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What is this?
Do connections give people police favors?
Published Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Since moving into our residence here, two years ago at the end of this month, we have been overrun by “our gang,” of the same young “men” across our lawn, flower and vegetable gardens, as they play a “game” of their lofty imaginations of “base-ket-ball.” This is played like baseball, but with soccer balls or volleyballs bludgeoned by an aluminum bat. A few of these guys are nearly 7 feet tall. They all insist on playing in the street alongside our home, rocketing a ball over 100 feet, at times into my flowers and vegetables. It is only a matter of time until either my wife or I am blinded by shattering glass as a ball “accidentally” rockets through a window.
The fellows I am a bit familiar with are likeable guys. But they, and the remainder of “our gang,” have apparently suffered freezing of some capillaries in their brains by living here in the land of 10 good months of ice-skating and two months of slush? They, and their parents, are exercising vastly too few of their brain cells in this matter. I remain disappointed these young “men” have failed at least in some cases to finish raising their parents.
I have summoned the police several times. They seem paralyzed. “There is no ordinance prohibiting people from playing in the streets.” Why not? Since contacting the police, my vegetable garden has been vandalized many times. Now, these young “men” and their parents, I am confident, know that I had a heart attack and subsequent quadruple bypass surgery early last year, and celebrated my birthday last September with a stroke. I have suggested they either walk (eeeek!) a whole block away to a huge park to play, or even drive their cars all that way. But (eeek!) it’s a “tradition” to play in the street by our home. Well, we’re new kids who have come to regret moving into this hood, and indeed this city at all. I suggest to “the traditionalists”: If any of them can have the prohibitions by national law lifted on dueling with firearms in the streets, any or all can give me a jingle here in Nova Norway, and we’ll meet in the street loaded and rock and roll. I faced people with loaded firearms during the civil rights movement when I was about their age. I held my ground. I still will, if they challenge me. Perhaps they would prefer extending us a modicum of civility and human courtesy?
The father of one of the young men involved serves as an officer on our police force. The stepfather of one young man has an uncle who retired about five years ago from the police force. Additionally, his mother, as I have also recently learned, has a brother on the city council. We need assurances we are protected, with at least ordinances forbidding this sort of activity. Maybe something like, “malicious mischief,” “endangerment to people and property,” “creating hazardous conditions to private property, residents, and vehicular traffic.”
Rick Mammel
Albert Lea
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Comments
Posted by scurvydog (anonymous) on August 4, 2009 at 9:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I once (some time around 1994) reported an underage party where about 100 youth were in attendance. There were kids urinating between our garage and the neighbors' garage, and throwing up in the alley. When the police arrived (this was around 1 a.m. or so) I met them at the end of the driveway, and they warned me to go back into my house. I told them I was just outside having a cigarette and was old enough to not be under the curfew. They then warned me to get into the house, went and talked to some of the kids - and left. It turned out the mother of the kids who lived there worked in the dispatcher's office, but was out of town that weekend. Nothing happened to the kids, but I was warned to get into my house when I was doing nothing illegal.
Posted by observer (anonymous) on August 4, 2009 at 9:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seriously, would you expect any less from this way overstaffed department that in no way shape or form detering real crime in this town? It is quite obvious they are spending all there time looking after the "Good old boys" group.
Posted by truthshallprevail (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember growing up playing wiffle ball in the street and hitting the ball into people's porches, on their roofs (homerun) and in their flowers. The difference was that if one of the homeowners didn't want us to do it, we would move our game. We were respectful of people's property and their feelings. No, we weren't happy about it, but we did what was right. Now, this is one side of the situation in this neighborhood, but if it is causing this family this much trauma, the boys need to find somewhere else to play ball. It's the right thing to do. Unfortunately today, kids and often time parents, don't care what their neighbors think. And parents will even encourage their kids to continue "harassing" the neighbors by continuing their play.
As far as coming down on the police... why? Yes, there is discretion used in all the situations. And yes, it's sometimes unfair. Life isn't fair... never has been, never will be. We need to support and respect our police and not cut them down... it doesn't help any situation.
Posted by nesaajr (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like you've been very patient.
If the balls land in your yard and the kids have been asked to stop, then next time the balls become your property.
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Individuals very much do get special treatment for having connections to cops and it is ridiculous.
Posted by slapstickRick (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The title of the article as I submitted it was, "The Blues In the Blue Zone: An Appeal". It was not written to criticize the police (who have been very nice), but to appeal to city government to create ordinances that will forbid intrusions on private property by mobs of people. Changing the title distorts my purpose....which was an APPEAL for help. Why shackle the police, who should perhaps be shackling the offenders?
