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Thanks for the post
I “have a friend” who chronically leaves their car unlocked at home because they seem to think they live in a safe town where this would not happen-at least not in a residential area. The car is locked when out and about. I guess “my friend” better re-think that choice..
Unlocked car
If the car was unlocked, the robbery probably would have occurred anyway, but the window would not have been broken.
The Police do care.
AS frustrating as it is to be robbed, or to witness robberies, the last thing that is helpful is verbal attacks on the police.
They literally risks their lives trying to keep the towns they work in safer and they are much safer than they would be without them. Insults such as, “They don’t care” are not called for.
Brattleboro’s Police Department has been very responsive to our neighborhood’s concerns. I actually applaud them for their efforts.
One problem that the BPD has is a turnover rate that leaves positions sometimes unfilled. This is in part because they are less well paid than in some other towns in the state. Meanwhile, they have to handle a job which everyone knows can be very stressful. This includes dealing with a lot of problems that are not as frequently found in the surrounding towns that lack bars, such as violent drunks late at night, for example. Heroin distribution rings are also present in our town. Usually this leads to addicts who owe money to people you really don’t want to owe money to. It is pretty common to see property thefts rise when enough addict clientele are created to drive a market.
Due to this, (according to police officers I have talked with) the turn over rate for our police department is an issue. Officers leave. With the town budget being what it is, (including the 14 plus mlliion dollar bond for the expansion project) this problem of their being short staffed, is probably not going to get better.
We need a solution. Insulting the police by saying they don’t care is not part of that solution.
I appreciate your thoughtful
I appreciate your thoughtful reply. You’re absolutely right that some of the police do care. Compared to other places in the world, we’re lucky to have a number of very decent, reasonable and hardworking individuals on our force, and I’m sorry to demean them and their efforts with a generalized statement.
However, based on my experiences and those of people I know, we have been left with a feeling that a number of cops really don’t care. When it comes to victimless crimes, I don’t care either, but we have a serious problem with theft, vandalism and assaults, and in spite of a high turnover, more can be done to stop that.
I disagree- the Brattleboro
I disagree- the Brattleboro PD does care. So you advocate baseball bat vigilantes? That area is a well know high crime area. If anything Detroit is looking more like Brattleboro! For 12000 citizens the property crimes rival NYC per capita. Methadone clinics, a pervasive permissiveness of the drug culture and the non working vagrancy and mental health issues for a town of this size equates to big city crime. Brattleboro has above average drug busts, heroin use and murder rates than CITIES 4 times its size. You are living in a rose colored glass house and have to throw stones at the officers dedicated to this town? Wow?
Methadone Clinics?
I was unaware that there were any in Brattleboro. Turns out there are two: Habit OPCO on Town Crier Drive, and the Retreat on Linden Street.
Methadone Maintenance (M/M) is the use of methadone, a synthetic, habit forming drug used as a substitute, administered over a prolonged period of time (can be indefinite), as treatment for someone who is addicted to opioids (such as heroin), where detoxification has been unsuccessful and/or admittance to a substance abuse treatment facility requires complete abstinence.
Patients on M/M are able to be employed and live relatively normal lives.
Instead of committing crimes to deal with “Dope Sickness”, (severe withdrawal which drives crime) the victims are treated safely and under supervision.
These people are not the ones committing the robberies.
I would suggest that this is
I would suggest that this is incorrect. Why would towns like Chesterfield be so against putting one there on route 9? Although methadone clinics are treating people with opiate dependence, the fact is that their lifestyles, associated “friends” low income, and past records are as hard to shake as the heroin addiction. Methadone is just a safer substitute attempting to wean them off the heroin. The behavioral impacts are still there. The State of Vermont is putting many destitute individuals in Putney Road Hotels, and as a result the Putney Road area (adjacent to the treatment center) just happens to be a very high burglary area. These burglaries generally go unreported by Police and the newspapers as they do not want to make Brattleboro look unsafe. A police officer told me that Stop and Go, Macs Barber shop, a restaurant, the Windham Vet clinic, and others on Putney road have been burglarized. The drug and drug treatment concerns in Brattleboro might have something to do with this?
The failed War on Drugs
All of this results from our refusal to deal with drugs in an intelligent manner. We tried to prohibit alcohol in the 20th century with absolutely no success. Instead, alcohol became “chic”.
It seems like common sense to prohibit drugs as well. The results are even more disastrous. Prohibition just doesn’t work!
From : “Law Enforcement Against Prohibition”
We believe that drug prohibition is the true cause of much of the social and personal damage that has historically been attributed to drug use. It is prohibition that makes these drugs so valuable – while giving criminals a monopoly over their supply. Driven by the huge profits from this monopoly, criminal gangs bribe and kill each other, law enforcers, and children. Their trade is unregulated and they are, therefore, beyond our control.
History has shown that drug prohibition reduces neither use nor abuse. After a rapist is arrested, there are fewer rapes. After a drug dealer is arrested, however, neither the supply nor the demand for drugs is seriously changed. The arrest merely creates a job opening for an endless stream of drug entrepreneurs who will take huge risks for the sake of the enormous profits created by prohibition. Prohibition costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year, yet 40 years and some 40 million arrests later, drugs are cheaper, more potent and far more widely used than at the beginning of this futile crusade.
