All involved: Deterring crime isn't solely law enforcement's responsibility

A sheriff's office captain was almost run over Wednesday deploying stop sticks in an attempt to puncture the tires of a suspect's vehicle as the driver was fleeing from police.

The suspect had allegedly snatched a purse from a woman the previous night, driving off as she clung to his car throwing her to the ground.

The man was eventually caught and has been charged.

On Tuesday afternoon, a fight inside an Internet cafe in Mar Mac nearly turned deadly when the two groups involved allegedly started shooting at each other, despite the fact there were innocent people between them and patrons were still inside the business.

It was 4:30 in the afternoon.

So, when we report on these instances and we receive comments in return that suggest the police aren't doing enough or that the officials in the city and county governments aren't fulfilling their sworn or appointed duties, we kind of have to take a step back.

What are we asking them to do?

Sure, there are funding issues to examine, policies to consider, manpower issues and courthouse backlogs to take into account.

All are worthy of our attention and criticism, but what about the people committing the crimes?

How do the men and women in law enforcement police people's impulses to shoot at someone or to drive a car at 70 to 100 mph and aim it directly at a deputy?

Drugs, gangs, liquor, poverty issues, education shortfalls, fractured homes, high incarceration rates, low bonds, insufficient sentences, lack of jobs or job-placement programs for convicted felons, food deserts, the high costs of health insurance, taxes, housing -- are the police chief or sheriff supposed to shoulder all of these burdens alone?

We in the field of journalism are supposed to explore and report on these issues, and if we haven't been doing a good enough job we need to and will do better.

But neighbors need to be involved in their communities, parents in schools, voters in local politics, elected officials in their districts and police, lawyers and judges in their communities for any of this to come to some semblance of a solution.

That is the long version of a complex answer to a very complicated question -- "How do we put a stop to all this crime?"

The short answer is, not on Facebook.

Published in Editorials on December 6, 2017 9:10 PM