from CA.com:
Politics kept mayor from crime meeting
Herenton explains decision not to attend City Hall session
By Jacinthia Jones
May 17, 2007
Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton on Wednesday sought to rally citizens against crime and respond to criticism for not attending a City Hall meeting where 150 citizens, mostly women, came to say they're fed up with crime and want something done about it.
What triggered their outrage was the rape and beating last week of a woman who was set upon by two men as she and her son returned to their Goodwyn Street home.
Herenton said he sympathizes with the victim just as he does every time someone in his "family" is hurt. "When you're the mayor of a city, you embrace your city as being your family. If any segment of your family is wounded or affected by crime, it hurts," he said.
"It is clear to me that crime has no respect for neighborhood, class or race," Herenton said. "It rears its ugly head wherever an opportunity presents itself.
"It's not just that community that's concerned about safety, it's every community. It didn't take a rape, it takes just where they live."
Speaking to reporters, Herenton said he and Police Director Larry Godwin discussed beforehand how to handle the City Council committee-turned-community meeting, and Herenton opted not to attend.
"Had I gone in there, I knew that at least one of the council persons would have used that as an opportunity to politicize a dreadful event," he said. "And for some self-serving politician to use that occasion to politicize crime, certainly I would have walked into that."
Herenton said he doesn't go to every funeral or fire or prayer vigil.
"It doesn't mean I don't care. I care. I care very deeply," he said, adding that instead he works behind the scenes talking to his directors and getting resources in place to fight crime.
But Councilman E.C. Jones, who was among those who criticized the mayor, said the mayor has a duty to address his constituents.
"It's already politicized," said Jones. "These people came to City Hall asking, 'Where is the mayor?' They didn't ask for the City Council. He could've just came by there, and said, 'Ladies, it was a terrible crime and we're doing everything we can, but I just wanted to come by and tell y'all that.' How long would that have taken?"
Councilwoman Carol Chumney, who is running for mayor, accused the mayor of neglecting his responsibility.
"This mayor has always been hands off, and that's part of the problem," she said. "He's always said, 'That's not my job.' Well, what is his job?"
Herenton said he has a responsibility as mayor to provide officers, resources and the best technology to fight crime.
Last year, he asked for 500 new cops that he said could be paid for with a property tax increase, but got little support from the council.
In the upcoming 2008 budget, Herenton has proposed spending $4 million to hire more than 100 new officers next year. He wants to spend about $700,000 more to implement a high-tech "real time" crime center.
He acknowledged again the city's difficulties with recruiting officers, especially African-American men. Because so many young black males have criminal records or drug problems, Herenton said, the academy is seeing more black women.
Meanwhile, Herenton said the community needs to help cops by being vigilant through Neighborhood Watch programs and encouraging lawmakers to pass legislation that imposes tougher sentencing laws on criminals.
-- Jacinthia Jones: 529-2780
|