William G. Faust Jr. is a resident of Dover.
How many unanswered cries is it going to take for Dover’s mayor and City Council to address the uptick in gun violence? What about the cries of homeless individuals and the cries of the citizens worried about prostitution and drug issues rampant across the city? They do not feel safe anymore, and they fear for the safety of their children when they play outside.
All the fancy speeches, prayers and the miracle of coming up with funds to put up security measures did not stop the last neighbor shooting in Dover, which resulted in the death of a young man, whose bright light was prematurely extinguished way too soon. This was a senseless death, which could have been avoided if the mayor and council took the plead of Councilman Brian Lewis the year before — for cameras to be installed in the area to monitor illegal dumping and other criminal activity.
Every passing week, it seems we have more violence in our once-quiet city. How many lives do we have to lose before some positive action is taken? How about putting boots on the ground? What about foot patrols in highly criminal areas or using mountain bikes or electric bikes to patrol neighborhoods with excessive criminal activity? How about using more motorcycle police to patrol the backstreets, alleyways and other areas where it’s difficult for a patrol car to get into quickly?
Officials stated during the budget approval meeting that they have nothing else to cut from the budget. Here’s a novel ideal: Transfer funds from the downtown improvement project into a fund to hire more police, to install cameras in problem areas and to begin other security measures to reduce the criminal activity that has a stranglehold on our once-quiet and once-safe city. What the mayor and council should concentrate on is improving the quality of life for residents. A garage and apartments in downtown Dover are not going to improve the quality of life if the mayor and council do not fix the security issues eroding the fabric of our streets.
As it stands now, nobody wants to be downtown when the sun goes down. You take your life into your own hands if you venture out after dark.
Let’s make Dover safe again, so older adults, children and visitors can enjoy life in our city.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