We believe that by eliminating prohibition of all drugs for adults and establishing appropriate regulation and standards for distribution and use, law enforcement could focus more on crimes of violence, such as rape, aggravated assault, child abuse and murder, making our communities much safer. We believe that sending parents to prison for non-violent personal drug use destroys families. We believe that in a regulated and controlled environment, drugs will be safer for adult use and less accessible to our children. And we believe that by placing drug abuse in the hands of medical professionals instead of the criminal justice system, we will reduce rates of addiction and overdose deaths.
http://www.leap.cc/about/why-legalize-drugs/
Ten Years Ago Portugal Legalized All Drugs — What Happened Next?
When the nation legalized all drugs within its borders, most critics predicted disaster. But a decade later, drug use has plunged dramatically.
July 14, 2011 | The Fix / By Tony O’Neil
The government in Portugal has no plans to back down. Although the Netherlands is the European country most associated with liberal drug laws, it has already been ten years since Portugal became the first European nation to take the brave step of decriminalizing possession of all drugs within its borders—from marijuana to heroin, and everything in between. This controversial move went into effect in June of 2001, in response to the country’s spiraling HIV/AIDS statistics. While many critics in the poor and largely conservative country attacked the sea change in drug policy, fearing it would lead to drug tourism while simultaneously worsening the country’s already shockingly high rate of hard drug use, a report published in 2009 by the Cato Institute tells a different story. Glenn Greenwald, the attorney and author who conducted the research, told TIME: “Judging by every metric, drug decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success. It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country.”
More at http://www.alternet.org/story/151635/ten_years_ago_portugal_legalized_all_drugs_–_what_happened_next
Is your logic, then, that
Is your logic, then, that poor people (“Many destitute individuals”) who happen to be in a situation where they are living in a motel- are responsible for the many burglaries occurring on Putney Road? Or, is it your opinion that because these people are destitute that also means they are drug addicts which,of course must mean that they are committing all the burgaries in that area. I’m surprised your research into this subject didn’t include the facts that many of the people placed in hotels/motels are families or disabled citizens who otherwise would be homeless because Vermont -along with every other state -would rather pay to house families and other people who need specialized housing in motel rooms than build adequate low income housing for them.
Nobody wants the methadone treatment center, halfway house, residential facility for mentally ill individuals in “their backyard”. That’s why there is a disturbingly long waiting list for these types of places. Because methadone is a safe and free heroin substitute the urge to steal money to support their habit is diminished – not increased. People do successfully put their addictions, their criminal activities, their choice of questionable friends behind them and live better lives.And being “low income” doesn’t automatically mean you have a drug habit or a criminal record. Robberies, cars and homes being broken into, muggings happen all over Brattleboro – they can’t all be done by those methadone seeking, low income, motel living individuals on Putney Road that you seem so ready to vilify.
Kris, Not all people in the
Kris, Not all people in the groups above commit these crimes however it is logical that SOME of the crimes are from a segment of this group.
Whom would you suggest is burglarizing these businesses? Employed individuals, the elderly, students, and middle class housewives? Have you ever sat and watched what walks by on our streets?
Putney road and Canal street are high traffic and high density crime areas. Where do you live? I would bet these areas “are not in your backyard” most property crime occurs within a short radius of the perpetrators’ domicile. The person breaking into the 2 cars listed above did not get to the crime scene driving a minivan and drive away. I do not do research on this, it comes from first hand experience and observations, and reading about local events. Most people are aware of drug dealing and use in this town is at crisis levels. That is why Brattleboro has 2 of the 5 Methadone clinics in the state. Accurate conclusions can be made from these facts.
However cynical I may be, you may be seeing the world and its realities with rose colored glasses here.
There are no rose colored
There are no rose colored glasses on me. I live very close to the Retreat so, in fact, their Methadone treatment center is “in my back yard”. I think that anytime we start categorizing populations of people (whether they are low income, former drug addicts,youth, people of a particular race or color or any other defining factor) as the “problem” we are on a very dangerous and slippery slope. Certainly some of the people who reside in the area motels may commit some crimes. So do, probably some of the kids that hang around the transportation center. And there are also kids who come from “respectable’ families who commit crimes. And adults who live in their own houses. Your original comment seemed to place all of the blame for the high crime count on the people who live in temporary state sanctioned lodging and further suggested that “once a druggie with bad friends” always a druggie with bad friends. And, I’m declaring that those statistics are false. Had you done any research on who lives in motels/hotels across the country -not just in Vermont you would have found that there are many families residing there -families who are struggling to get back on their feet, to get a decent home for their kids, families(more often than not single mom households) who send their kids to school every day, who try to make a single motel room feel like a home for their kids. It’s not just junkies and
‘low lifes’ as you seem to think. Brattleboro has a huge drug problem -much of which is being kept thriving by out of state people. These are not the people going to methadone treatment centers- these are the people selling heroin and crack in our town. It seems like curtailing the rampant drug business should be more important than worrying about who is living in an area motel or attempting to get treatment for a drug problem.People who are addicted to expensive, street level drugs are far more likely to be committing robberies than someone going to a treatment center everyday for a drug that cost them nothing and is a gateway to, perhaps, a better, safer life.
