Why Won't Council Meet?

Our purpose on this blog, No Strings Attached, is to present a fact-based point of view on local government. We try to research and comment on timely, relevant issues of interest to Geneva. Our regular schedule for the weekend included posts on the Empire Zone program, the budget, and other topics, but we put those on hold in order to deal with the most pressing issue: youth gun violence.

We’ve been communicating with colleagues on Council, community leaders, and the public more generally, and we’ve come up against a dilemma: there is a widespread feeling that Council needs to meet and pull the community together but the mayor and the City Manager have refused to call a meeting. It’s time for the Mayor and Council to step up and lead the city through this crisis.

Some people have approached us with fears about sending their children outside. We need to address those fears.

Some people have approached us with fears about sending their children to school this fall. We need to address those fears.

Some people have approached us with fears about going downtown. We need to address those fears.

Some people have approached us with fears about their businesses being hurt by a negative image of Geneva on the news. We need to address those fears.

How do we address those fears? First, we need to face them, head on. We need to show the community that this violence—violence of any ilk--is not acceptable. That means that the Council as a whole, or the Mayor as our leader, needs to issue a statement condemning these actions. Such a statement is long over due, but it’s not too late.

Second, we need to bring together community leaders, concerned residents, business owners, and the youth themselves to come together to dialogue about solutions. The police have done their job, and done it well. On each occasion they have apprehended a suspect, and they should be applauded for that. But they are not social workers, babysitters, therapists, or mind readers. They respond to complaints, they cannot be on every street for every minute of every day. In short, their job is ‘law enforcement’, not ‘crime prevention’. Community-based prevention is our job. It’s up to the community to work together to stop crime before it starts. There is no quick fix for this problem, but there are things that could be done differently and/or better in the future as a means of prevention.

Third, we need to do the things that will yield results. If it’s a curfew, let’s pass it. If it’s strengthening the public nuisance law to respond to bars that admit underage youth, let’s get it done. If it’s sponsoring community events, let’s get them going. If it’s gun amnesty, let’s get moving. If it’s a new strategy for anonymous tips, let’s get it up and running. If it’s additional recreational opportunities for young adults, to provide alternatives to ‘hanging out’ on the street, let’s start organizing them.

We all know that problems need solutions. We will continue to push for good solutions to ensure that Geneva is a community that people feel safe in, that adults and children alike can take pride in.