Lori DeFillippi, a parks commissioner, had this to say this afternoon:
We can blame the parents, blame a permissive society, blame the lack of recreation available, nevertheless, there is really but one solution — devise a punishment that fits the crime and publish the result for all to see. Mere slaps on the wrist, or assignments to non-punitive or mundane community service tasks serve only to encourage repetition by the perpetrator(s).
The blame for juvenile offenses can be placed with lack of parental supervision and the accompanying indifference to authority & responsibility. Admittedly, this is not always the case as some adolescents defy logic and, despite their parents doing all the right things, some stray from the straight and narrow. When push comes to shove, though, blaming bad parenting will not solve the problem; a parent or parents who have permitted a child to reach his/her teens without respect for authority or private property are hardly candidates to
reason with.
Our city leaders need to design a system of punishment for youthful offenders, whether their crimes be vandalism or graffiti, that are not only swift, but also appropriately severe as to inhibit a repeat performance. More importantly, the ensuing price paid by offenders must be sufficiently distasteful & publicized in such a manner that imitators will find it embarrassingly “uncool” to copy such utter foolishness.
No longer can our city “coddle” offenders in the effort to be their friend, to respect their “self esteem,” to appeal to their better nature or to appease complaining parents. Let the offenders walk around downtown with a sign hung around their neck listing their offenses!
While I do not presume to hold all the answers, it should be obvious that there exists a growing disrespect for authority, for private property and for taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions as well as those of one’s children. There was a time when punishment issues were solved largely within the family or by the community. Today, it's “let the police and the courts handle it” We must do better as a community and adopt a zero-tolerance,-get tough policy within this city.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
35 comments:
Are the angry rants from this over-zealous woman worthy of a press release?
Lori,
We all know you are well intentioned, and we are just as upset as you, maybe more so.
But, we still are a nation of Laws, and we still have a court sysyem.
I would hope that you are not advocating taking the law into "your" own hands.
You, as I, and others fought for our rights and the rights of others. Justice under the law is still in place as I understand.
Yes, our judges may be too liberal, but our elected officials put them there. That is where the change has to start.
Are jealous rants from you - worthy of such venom & hate!
Barb
Jealous of what? She's obviously in pain. It's just that her punitive suggestions are not only ridiculous, they're unconstitutional. The city can't write laws like she suggests.
I respect the lady for what she does and has done. I just think some of the things she says that end up in the Press are bizare.
This is certainly a disgraceful act of vandalism. But I hope our leaders can keep this in prospective. What about the rock through the former mayor's front window? Isn't that just as if not more serious? What about shootings, robberies, murders? Just keep it in prospective is all I say.
That's the problem - everyone is afraid to get tough on these losers who commit these crimes. Time for tough crime so the motto of Crime does not pay - rings true.
I appreciate her comments, she speaks her mind and makes more sense then you are right now.
Lorry,
Why do you not put your efforts toward fighting the recent decision by the Supreme Court( I won't say liberal) when they gave our constitutional rights to non-citizens who may have attacked us or maybe planning to do so, may have killed OUR citizens and especially those defending us.
Thais where you should begin.
Or do you agree with their decision?
3:09 Poster
Ditto!
Lex Talonis lives !!!
In Bristol, anyway
June 16, 2008 3:13 PM:
I agree with YOU!
Bring back the stocks! Trot out that Scarlet Letter! Better yet, lets follow the lead of our dear Saudi Arabian friends and have public beheadings. That'll learn 'em.
It never ceases to amaze me that the people who get worked up about what is done to animals or inanimate objects like statues think the solution is to be inhumane to PEOPLE!
June 16, 2008 7:44 PM:
I have to say I agree with you. There's a bullet hole in the side of my old house where some PR punks sprayed some .25 calibers at some white punks who started some crap with them the previous day. Well it's good thing there wasn't someone killed like the inocent girlfiend or the gfarndmother, the mother, my tenant (the bullet hole was found on her floor, or someone else. But that wasn't even in the papers.
How about that lady that was bludgeoned to death by her boyfriend? She knocked on someones door and the homeowner tried to stop the killer by shooting him with a .22, but it didn't save the woman.
Again what about the Petits? I said one reason for that terrible murder was rthat this state was too damn liberal. Now I'm hearing the same thing, but it's because of a f___ing statue? F___ me!
