Thursday afternoon, Columbus city and police department officials held a press conference at the municipal complex to address the crime situation in the city, most notably a surge in homicides this year.
There have been eight murders in Columbus this year, four of which remain unsolved. In some cases, it is known there were witnesses on the scene, yet convincing witnesses to step forward and share what they know has been difficult.
Columbus Mayor Robert Smith, Police Chief Oscar Lewis, and Chief Investigator Brett Swan appealed to the community to take an active role in helping police combat crime.
The sense of frustration among the three was almost palpable. The questions have been asked before and there were no new answers.
No new strategy, program or policy emerged Thursday, which may actually be good news in that these measures are often little more than a distraction.
We should recognize by now there is no magic wand to wave nor miracle cure for the crime that especially victimizes poor neighborhoods.
The answer is what it has always been: If these neighborhoods are going to be made safer, it will take cooperation between law enforcement and residents.
Clearly, that relationship is not as strong as it needs to be and too often, it seems, each group focuses more on the failure of the other group than its own shortcomings.
If that relationship is going to be effective in fighting crime, police must win the trust of the people with each shift of each day, week, month and year. That’s how all meaningful relationships are built, after all.
It also means deploying limited police resources wisely and effectively. It means hard work, persistence, consistency.
The community, meanwhile, has a decision to make.
Every resident has a real say in what sort of neighborhood he or she will live in, what its standards are, what will or will not be tolerated. If those neighborhoods are going to be safe, it will require regular citizens stepping up, speaking out and playing an active role in fighting crime by cooperating with police.
That means recognizes who the real enemies are – those who commit these crimes. It takes courage, of course, and we understand that often citizens do not step forward with information for fear of reprisal. That’s a legitimate concern.
Yet each time a citizen fails to assist police, it serves to make the community a more dangerous place. Silence is the ally of the criminal not the victim. We all need to understand this.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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