For some time now FBI Crime Statistics have been waved around in our faces. They tell us Salisbury is the second most dangerous city in America. All we have heard is “Crime is out of Control!” “You do not want to go out after dark.” Yet through all of this, the only solution that seems to be out there is to replace the current Chief of Police – Allan Webster. Some how magically that will solve all our problems.
The truth is that crime is not just Salisbury’s problem it is Wicomico County’s problem. As the economical hub of Delmarva, Salisbury becomes a city of over 100,000 during the day with all the people who come here to work, shop, and do business. So many of the people who commit crimes are from the county, lower Delaware, and beyond. That would be an interesting statistic – how many of the crimes committed in the city are from people outside of the city?
The police react to crime they do not stop crime. Individuals make choices to commit crimes and the police arrest them when they discover who has committed the crime. At that point they are turned over to the court system and eventually released back into society where many fall back into the same cycle.
Without a comprehensive regional plan to fight crime – that should begin with education, rehabilitation, and streamlining law enforcement resources – the situation is not going to improve if we continue with a vacuum in our leadership.
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