Factors which embolden & discourage thieves

[AlohaSteven]

It's an interesting idea... I would have to take it up with the BoD and membership. There is potential in making things happen instead of just trying to talk to Police into being more active. A meeting with the new Chief of Police might be a way to start. Instead of asking them to do more - go into a meeting and say "this is what we are going to do".

It is proactive but there are limits to what FoPF can do at any one point in time. More membership, more money, means more projects.

It would be helpful if one or more of our members (you perhaps?) wanted to spearhead something like this.....

My experience is when people in large numbers speak with a unified voice then even historically neglected and ignored districts become noticed and heeded. Communities setting up Neighborhood Watch programs (if more than 50% of the households are represented at a neighborhood orientation meeting then the community is in business as a Neighborhood Watch area- this is all it takes) would be huge. More individuals joining Friends of Puna's Future, too. Both are constructive steps bringing Puna closer to having fair and equal services --from roads and sidewalks to fire and police coverage to adequate medical and post office capacity-- commensurate with the tax contribution and percentage of population Puna represents.

If some folks with actual background and experience in police work, security work, military intelligence operations, and so on were to join FoPF and head up a working committee tasked toward crime prevention then I would be glad to join and support such an effort (an image pops into my mind of Don Knots and The Apple Dumpling Gang).

Rob is correct that the local politicians and police will pay much more attention if we demonstrate we are moving forward whether with them or without them. Heck, at least half of what the average politician does is to figure out which way a crowd is already heading then run around in front of them, wave his or her hands dramatically in the air for the cameras, and bellow "Follow me!"

We do not so much need posturing politicians (though we do occasionally need their votes in council meetings) as we need experienced, competent, local folks with a genuine vested interest in seeing the community improve. My background, expertise (such as it is), and interests are more suited toward heading up a different effort or efforts aimed toward health and education improvement. Not having experience in the area I do not really feel qualified to head up an effort in crime prevention, though I'd be glad to join and work on such a committee.

We must have some folks in Puna with experience in such matters. How about it, is there a Cincinnatus or several out there tending his or her fields in Puna upon whom we may call to lead a FoPF committee aimed at crime prevention efforts, given the FoPF BoD and membership approve such an undertaking and the community then enthusiastically votes with checks and PayPal donations to fund such an effort? It would sure be more likely to wake up political interest, enroll support of the new chief of police, and break out of the same old, same old if a tangible effort toward local folks doing something proactive about crime prevention could be demonstrated.

Proactively doing something sure beats feeling powerless and helpless, like a victim.


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"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

Pres. John Adams, Scholar and Statesman


"There's a scientific reason to be concerned and there's a scientific reason to push for action. But there's no scientific reason to despair."

NASA climate analyst Gavin Schmidt

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Edited to correct a typo.