Friday, December 11, 2009

To Protect and Serve? Part 2.

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about certain people in our neighborhood that make it a very icky place to live at times. If you want to refresh your memory, you can read it HERE. Anyhow, most of the people in my previous blog have moved on and don't live here anymore, new people have moved in who aren't terrors and things were heading on the right track. Unfortunately, Example #2 "Mr Thug Wannabe and Woman Beater" is still going strong and causing a real problem for the entire neighborhood.

You may recall that I posted a few months ago witnessing someone being beaten outside and the police doing nothing. Well, surprise, surprise that was Mr. TWWB. For those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you'll remember that Mr. TWWB a few weeks ago was beating his dumb girlfriend on the front yard and when I tried to help, he turned his attention on me and started threatening my safety and that of my son's. Well, last night, Mr. TWWB and his mother, Example #1 from the previous blog Drunkie McDrunkness, began to have a verbal fight on the front lawn, at about 7pm at night, in front of the whole neighborhood......and my very impressionable, curious, inquisitive, and intelligent 3 year old who, despite my closing the blinds, telling him to stay away from the window, and trying to distract him with chocolate and race cars, NEEDED to know what was going on outside with "all the yelling and screaming with the bad man mommy".

And then the unthinkable and horrible happened.....even more so than TWWB beating up his stupid girlfriend, or fighting with his drunk mother, or rollin' up with his 20 inch rims at 2 am blasting some sort of mysogynist crap out of his window, no much worse. As he and his mother were fighting, he grabbed her puppy. He grabbed her tiny miniature toy terrier who probably weighs 5 pounds soaking wet, choked it, shook it violently, and threw it to the ground.

The sounds of the dog were agonizing. And my son heard them. And so did the whole neighborhood apparently because people came out of their homes to see what was going on. One brave (and not all there, but sweet) woman walked right up to him and got in his face and screamed at him about abusing the animal. And TWWB, screamed back, threatening to punch her, saying he didn't hurt the dog, and then calling everyone every name in the book. And my son saw and heard this. And he had questions. Questions that are very difficult to answer.

"Mommy why did the man hurt the dog?"
"He didn't mean to honey, it was an accident"
"No, mommy, he did it on purpose"
"No honey, now let's finish Jeopardy and forget about that"
"Mommy is the dog dead?"
"No honey the doggie is fine (total lie, as I am not sure about the condition of the dog)"
"Mommy why is that man so bad all the time?"

And so on and so forth.

I called the police. Told them what was going on and based on our experiences with TWWB, they have a file a mile long on this kid. The police came. Stayed approximately 30 SECONDS and left. This is exactly the same thing that happened when we called them after he beat up his girlfriend on the front yard and then came after me. Police came, "talked" to him, told him that if he and his gf wanted to fight that they should do it inside, and told me basically to mind my own business because that's the "type of relationship they have". Same thing happened when TWWB beat up the boy in the street. Lots of "talking" but the police, again, did nothing.

What is it going to take to have a safe neighborhood? Will it take TWWB killing his girfriend? His mother? His dog? Me? My son? What exactly is the role of the police in our society if not "To Protect and Serve"? This person is a menace. Who stares people down and mutters threats when I am putting my son in the car. Who, every night, sits on his front yard and dares anyone to step outside and enjoy their neighborhood. Frankly, if he is outside, I stay inside. I am afraid of him. I am afraid of what he can do and what sort of horrible images he has implanted in my son's mind.

We shouldn't have to live in fear. We shouldn't have to live with our blinds closed for fear of our son seeing violence and cruelty. We shouldn't have to compromise OUR quality of life because nothing is being done about this person. It begs the question, what exactly is the role of the police in our society? At least in our neighborhood?

6 comments:

KenL said...

does this a-hole ever hit anyone in view of the public?
I would suggest a video camera in a handy place, this way, when the cops do nothing, you will have evidence , then call the non emergency number and ask for a supervisor or hopefully a cop sympathetic to domestic violence and/or animal abuse. Also, let me guess, he also wears a huge gold crucifix or a jeebus tattoo.

Unknown said...

Since the cops ain't doing nothing about the female abuse, maybe the Humane society would do something for the animal, ironic no? Try getting the idiot on the TV show: Animal Cops Miami... that would freak him out.

In this matter old religious techniques might work well, in absence of incriminating evidence, use shame to modify behaviour.

You could also write him in the local paper. No names of course...

Your situation reminds of the ole Tracy Chapman song... «Behind the Wall». Maybe you could blast it continuously on your front lawn...

Unknown said...

The video camera idea is a good one, as is calling the Humane Society. It's like they pick and choose who deserve protection.

I'll be thinking of you guys.

Anonymous said...

You should try and call a supervisor, chief of police, the mayor. Someone has got to listen. I like the video camera idea.

Anaquita said...

Or better yet, take the video camera idea, and give a copy to your local news station. Getting incompetence out in the media tends to be very helpful. Also, moving out of that neighborhood, if possible, might be a good idea. Sure you shouldn't have to move but if the area is crappy enough to have cops who don't care, might not want to be a place to stay in.

Anonymous said...

What about, along with filming him when there is a problem, also filming the cops the next time that they are called out (I say next time even though I hope that there won't have to be a next time) to show just how long they stay there and the fact that they do nothing and showing that to the news, or their supervisor, or anybody that will listen?