I haven’t addressed this issue before today because the media has managed to give this enough publicity.  I have been looking at crime statistics in detail since the PPD has been kind enough to put this information out on the web on a timely basis. 

What started my interest was that the crime log published in the Northeast Times does not include rape or murder.  Well, we all hear about the murders.  “If it bleeds, it leads” is a real policy on our local news.  On the other hand if you happen to meet a rapist on the street one morning, it may very well go unreported in the media.  I really can’t tell you why that is. 

The PPD slices and dices the crime stats and has a system of classification that pretty well tells the story.  Rape is subdivided into several goups.  First it can be rape or attempted rape.  Then it can be domestic.  No I don’t know what that means.  Then it can be done by an acquaintance or a stranger.  They are all pretty bad but the rape by a stranger seems to be the mose henious.  That is the type or crime now being reported.  So far this year, there have been 25 rapes or attempts committed by strangers in the 15th District.

The serial rapist accounts for 8 of those.  It seems that to get any attention as a rapist, you have to go into high gear.  There was no outcry over the other 16 rapes so far this year.  Whoe committed them, were they caught, did they go to trial, where are they now?

There other thing that bothers me is, while we now can get some pretty good information on crime, we get squat on arrests and less on convictions.  We got a part of the picture of the problem but nothing on the solution end.

Crime is fairly simple.  It has always existed and always will.  The issue is where and what will be tolerated.  How will we arrest and deal with the criminals.  How long will we let this continue in Frankford before we have to take action.  What are our elected officials doing to address the issues.  They are very busy trying to make believe that it does not involve them at all. 

This is a map of the locations and some details of the events.

This is one of those houses that is so easy to just not notice.  You do not see many houses where the shutters look like they actually have been with the house since it was built.  Does anybody know where this house is?  Leave a comment with your guess.

• Rep. Payton Community Day Picnic
  When-Sat, Aug 16, 10am – 7pm

  Where-Gambrel Playground (Ditman and Wakeling streets) (map)

  Description-Residents of Frankford, Hunting Park, Feltonville, Olney and Oxford Circle are invited to join Rep. Payton and Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez for their first ever – Community Day Celebration. Meet with Rep. Payton and celebrate the spirit of community. Food and beverages will be provided. Entertainment will include disc jockeys spinning hip hop, R&B, salsa and reggae music. There will also be live musical performances. Representatives from local and state agencies will be available to provide information about a variety of social services. Please join us for a day of food, music, friends and fun!
• Sign-ups for Deni Playground’s 3V3 basketball league

  When-Tue, Aug 19, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

  Where-Deni Playground’s Clubhouse (map)

  Description-Sign-ups for Deni Playground’s 3V3 basketball league will be on Tuesday, July 22nd and Tuesday, August 19th, from 6:30 - 8pm at Deni Playground’s Clubhouse which is located next to the baseball diamond. Deni Playground is located at Church and Leiper Streets. The registration fee is $10. The league will run from Saturday, September 6th till Saturday, October 18th. All games will be played at Deni Playground on Saturday mornings. The 3V3 basketball league is for 9-14 year olds.

We have posted the most recent addtion to the crime map for 7/21 to 8/3/22008.  You can find it here.

I went by the construction site yesterday and took a few pictures.  The houses along Cayuga look like they are almost ready for occupancy.  The fence is coming down and sidewalks and driveways are being formed.  On Wingohocking, it is a little bit slower but moving along.  Along the new street that looks like it is an extension of O street running from Cayuga to Wingohocking, they are still framing some houses.