"everyone is afraid to get tough on these losers who commit these crimes"
June 16, 2008 3:09 PM:
I don't think that's true at all. This is a serious act of vandalism. Perhaps it starts with the fact that these kids (I'll assume) can get away with anything in school and not get expelled? These punks bully their teachers. My aunt is a school teacher in Albany NY, so I know this for a fact. These kids are coddled in the school system.
Isn't it nice that they did this to a statue and not a live person though?
If they did it to a real person instead of a veteran's statue, we wouldn't be hearing so much about it.
I think the confusion stems from the fact that Lori thought it was a statue of Arty Ward that got dismantled, thus her outrage.
As for the courts being too liberal, I don't see how that is possible since the U.S. has more people in jail than any other industrialized country and CT jails are bursting at the seams. If we concentrated on incarcerating violent offenders rather than the drug addicts who are clogging our prisons then tragedies like the Petit slaying will be less likely to happen (But its impossible to absolutely guarantee that you'll prevent them).
Rick Green of the Hartford Courant has a piece on the front page today about the lack of resources devoted to transitioning offenders back into society. Released prisoners are basically given a ride to the nearest homeless shelter and then dumped. The "lock 'em up" crowd wants everyone in jail but they don't want to admit that people eventually get out. If all they've learned in jail is how to be a better criminal then we won't solve the crime problem by building more prisons. Add to that the fact that a huge number of inmates have serious mental health issues that are not addressed in prison. But heck yeah, lock 'em up cause that will make us feel better. Its the only solution certain political demagogues can think of. Oh yeah, and medical marijuana would lead to mass murder. (Yes, I'm talking about you Frank!)
People, get a grip. No one is comparing the desecration of a memorial to drive-bys, rape or murder...they are merely commenting on the topic of this blog. The vandalism of the statue is disheartening to say the least. There's absolutely nothing wrong with people expressing a little outrage!
Isn't it something that someone who does so much for this community, gets attacked for casting her opinion?
I guess when you have no life other then the KY jelly and your computer this is what happens.
Peter L.
Peter L.:
Keep you disgusting comments to yourself you degenerate.
Lori is a legend in her own mind and more people than not patronize her just so they stay off her bad list. A list of real friends and admirers would be about as short as now the now maligned Hikers left leg.
And further if this is representative of Mayor ward's brain trust, then we are all in trouble.
Poster 2:44 - you sound so much like the jealous monster Ellen. The problem is she is well like and you cannot stand that. Try and have a nice day.
June 16 10:14 You have a fowl mouth and temper tsk tsk now we know why you don't want anyone to know who you are. And frankly with a mouth like that I don't think anyone wants too. June 16 1:42 sounds like he was talking about YOU !!!!
And to you June 17 2:04 No wonder nothing will ever get done with people like you. And we are all in trouble if we were all like you. Thank god we're not.
"And further if this is representative of Mayor ward's brain trust, then we are all in trouble"
Huh?
~ Guess maybe you should be worrying a bit more about your own brain 2:44. Your juvenile attack on Ms. DeFillippi's character is pretty pathetic. You sound like an angry, bitter, JEALOUS little person.
June 17, 2008 3:02 PM;
Thanks for the info. More reason to support the former council-person if she chooses to run again.
I've been on the fence, but you just gave me more of a reason to get off.
Well Lori, your true colors are showing in your attempt to smear Councilwoman Zoppo, its a cheap attempt on your part - I know she doesn't visit the blog and this is nothing more than a desparate attempt on your part to take the focus off your rants. People may not like her but you seem to have a real issue when people don't like you.
Amazing that everyone posting on here really thinks people care what you have to say. I know for a fact Lori does not read this site or care what others say about her. As she said to me; "...to read anonymous posters who don't contribute postivie solutions isn't not my idea of productive reading material."
Laura
Lori's rants are not productive reading material either.
Lorry is another Ward, another Cockayne. Just a headline seeker.
Her "solution" is improper and not realistic.
But it did make headlines.
What is next, parade them through the streets?
Lorry, where do you stand on the recent Supreme Court decision?
You can't even spell her name correctly!
Lorri is a foil for Ward and Nelligan.
Poster at 4:16pm better check your references - she showed Ward the door. From what I heard Ward and she had a huge quarrel.
JC
Just for show!!!
Its not for show - its for real.
Geez, can't Artie keep any friends?
Didn't Ms. Defilippi ever hear of the Bill of Rights? Its been around over 200 years!
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