7:10: About to get started here.
7:25: Section 19 has been retabled.
7:26: New rules on snow removal under discussion—the city wants to fine homeowners who don’t clean abutting sidewalks. The proposed rules.
7:29: The heated neighborhood concerns over Flagg Street traffic/speed patterns has hit the council floor. This is an issue that has been gathering huge energy in the neighborhood; tonight, the council is asking the City Manager to take some concrete actions to fix the situation
7:41: Councilors Paul Clancy, Joe Petty, and Phil Palmieri want to add a “voluntary or mandatory” condition that would allow bars to use a magnetic wand to search for concealed weapons. We hate to be the ones to burst the bubble but….bars (including those that are the ones police target as problem spots) already use the handheld metal detectors. Palmieri is espousing on the idea, on how many different kinds of places use them, but…again…it’s basically just asking for a report on something that’s already done.
7:49: Councilor Clancy says “it’s a different scene” than a few years ago and thus a wand search should be examined more closely, particularly with “problem” establishments. If pat downs are standard at Fenway, why not at bars, the councilor asks. Motion to look into the issue further passes.
7:51: The new knife ordinance is on the table now. DA Joe Early speaking in favor of it. “I think it’s a good law…it’s a start.” Early talks about the danger of “4,5,6,7 inch blades,” although the law effects as short as 1.5 inches. Early also says that changes on a state level may be coming.
Councilor Gary Rosen is the first one to admit he’s “conflicted” about the ordinance. “I guess we’re talking the crazies here…will those same people not carry a knife and think twice about that because of a $300 fine? I don’t know.”
Early says it’s about “planting a seed” and “changing the midset.” It works in the other cities he says, although – under questioning from Rosen – admits that there are no statistics proving that it’s successful, only what he hears from other law enforcement officials in other cities, like Boston.
Early also continues to hit the point that there’s “no need,” as he says, to flash a 7 inch blade at 2am after leaving the bar.
“It’s no longer a crisis, it’s an epidemic,” Early says.
“Our focus is on…the [after-bar] crowd,” says Early, talking about discretion by the police and by the DA’s office. In other words, the law is just another tool for police to use on the streets when they suspect something more is going on.
8:02: Councilor Michael Germain asks if the recent spat of violence is “mostly” gang violence and if knives have replaced guns.
Early: “Yes and yes.” “We are getting to where you’re seeing fewer guns.”
“It is a gang problem. They do understand the problem is lighter with knives…but it also goes outside knives…It isn’t just gangs.”
Germain: “My only fear…is to be protective of…[casual knife owners.” (Those who use them for personal use only)
Clancy suggests zero tolerance to the entire community, like exists in schools.
Palmieri fears automatic arrests.
8:14: Again, Early says they’re looking at the people fighting after a bar, or going after a cop…not the grandfather giving a knife to his grandson. “The police are going to have a lot of discretion.”
(Smith points out that some establishments already use wands, and that those establishments have trouble already. Gee, where did we hear that before?)
8:18: A couple orders from Rosen dealing with underage/college drinking/binge drinking. It’s bad, m’k? Rosen wants to know what the colleges are doing to educate their students.
AND Rosen expresses absolute OUTRAGE over the movement to look at lowering the drinking age to 18.
Toomey brings up including the Worcester School Department and others–because(she’s the first to acknowledge this) there are people in the city who drink a lot who don’t go to universities.
8:32: Just about done here, except for orders under suspension. We’ll let you know if anything fun comes up…otherwise, we’re out for the night.
4 Comments
October 28, 2008 at 7:01 pm
The new format is much easier to read, even while reloading during the meeting. Thanks!
I hope the city does start fining people who don’t shovel their sidewalks. I hate walking in the street during the winter months.
October 28, 2008 at 9:19 pm
[...] times, and I’m sure there’s more to come. Scott Zoback has been keeping tabs on the City Council. Jeff at Wormtown Taxi put his two cents in. The Telegram told us all about the ordinance, and as [...]
October 28, 2008 at 9:24 pm
(for those of us who didn’t see it) What happened with the knife ordinance? Off to subcommittee? Legal or Public Safety?
October 29, 2008 at 5:51 am
Why do we continue to create laws that do nothing but hassle the law abiding citizens. If the problems are all related to the late night bars, close the bars! Crimals don’t obey the law! Making new laws do not help solve this problem.