Brattleboro has a huge drug problem
If you read the “Herald”, you’ll find that Rutland, too, has a huge drug problem. The “Free Press” tells us that Burlington also does. The “Times-Union” says the same thing about Albany and Troy.
Let’s not even mention Boston and New York.
I’m sure that “huge” drug problems are endemic to most of America’s cities and towns.
So what are we doing about it?
The War on Drugs has been a dismal failure. It has not reduced drug use anywhere.
What it has done is create a whole new drug underclass, who, because of various sanctions, find that they are excluded from participation in the normal economics of our society.
Many drift in and out of drugs and jail. And because of draconian sentences, a new (constitutional)form of slavery has arisen in our for-profit private prisons.
Einstein described insanity as doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome.
The W.O.D. is a form of Einsteinian insanity.
However, many are profiting from this insane war, including high ranking government officials (Think Ollie North & Iran-Contra. Check out Mena, Arkansas. Google “Barry Seal”. Read “Crossing the Rubicon” This is verifiable fact, not “conspiracy theory”.)
On a side note, there is a house across the street from mine. My neighbors refer to it as the “crack house”. Most of the time it is quiet. However, from time to time it is a beehive of activity.
Typically, during these active times, a car will pull up with 3 or 4 people in it. One gets out and enters the house. Less than a minute later, this person leaves, gets in the car and they all depart.
This happens multiple times.
What, other than a drug deal, is happening? They’re not playing Mah-Jong!
I have a friend who I know to be a recovering heroin addict. I haven’t seen him in a while. About a week ago, I met him by my house. He was walking to that house, stayed about a minute and left. He wasn’t playing Mah-Jong either.
I feel bad about seeing this. He’s a decent guy. But an opiate jones is hard to overcome.
I can’t believe the police do not know about this house or another one around the corner with a similar reputation. It’s been going on for years.
When are they going to do something?
Yes, it's a big and getting
Yes, it’s a big and getting bigger problem all over our state and really in every state. My singling out of Brattleboro was only in response to the previous posts about those who are patients at methadone clinics are the ones primarily committing the crime in this town. I don’t believe that’s true. And I don’t believe that the police are doing as much as they should be doing to both stop the flow of hard drugs into our community and arrest those responsible for the sale of those drugs. Every once in awhile we’ll read about a big drug arrest here with a lot of fanfare and congratulations to law enforcement agencies. And that’s great. But then everything goes back to status quo and ‘crack houses” like the one you mention continue to thrive.
I wish more attention and problem solving was placed on those situations -that,to me -are much more insidious to have in a town than a methadone treatment center.
I think You might be right.
Quote: ”And I don’t believe that the police are doing as much as they should be doing to both stop the flow of hard drugs into our community and arrest those responsible for the sale of those drugs.”
I think You might be right.
Last week,after seeing my friend visiting the”crack house”, I called the Brattleboro Police.
I intended to discuss the matter, without compromising my friend.
I was connected to the voice mail of “Lieutenant somebody” (How many Lts.can there be?)
To date, no one has called me back.
Ponder that.
I was Robbed
We’ve walked our dogs at Wantastiquet 2 or 3 days a week for 15 years. This past Wednesday we returned to our car window smashed and my bag stolen. I only carry my phone on a walk, so alot was taken – car keys, house keys, check book, cards, etc etc. This occurred sometime between 3:30 and 5pm.
A Hinsdale police officer came; said it was only the 2nd time this year they’ve been called there. He said to call if the thieves used my cards. I went straight home – my on-line banking showed the thieves had already gone to two drug stores at $125 each, then the gas station, then $211 at Price Chopper where the card was rejected – either the fraud company had managed to stop the cards or I ran out of money. I immediately called the Hinsdale cop who said he would check it out but without a time stamp on the on-line teller he could not look at the video at the drug stores. I went to the bank the next day. Price Chopper time was on there 5:58pm but the drug stores read midnight – and they are not open at midnight – somehow the fraud center had reset the clock.
My call to the Hinsdale cop, leaving a message saying I had new information after the bank visit, has still not been returned.
My call to Bratt police (since drug stores etc are in Bratt)had the same response — without an exact timestamp, they were not able/willing to go look at the drug store video, even tho we have an hour window. He did say the thieves might come to the house.
In the meantime, I am spending hours with insurance company, new license, new locks, everything from library card to post office box key, and $300 deductible on my policy while car insurance/home owners insurance decide which should cover it all. Not to mention the fear (as a woman who was stalked previously) of them stealing my identity and coming into my home.
So I feel that other than extending sympathy the cops are doing little to actually help. I don’t know if there is some law that says they can’t look at the drug store video without a time stamp – of so, its wrong.