Definitely some good points in there, although the report seems more targeted at terrorism then reducing street crime. In my opinion, the problem that our city needs to overcome is negative public perception. A vast majority of the people I know who don't live in our city have a negative perception of the city. We've all heard the "Beirut by the Sea" comments and things like that, and for the most part that image is pretty much gone. The bigger problem is the crime issue. Many people are just plain scared of our city. Case in point...i'm going on a vacation to Europe next month, and i'm trying to find somebody to stay at my house for the week so they can watch my dog. Every person I've asked so far (women) has said no because they say that they'd be afraid to walk my dog at night, worried about their car, etc. Next, and I don't know how much weight this has, but whenever the APP publishes an article about a crime in our city, and that article has a link to a message board so people can talk about it, the posters trash our city, call it a mess, call for it to be demolished, raise the gang issue, and on and on. And that perception isn't just limited to people who read the APP. I have many friends in NYC who feel the same way. I have one friend who writes for the Village Voice as well as doing tons of freelance, and she's echoed that same feeling to me...that the many years of bad PR that our city has received, mostly because of the murders and drug problems that have plagued the city for nearly 30 years, stays more in peoples memories then any of the good things happening here. That's why I think a well publicized surveillence system would help us. I also think that the sad divide between east and west gives people cause for concern. In my optimistic world, i'd love to see a campaign that blankets the west side with the concept of making AP an example of change, that promotes people to have pride in our city, and to fight social and other crimes in their communities...literally say to the world...We Care about our city, and we are committed to making AP a safe and attractive place to live, for all the people. Personally, I think AP is filled with many great people, and it's ashamed that the drug dealers, gang members, welfare families, street people and assorted crazies ruin it for the majority. I truly believe there is much more good then bad in our city, and it really frustrates me when I have such a hard time convincing people of that...and that is something I try to do all the time. It seems like the prostitution problem is waning, which is a great thing, but I think the drug problem is still a huge issue. AP needs to lose it's reputation as a place to go score drugs, and it's had that reputation for decades. I think our PD is doing a pretty great job at this, and it's about time that the publicity machine starts letting the outside world know about the progress in things such as these.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "Mario" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > For those interested in the recent thread here regarding surveillance > cameras, this link takes you to the full transcript of a Newshour > segment last night. > New York City Police Commisioner explains why he supports a system > similar to London's "Ring of Steel." Effectiveness, privacy, and > acceptance issues are covered. > ======================================================== Click here: > Online NewsHour: Analysis | Security Cameras for New York | July 11, > 2007 | PBS > <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec07/newyork_07-11.html> > Security Cameras Coming to New York City > [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/images/spacer.gif] > [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/images/spacer.gif] New York plans to > install a London-style surveillance camera system in lower Manhattan by > year's end. Guests outline the reasons behind the program and the > privacy issues it raises. > [New York City Crime Eye] > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