Posted by scurvydog (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
slapstickRick, I can tell you why the "title" was changed - the Tribune staff writes the headlines. Very rarely does a letter to the editor run with whatever (if any) title its author may have submitted. I am not sure exactly why this is done if headline space is not an issue.
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They can play in the street so it is going to be tough to do anything about it.
Posted by NoDFL (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just goes to show that it is not what you know but who you know. This is not the only person it has happen to. People speed but because they are friends with the cops they get away with it. You drink beer with a city offical you don't have to cut your grass. You take a stand against the powerful city you can bet they will come after you too.
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The thing that gets is me when you see a group of cops out a bar having a few drinks. They still drive with no worries even when it is clear that they should not be. If they get caught they get a ride home, if Joe Blow does he goes to jail. Obviously I am not advocating drunk driving, just making a point.
Posted by Truth (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
leftys2221,
I think that is the first thing I have agreeed with you on. Cops/City officals/ State officals/ federal officals think the law does not apply to them. HA HA we speed, we drink, we don't pay our taxes and you the ruled just have to live with it. We all need a wake up call.....
Posted by Truth (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We do not need an ordinance. We need common sense. Big brother (the government) can not and should not make laws for laws sake.
Posted by Me2 (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 6:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Foil hat wearers unite!
Posted by swdave (anonymous) on August 5, 2009 at 10:10 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by aletheia (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 3 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Observer, wow you have no idea what you are talking about do you.
Posted by SLICK (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 3:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess i grew up playing football, baseball, soccer, etc in the street and our neighbors never really cared. Obviously, if one of the neigbors cared about it we would have moved. I think i would be disappointed in the city government if they put an ordinance in place banning people from activities in the street. imagine a dad and his kid are out in the road playing catch with a baseball (same risk of hitting a house or window). Police are called/drive by and write tickets to them for doing this. WOW! i think this is a can of worms that shouldn't be opened nor even talked about. QUESTION: Who hasn't played some activity in the street when they were a kid. NEXT QUESTION: Did you deserve a ticket for doing so?
Posted by aletheia (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 3:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How some of you people have gotten this far in life is amazing. THE GOVT. CAN NOT NOR SHOULD THEY EVER TELL KIDS OR ANYONE ELSE THAT THEY CAN NOT PLAY IN THE STREET(however with the current admin. it may become this way). Kids play in the street. I did, you did, my kids will, and so will yours. We are supposed to watch out for them. It would be grossly unconstitutional to tell children "no playing ball in the street". FREEDOM, we have had it so long we are all too willing to let it go because we don't even know what it means. If you don't want kids in your yard or street move to the country.
For those of you missing the picture and saying the police abuse their power, and show favoritism, I am guessing you get into trouble. If you did not figure it out in grade school as I did that the people that blame others for their problems and blame authority for keeping them down are usually the ones that break the laws and cause problems, then you probably never will.
Also I know some of the people in this neighborhood, and you should ask the writer of this article who helped him during his medical problems? Who helped him move in? Sure bet it was the same people he is complaining about now. And FYI the game was moved all because some bushes or flowers got hit by a ball.
Blinded by flying glass, LOL. You could be hit by a car tomorrow, should we stop people from driving. Oh man! planes fly over towns! WHAT?!
Posted by kona (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Though Mr. Mammel might be concerned about a ball landing in his vegetable garden, his means of communicating it is overtly extreme. It makes it nearly impossible to take him seriously.
It almost seems as if something else is eating at him. If no harm has been done and it is just a fear at this point that his windows are going to break, then it might just be time to take a chill pill and let the giant 7 foot kids play.
Posted by toby (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is this the same guy who has retired and now has the time to write grants, to pay for him to do his marginal art work? If he regrets moving to this city, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
In his defense I have noticed an element lately in driving in town that there are those who do walk down the centers of the streets glaring at you as you drive by as if they own the place. For them a dooring is in order.
Posted by swdave (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 11:21 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by BadBoy (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 6:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It does not matter what the reasons are for him not to want these kids on his property, it is his property and as a property owner it is his right. There are no laws against playing in the street but once they step foot on your property there are laws. Put up a no trespassing sign, get a camera and film them coming onto your property. If they come on your property, call the police and make a citizens arrest for trespassing. The police must arrest them. They probably won't be prosecuted but they'll get the message.
Posted by swdave (anonymous) on August 6, 2009 at 8:19 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by BabyGotBack (anonymous) on August 7, 2009 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WTH? There sounds like there is a whole lot more to this story....oooooh this is getting good!
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