IS IT TIME TO BE CONCERNED
When do we begin to be concerned with the number of shootings in Stuart?
Shootings in East Stuart are not new, but until recently we have been very lucky that the perpetrators are not very good shots. In the last Friends & Neighbors, I wrote about the two shooting deaths in East Stuart…one a teenager several weeks ago and another of a long-time resident sitting in her living room watching tv on Thanksgiving evening.
Then this past weekend (December 3rd to 5th), there were several shootings including two more deaths. A Fort Pierce man entered an apartment at The Crossings on Indian Street and shot another in the leg. The shooter is a felon and has been in trouble since he was a youth.
An apparent homeowner’s association disagreement led to a neighbor shooting and killing a couple at Cedar Pointe Condominiums. Cedar Pointe is an over 55 community that has buildings both in the county and the city. This happened to have taken place in the city portion. Even though it is in the city, Stuart PD agreed to have the Sheriff handle the matter.
Lastly, a 14-year-old in Windemere shot and wounded a friend. The kid found the key to his dad’s locked cabinet where the firearm was kept. Whether he was showing off the gun or there was some sort of fight is not clear at this point. Nevertheless, the victim could easily have died.
So, I go back to my original question…should we be concerned with the number of shootings?
I think we should be concerned. If someone carries a gun for whatever reason, the person may be more likely to use it there is a heated argument or there is a dispute with another person. People have the belief that they are better protected. But knowing when to use deadly force is another matter. Individuals in law enforcement spend countless hours having instruction and incident simulations to know the answer to that question.
This is not a 2nd Amendment argument. Individuals absolutely have a right to lawfully carry a weapon. With rights come responsibilities. And one of those responsibilities is not to lose control over your emotions or try to settle disputes using deadly force.
Drug dealing plays a prominent role in some of these incidents. We can’t overlook that when addressing the problem. Would there be turf wars between gangs without the sale of drugs? To some extent there would, but nothing like the gun violence that is seen when there is money to be made or lost.
Yet there are policing strategies that work to help curb gun violence. Any police action can’t protect us from ourselves. Individuals are responsible.
The police need to do a better job of being part of the community. This happened for a little while when we had more community policing. It is time to go back to a full-on effort in East Stuart and other areas of the city. Not just occasional barbeques but assigned officers who do more than ride in patrol cars.
Vulnerable populations and neighborhoods need to know that cops are there to help. Officers should be riding on segways and bikes downtown and in East Stuart. Officers should attend a scout meeting, school assemblies, the YMCA, fraternal organizations, homeowner’s association meetings and anywhere people gather. Not as guards but as members of our community.
Even when these crimes are solved (and they will be solved), the police have done their police work. There is more to policing than just the solving of crimes. It is a wholistic approach to making communities safe. That is what will always be needed, and Stuart’s geographical size, size of police force, and city personality makes community policing ideal.
Do we wait until we have more shootings, or do we do something now?
