Tue 11 Oct 2005
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Content copyrighted Will Raymond
The N&O had also:
Two of … [Panera's] employees were bound with duct tape and robbed at gunpoint in the restaurant late last month.
The statistics for downtown showed 300 occurrences of (Rape, Robbery, Aggravated assault, Burglary, Larceny, Motor vehicle theft) for the year. Perceptions aside those are facts.
The Panera incident is pretty bad. I believe late night patrols have been increased in the area. It might be a terrible aberration, like the McDonalds murder in ’94, or it might signal a new trend.
The crime rate downtown has fallen incrementally (0.3%) each year since 2000. Rapes appear to be up, but there’s also been a greater emphasis on reporting and a stepped-up program of outreach to victims.
Aveda, as you know, is a daytime operation. If you think about your experience downtown, what additional steps could be taken to reduce the Aveda folks fear?
Do we add four more police personnel downtown to show a greater presence? Will they be effective? The Chief thinks they’ll help but we need to find the monies for them.
Here’s what is also being done to help by the DEDC (from the N&O):
Will, I am glad to see that you are open to the idea that your experience downtown may be different from others. I think there is also a gender gap on this issue. Every single woman I have asked says that they are uncomfortable downtown, especially after dark. Many of us have been harrassed and followed down the sidewalk by someone (usually a man, but sometimes a woman) asking multiple times for money or our phone number or just making lewd comments. Only one of us has reported this to the police, because quite frankly, what can they really do?
Throwing the latest released statistics at me isn’t going to change my memory of my last night visit to downtown a couple of weeks ago, when a man asked me for money, I said no, and he followed me down the street calling me every nasty name a woman can be called. I consider that assault. and no, I didn’t report it.
Thank you for commenting Anita. Did you comment elsewhere about a similar incident? Is this the second time?
Downtown, to me, is as comfortable as my living room. Yes, I’m a big, burly guy and I’ve spent decades enjoyably wandering its streets but I think there’s more to it. My family – my wife, my son – has had a good relationship with what should be the jewel in our crown. And we’re not the only family in Town that feels this way.
You’re also right that statistics don’t capture the qualitative experience of Downtown.
I have observed crass, boorish, rude, harassing, borderline illegal behavior Downtown on occasion. I’ve even intervened to stop it.
I have also observed the best in human behaviors – kindness, courtesy, humanity, generosity, solidarity, community – on the same streets.
As noted in my update to this post, I’ve spoken with the folk at Aveda to better understand their difficulties.
Thanks Will. My daughter and I had a similar experience a while back. The one I mentioned to you occurred about two weeks ago.
I love downtown. I spent many years as a downtown merchant. I still go downtown, despite my experiences, but not as much and not as spontaneously. My concern is that people who don’t already have a relationship with downtown (like you and me–the oldtimers) may never develop one because of the perception that downtown isn’t safe.
Again, I appreciate your willingness to look at the issue through other’s eyes. Businesses don’t make snap decisions to move, and it’s important not to simply dismiss their comments.
Anita, I reject your downown “gender gap.” I walk around here all the time, even at night, and even one streets famous for unsavoryness. I have never felt any more personally theatened than I do any other time.
Of course as women, we are more likely to be victims of domestic violence, but I’m sick of the internalized fear that men have drilled into us. It keeps us from having equal access, and reinforces the negative stereotypes that are used to hold us back.
Please don’t let me hear you say “Every single woman I have asked says that they are uncomfortable downtown” again. It’s just not true. For EVERYONE’S benefit there should be more foot patrols downtown. I have been saying so for many years.