Monday, June 18, 2007

Street sweeping

A sharply divided Milwaukee Common Council passed a new anti-gang loitering ordinance which essentially empowers the cops to order "known" gang members to disperse. Alders Michael Murphy and Ashanti Hamilton denounced the new law as "pandering" and "meaningless."

A recent article in the National Law Journal (I'd link but you need a subscription) discusses a related phenomenom, civil injunctions prohibiting gang members from congregating in specified zones (normally the gang's presumed "turf.") The injunctions (and ordinances like Milwaukee's) are not without legal problems (they can be, but are not always, constitutional), but law enforcement authorities do cite significant crime reductions as a result of the injunctions - at least within the protected zones. If nothing else, they reduce the feeling of law abiding residents that they are living in an occupied zone.

6 comments:

Jim Bouman said...

"Disburse"?

Disperse


Maxima cum sloppy thinking and writing.

Rick Esenberg said...

Maybe I can hire you as a proof reader.

Jim Bouman said...

You couldn't pay me enough to put lipstick on this oinker.

I can't stand to look at copy that the writer doesn't have the time or energy or self-respect to review and revise and polish.

Maxima, my foot.

Anonymous said...

jim

If you can't stand it, why do you bother to keep coming bick? Could it be that in your retirement you have nothing better to do than act like a jerk and demonstrate to us your highly involved command of the Engish language? Maybe you have a fragile eggo that is in need of building up (like the Geico cavemen. Did you know that they are considering making a movie about those guys? I would prefer to see one about the afflac duck. Is "afflac" one f or two?). Or perhaps it's just that you never have anything of substance to say so you just get nasty...kind of like having PMS. You are acting like the grumpy littld old nun who taught me English in grade schrool. I hate cliches but get a lite. I meant life but a Bud might work too.
I'm keeping my typos and incorrect verbage to keep you busy. But I must admit, it's not too bad for typing in the dork...oops. Sorry j.

Anonymous said...

The last anonymous poster got on at 4:32 A.M. Remind you of anyone in particular out on the Right margin of the Blogosphere?

Rick Esenberg said...

Let's be clear, Jim. I was well known in my old law firm as a poor proofer and I generally make sure that another set of eyes reads what I am putting into print media or filing in court. Not for style or substance, but because I know that I am not good at catching my own typos.

But I lack someone to do that on the blog. There's where you come in. No lipstick, just typos. Certainly no style or substance since, near as I can tell, you have no interest in offering either.