POLICE: Need some good news
Home burglaries have once again dotted anguish among the citizens of Coeur d’Alene over the summer months in addition to unsolved hit-and-runs, stabbings and reports of muggings. Murmurs among neighbors of the downtown area seem to blame more crime on the growing population. It is odd to fathom however, that we have much crime at all, given the amount of law enforcement that can be seen patrolling our streets on car, bike and on foot.
Of course being at the right place at the right time can be a difficult science to master, but perhaps at this stage, the boys in blue that are tasked with safeguarding our streets need to reduce their grid coverage and expand their training and detective network. Of all the crimes I see reported, I rarely see justice brought to the offenders. I think our city’s police force does a great job of keeping our roads generally safe and sober, but when it comes to the more serious infractions our inexperience dealing with real crime begins to surface, and those who would steal and harm their fellow man know it.
Two years ago Coeur d’Alene’s holiday season was ravaged by a slew of home break-ins and armed robberies. Response times failed and nothing was ever reported to the criminals. How did the Coeur d’Alene police react? They reacted with increased patrols. This lockdown put average citizens under scrutiny and reduced tolerance toward the citizens they had sworn to protect. Perhaps, this alone was enough to dissuade criminals to move down I-90 to a different small town, but at this stage, what preventative measures are being taken? What restitution has been offered to the victims? It would appear none at all. Now, the cycle appears to have re-emerged worse than ever and again with no justice.
If the Coeur d’Alene Police Department has made progress toward thwarting any serious crimes that prey on the citizens of a once peaceful city, now is the time for them to speak up and let us know. I cannot be the only one wondering about a complete halt in our police department’s progress regarding theft and assault prevention.
JOSHUA M. WEEKS
Coeur d’Alene