only way that element is managed is when police live in the kinds of local communities they oversee.
To put these gangs in perspective and realize just how easy it is to deal with this relatively modest problem, read a little history, gangs were not invented in the 1990's.
"Gangs of New York" by Herbert Ashbury ISBN:1-56025-275-8
The Ken Burns film "A History of New York" wouldn't hurt.
How did "Ruben Diaz, Jr." get elected in the first place? He sounded ineffectual and totally disconnected from such a major issue such as this.
One topic that was danced around but not addressed directly is the "Culture of Honor" in some communities that makes violence the only alternative for settling disputes.
How can community leaders address systemic poverty and violence? It would help if our leaders would demonstrate a basic understanding of why kids are out shooting each other in the first place.
Only 60 of 566 communities in NJ provide affordable housing under the program in NJ. An 11% participation rate. Viva la integracion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Laurel_doctrine
The problem is the concentration of disfunctional behaviors. It is too much for one place to handle. The answer is integration based on income. We should be moving poor people from the bx to more affluent communities and moving rich people to the bx. White suburban racism and bx crime have subsided enough to make this possible. Small scale, scattered site affordable housing in the suburbs plus yuppie high rises or gated communities in the bx. It is the blatant selfishness and lack of responsibility of the suburbs along with the real estate developers who are the problem. Check the Mt. Laurel which was defeated at every turn. Only 60 of 566 in NJ participate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Laurel_doctrine
There's a lot of criticism of the "Stop Snitching" campaign, but politicians seldom challenge the "Blue Wall of Silence" that prevents cops from "ratting out" their corrupt colleagues. Same goes for elected officials and corporate America, where whistleblowers often discover that doing the right thing is the end of their careers. It's easy for politicians and police officers to criticize young people who fear cooperating with officials, but when will they realize that their hypocrisy makes them difficult to trust? "Stop snitching" is not just a "street culture" campaign-- it's everywhere, on up to the White House, and needs to be addressed as such. It's dangerous at every level.
That detective who called in earlier, whether he really is on or isn't since there is anonymity like the internet was exactly on the money. There is a similar if not worse problem happening in CA, similar gun/gang violence and also the two hour plus gang rape of a girl at a school dance. Her peers watched for hours, recorded the event on their cell phone video cameras and finally one of these highly disconnected youths decided to call 911...the call and detached tenor of the caller was a frightening testament to youth today and their lack of seeing each other as fellow humans and merely internet derived ciphers.
Gangsta rap, hip hop culture and the rest have been a disaster for youth in places like the Bronx. It's pretty sad that Ms. Diaz sees talking with gang leaders as part of the solution. Comfortability indeed.
Jail work?! Jail breeds better criminals! The rehabilitation program in there is NIL!
Umm, maybe calling your gathering "Day of Outrage" isn't exactly the best way to teach young men not to be violent. How about "Day of Peaceful Protest"
Yeah, the gangs will show up for the rally. It's a lost cause folks. You don't just reach out for handouts you pull yourself up at the same time and make an effort to get out of the mud.
guns are not the problem,it is the bad parent who are young, ignorant and poor. You do not see this inthe more afluent communities. Poverty is the problem not GUNS.
My Bronx apartment was robbed two weeks ago. When I called the 47 Precinct for the report number I was told the responding officers never filled one out. So how accurate are crime statistics if there is no record of the crime?????
The real problem here is
"POLICE COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY"
The live in Long Island and other places outside of the communities, and as a result the community lacks respect for their presence and do not trust police. Also the police are not present after their shift. The spend 2 hours commuting back home when the could spend that time in NYC.
The real problem here is
"POLICE COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY"
The live in Long Island and other places outside of the communities, and as a result the community lacks respect for their presence and do not trust police. Also the police are not present after their shift. The spend 2 hours commuting back home when the could spend that time in NYC.
S_
The NYPD is not community based. Police patrol the neighborhood from a power mind set. They should approach the community as a service based organization not a power based. The bridge between community and police will lead to a holistic approach to neighborhood life.
The fault lies with the parents who are no raising there kids and the politians who are ignorant.
Just listen to this guest, he is ignorant
Talk to the Gang Leaders?
Isn't acknowledging them as Leaders and 'Giving them respect' only enabling and strengthening their control of the streets?
Maybe it's time we STOPPED talking to homicidal, sociopathic mistakes and ceding to them control of the streets!!!
Gang Leaders DO NOT REPRESENT THE CHILDREN THEY RECRUIT. THEY EXPLOIT THEM!
Baloney! He sounds like he's i a gang!
Comfortability?
The breaking point should have happened decades ago. This too will fade away. The Bronx city government is corrupt to the core. It will be hard to get that changed because no one votes in the Bronx nor gets inspired to move to demand that changes are made. Just check the election records.
This is all part of the Latino Mafia which IS the Bronx. This is a complicated situation and nothing will change it, unfortunately. Ruben Diaz is the son of Ruben Diaz, enough said.
What does the borough president think of the situation over Kingsbridge Armory?
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.