The need for local news
There is a definite need for local news in Lawrence. I don’t have the answer and I hope someone comes up with a suggestion.
We have seen elections come and go and the only thing the public learns about the candidates is from the flyers and publicity they pay for. We cannot expect the host of a radio program who is getting paid to interview someone seeking office deep, profound or educated questions and the telephone calls their guests receive is from the same level of knowledge as their host: very limited.
I have said it before, there is a concerted effort to keep this community ignorant and it doesn’t come only from city officials or the government. Some callers to radio programs attack guests and even the radio hosts insulting them in an effort to silence them for fear of criticism. We all want to be liked but the most antagonistic comments I received while doing my radio show were from audience members. Calling me dirty names for speaking the truth that they don’t want to hear is not the way to prove you are right.
We have to learn to listen because there is always something that can be learned from every speaker. If we disagree and want to be part of the conversation, there are ways by which the audience can be enriched instead of turned off.
I believe that to be the main reason for programmers not tackling local news and as long as we continue with this norm, we will continue to elect the wrong people and then complain about their decisions.
Hint, hint! Elections are coming!
Police crime data
Finally last week, Lawrence Police has updates the Daily Log and the December Crime Data containing total numbers for the entire year.
I follow the Daily Log to compare crimes committed of which I have some knowledge with the way they have been reported – or not at all. For example, according to Spotcrime.com:
10/29/17 – 2:53 AM, SHOOTING on Block of Kendall St., Lawrence.
Shooting/Stabbing. PD o/s of a person shot on the 2nd floor. K9 tracking suspect into Methuen.
The report for that day reads as follows. (Notice how it jumps from 1:27 AM to 5:38 AM and nothing else happened in the city between those times:
What gets published is very selective.
Then, after one and a half month, the Crime Stats for the month of December were posted. That is where they compare the year’s totals with the previous one. I wanted to check those numbers with the facts offered by Mayor Dan Rivera during his State of the City Address.
He said there has been a 24% Reduction in Robbery, 30% Reduction in Residential Burglaries and a 30% Reduction in MV Theft. Notice that he selected the three items showing reductions. He didn’t say that the Murders went up from 5 to 11; Rape from 26 to 32; Aggravated Assault from 361 to 393; Commercial Burglary from 58 to 72; and Larceny over $250 went from 302 to 414. The total reduction citywide was 6.8%.
Remember that when the Lawrence police responds to 65,912 Calls for Service during the year, it cannot be because people feel safe.
