The Observation Deck

Late Night Lakewood is far from dead.

A special request was put in by new member, Mary Louise Madigan, to start conducting some polls and surveys about what the residents of Lakewood think about the idea.

Not only will we add on line poll, but we will be taking the topic to the streets of Lakewood along with other polling and surveys we are starting next weekend.

A new thread to cover this topic will be added as well.


Jim O'Bryan

Mr. Farris,



First, thanks for your kind words. As I mentioned in my first post, I was trying to offer a perspective that others may not be familiar with, that being the police point of view.



I need to point out that we are not dealing strcitly with "poor" families. It is not always section 8. Sometimes it is simply parents who don't/can't control thier children. The neighbor/victim in my scenario is your average two income family in Lakewood. Imagine a nurse/truck driver couple with combined income in the 80-90K range.



It's easier to look from afar and hope to solve the social ills and help the offending family but I would like you to imagine the offending family living next door to you. If it was wife or daughter coming home at 10pm and having sexual comments made to them as they pull in the driveway or listening to music containing lyrics that you wouldn't repeat in mixed company when you are trying to have a few friends over for a cookout, would you look to social services to start a parenting program and perhaps call in a counselor to begin talking with children who are clearly out of control.



By no means do I mean to downplay the importance and God knows, the need for those services, but you as a taxpayer/resident of Lakewood would rightfully expect to be able to use your backyard this summer.



I guess what I am trying to say is that I can't offer the perspective of a social worker/parenting specialist. What I am offering is the perspective of the police. Police work, by and large is problem solving. It's 2am and there is a bat flying around your living room. It entered your houses through a faulty chimney or whatever. The cop that comes to your house is going to try to solve the immediate problem of the bat and not be concerned with the chimney. In much the same way, you call the police because the kid next door exposed himself to your daughter and swore at her. The police want to do something about that and can't worry about how or why the kid is such a knucklehead. He will send a copy of the report to CCDHS (Cuyahoha County Depat. of Human Services) and head off to the next situation. Unfortuantely, in our county that is going to take weeks, if not months for the first contact to be made.



Absolutely the ideal would be to help the families get along but we have to look at this realistically. Mrs. Farris said it best when she pointed out that the parents should tell the kids to turn down the music. Your preaching to the choir there, but the reality is that too many don't.



Finally, regarding whether or not landlords would learn about this family. Clearly, the kid's record would not be available. There are many companies that do background checks for prospective tenants. Perhaps if a landlord has been burned in the past, he/she will feel it is worth the money to have someone check with past landlords/neighbors to see if the prospective tenant was a problem.



Mr. Farris,

I will respond to your question regarding my employee residence thoughts in the other thread. Unfortunately, it will have to be later.



Take care.



P.S.

People seem to keep getting caught up in the "whiny neighbor calling for no reason" scenario. Please remember that this is not an automatic third call situation. It would only be a tool available.