if you are going to an unsafe area at night, what do you fear?

[RiversideGator]

It might help if the police would get out of their cars and walk around in the urban areas.  You arent deterring too much crime by driving by an area at 40 mph in your patrol car.  Then you are left only with reacting to crime which has already happened.

Mass arrests of bums downtown would certainly help matters greatly also.  The fact that we have allowed our urban spaces to become the dumping grounds for the insane, the addicted and pretty criminals is a tragedy.  Bring back the old state mental hospital system (with reforms) and criminalize the behavior bums engage in and watch downtown bloom.  Having a Mayor with some sense would help this cause greatly also.

[RiversideGator]

BTW, if I see any suspicious activity around my house and block, I check it out.  I also am armed which is the most important part of any criminal deterrence plan IMO.  The key in neighborhoods is for people to be vigilant.  Also, if criminals are coming in your house, shoot them to defend your family.

[fatcat]

this is why it is very unsettling when i heard NAACP (please see the other thread) decided to politicize the criminals shot by police. I mean, we need more police work, not less. and yes, I make it a habit to carry my handgun anywhere i go. If I am threatened or shot at, i will shoot back.

[RiversideGator]

Agreed.  We need more aggressive policing, not less.

[Shwaz]

The only time I see Police in Riverside is during the dinner shift at Mossfire... theres litterally tens of them around then.

[CrysG]

Who is afraid of the police SHOOTING you...they are more likly to crash into you....I jest.....

[Springfield Girl]

I hope someone in the Peyton administration reads this thread. The residents of Jacksonville are tired of the crime in this city and the proliferation of vagrants on our streets and in our parks. Police officers need to get out of their cars and address the issues. The criminals and bums in this city have been empowered by knowing that there are no consequences for their behavior. Why even have cops if they are only going to show up after the fact and then claim that there's nothing they can do?

[Deuce]

Cooly has a good pt on looking like you belong where you are. When I lived it D.C. it seemed that people always stopped me out of crowds to ask for directions. Maybe I look approachable, but I also always carried myself as if I knew exactly where I was going even when I didn't.
I answered the poll but it definitely seemed to be biased in some way.
“And everytime I go downtown at night I'm accosted by aggressive panhandlers in poorly-lit corridors with very little police presence anywhere. You don't have cash, you get cursed at and threatened.”
In response to above, try my approach and curse and yell and them as soon as they ask for money. You should have seen how fast the guy ran away from me on Sat night when I was accosted leaving the landing, and he was apparently “lame”.
“The only time I see Police in Riverside is during the dinner shift at Mossfire... theres litterally tens of them around then.” â€" My theory is they get a huge discount. Maybe the owner’s dad was a cop or something.