The violence in our neighborhood in East Cleveland is definitely escalating, as the community is neglected, summer lingers on, and temperatures rise.
This morning, East Cleveland Mayor Brewer spoke at a Neighborhood Stabalization Program Key Stakeholder meeting about how his administration has reduced crime, through doubling of the number of police officers in East Cleveland.
This afternoon, his police force failed to respond to yet another crime in my neighborhood - the fifth such serious crime I can remember within my eyesight in the last few weeks.
Since we are not protected by the police here, the citizens are stepping up and challenging some of the people challenging us, as indicated by the unfriendly meeting of block clubs in front of my house today, shown above.
Several neighbors have spoken up to the guardians of especially harmful youths, and brought their problem house to the attention of Cuyahoga County authorities, who have responded with stronger supervision, leading to a more attentive environment.
Still, this afternoon, a car stopped in front of that house and shouted to a teen girl on the porch that her brother was being beaten up on Wadena [1]. She ran one way to Wadena... her 14 year old brother came through a vacant back yard the other way... he'd been punched in the face by a 17 year old. His sister came back, followed by a dozen teenagers from Wadena, including the 17 year old bully. The Wadena gang came to taunt the 14 year old and his family.
The father came out of the house furious and chased the teens of, and headed over to Wadena to confront the parents - he was obviously unsuccessful, as when he returned the teenagers followed him back from Wadena and taunted him.
He said he called the police - they never arrived.
The 17 year old kept shouting "I'm only 17 - they can't arrest me".
The father and another neighbor called in some adult reinforcements and yards filled with men and teens... boys and girls... some carrying babies.
Nothing unusual for my street, until the 17 year old took on one of the neighborhood men. After a few failed blows they were rolling on the ground... at this point, the other adults started stepping back.
Now word was clearly out, as cars rolled in and out, yelling at the crowd. The Wadena teens told the Roxbury adults to mind their own business - the Roxbury adults said the Wadena gang can't keep coming over here messing around... that other people live on this street.
After an hour or so of such drama, things finally calmed down, and I went in the back yard to start the grill.
Life goes on.
No baseball bats [2], knives, or guns, so it could have been much worse.
Tomorrow is another day.
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WadenaGang650.JPG [3] | 193.88 KB |
Links:
[1] http://realneo.us/content/question-day-what-percentage-bat-boys-were-lead-poinsoned-babies
[2] http://realneo.us/content/east-cleveland-ward-2-reality-story-dont-think-insanity-will-stop-ghetto
[3] http://realneo.us/system/files/WadenaGang650.JPG