Friday night dinner
posted: August 17, 2008 | category: community, faith, homelessness
tags: downtown, Food Not Bombs, free meals, Greensboro, homeless needs, hunger, police
Tim, Lowell and I spent Friday afternoon in the kitchen of the Salvation Army church cooking and preparing the evening meal. Tim and Lowell cook regularly for Food Not Bombs, and they are pros in the kitchen.
We cooked/prepared/baked: baked beans, baked yams, barbecued pork chops, chicken and pasta, pasta and vegetables, mixed green salad, cakes […]
Much drama: How sidewalk seating affects public safety downtown
posted: August 8, 2008 | category: community
tags: downtown, Greensboro, news, police, policy
“Much” drama surrounds GPD’s enforcement of the City’s sidewalk cafe ordinance (Sec. 26-244.) Read the back story at the YES! Weekly blog here.
From a comment thread on at Ed’s:
“I’m still trying to understand the connection between cafe seating for paying customers, and latenight loitering.” — Ed Cone
and
“Only a bureaucrat at a nonprofit who gets […]
GPD on Segways: Losing cool points
posted: July 23, 2008 | category: community
tags: news, police
When I found out from friends at GPD that developer Roy Caroll was donating two Segways to the CCRT (downtown bike cops), I had to laugh. And I promised to make fun of them when they got their Segways. Actually, I didn’t wait. I went ahead and teased them about it right then. […]
Read More..>>July 10th news update: homelessness, day center, cops and more
posted: July 10, 2008 | category: homelessness
tags: day center, downtown, Greensboro, homeless news, housing first, police
Random thoughts and updates for this week:
1.) I’m very thankful for the “housing first” initiative that is moving chronically homeless people from the street to permanent housing, but… I’m growing increasingly frustrated with the all-too-frequent staff and program changes among community support providers, as well as the limitations of available mental health services. […]
Police response times: Is it really a failure if success isn’t an option?
posted: June 28, 2008 | category: community
tags: crime, news, police
Today’s News & Record above-the-fold headline reads: “Greensboro police fail to meet response goals.” But can you really “fail” to do something if success isn’t an option? GPD is being asked to serve an ever-growing population and an ever-expanding land area without a proportionate increase in officers.
There seems to be a general consensus […]
Bike cops’ efforts with the homeless to be recognized during National Police Week
posted: May 8, 2008 | category: homelessness
tags: events, Greensboro, homeless news, news, police
May 15th is Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and May 10-17 is National Police Week. A number of community events during the week will honor the lives and memories of the 10 members of the Greensboro Police Department who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, as well as recognize the achievements of the […]
Read More..>>Protesting the war and feeding the homeless
posted: March 20, 2008 | category: Uncategorized
tags: downtown, events, Greensboro, homeless news, photos, police, politics
This afternoon, a group from World Can’t Wait came down to the block (Lee and Eugene) to protest the war. Later, the folks from Food Not Bombs served their regular Thursday evening meal for the homeless (usually served at St. Mary’s) under a tree in front of Greensboro Urban Ministry, just down the road. […]
Read More..>>Mentally Ill Homeless Man Kills Pregnant New Orleans Cop
posted: February 2, 2008 | category: mental health
tags: homeless news, police
On Monday, January 28, 2008, police officer Nicola Cotton was patrolling New Orleans’ 6th district when she stopped a man who matched the description of a rape suspect. When she tried to handcuff him, the man, who was twice her size, attacked her, beating her with her own baton and then grabbing her service […]
Read More..>>Parent brawl at school proves cop’s point
posted: December 20, 2007 | category: community
tags: crime, police
A few days ago, I posted quotes from a conversation with a cop friend, discussing the problem of juvenile crime and his contention that the ultimate responsibility lies with parents who fail to instill discipline, morality and a sense of responsibility in their children. His point was well illustrated on Tuesday evening at Oak […]
Read More..>>A Greensboro cop on crime and common sense
posted: December 17, 2007 | category: Uncategorized
tags: crime, Greensboro, police
I talked to a cop friend about the Dec. 11th emergency City Council meeting, which focused on violent crime in Greensboro, and about the media and blog response that has followed.
First, I asked him about the major drop in the number of homicides in 2004, and whether or not that was connected to […]
