Anti-crime program criticized
By Paul Schweizer
Once again Chief Robert White is under fire. This time he is being accused of being a racist. Unbelievable! LMPD along with the Office of Probation and Parole has been working a program called RSVP (Reducing Serious Violence Partnership) which is designed to monitor people on probation or parole that are considered to be at risk for either committing or being a victim of a homicide. Those found in violation will be put back in jail. How is this racist???
According to one overzealous Defense Attorney, Scott Drabenstadt, "it's ignorant profiling," Drabenstadt, who is representing Marion Jones, a 27-year-old man who was returned to jail for missing a drug meeting and a curfew required by his probation. "The problem is its wrong to classify a group of people and make a determination that they're a threat to the community." Hello Scott, it is not a group of people that are being targeted, it is individual felons that have committed violent crimes AND that have failed some, part or all of their part of the bargain by not following the rules laid out for them as a condition of their probation or parole.
Those people identified are called to a meeting with representatives from the state probation and parole office, police, the commonwealth's attorney's office and community groups that offer support services. Participants are warned that they will be under increased scrutiny and that violations will not be tolerated. Then they act surprised when they are picked up after violations.
Col. Terri Winstead said statistics from last year's homicides show an increased risk for those on parole or probation. Of the 70 homicides last year, Winstead said four of the victims and about a dozen of the perpetrators were either on probation or parole. Only one participant has been accused of committing a crime, Winstead said. Charles Parker was charged with theft, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer, Winstead said. He is awaiting trial his new charges. That sounds pretty unfair, the Police picked up a convicted felon on probation that was stealing, had a gun on him and assaulted a Police Officer. ARGHHH!!!
DeVonn Johnson said her husband, Christopher, had been doing his best to stay out of trouble and moving in with his grandparents, working and making his parole meetings. But he was returned to jail June 1 for violating a curfew May 31. (That is not doing your best Mrs. Johnson.) Johnson said her husband didn't even know he was on curfew. "If this program is to help him ... why would they send him back to jail?" Hello, did he sleep though the meetings with Probation and Parole??
What Chief White is trying to do is save lives. It isn't about race, but if you want to look at the statistics, the vast majority of the homicides that occur every year are black on black. You would think he would be heralded for attempting to prevent more murders by identifying those individuals that are most at risk to commit further acts of violence or to become a victim because of retaliation for their previous crimes. Police Officers do not monitor whether those in the program are violating their parole, unless that violation involves breaking the law. Most of the oversight is done by Parole Officers.
Defense attorney Keith Kamenish said he disagrees with the principle behind the program. "They're trying to broaden the web, throw a net over as broad a group as possible and hope to catch a couple of bad guys," Kamenish said. Is that a bad thing Keith? Is it bad to catch really bad guys and put them behind bars where they belong because they aren't following the rules of their probation?
Ok, so now we have identified people that are at risk, people that are on probation or parole, people that are violating the conditions of their parole, people that could commit further crimes or become victims themselves and we are putting them back in jail and oh by the way the Chief is a racist according to some people because those aren't good enough reasons. Playing the race card every time things don't go their way is pitiful. Chief White has done a great job by recognizing the need to reduce homicides and violent crime and if targeting individuals that are part of the problem and putting them back in jail or prison can help reduce crime then kudos for having the guts to start this program.