Public comment at the City Council meeting last Tuesday night had more than the usual “edge” to it as a series of residents made moving and powerful statements about problems in their neighborhoods revolving around drugs and called for more policing, especially community policing.
A few posts ago Gadfly called attention to the return to active duty of resident Gadfly Eddie Rodriguez. Here you can see him forcefully and bluntly consolidating the message that several other residents delivered and which Gadfly will present in subsequent posts.
But for now listen to Rodriquez presenting the problem and calling for action.
Gadfly’s idyllic Norman Rockwell image of Bethlehem took a hit.
- I would like something to be done.
- We do have a drug problem here in Bethlehem.
- It’s important to take the input from these community members.
- These community members are scared.
- I know for a fact that what these people [neighbors] are commenting on, that is happening.
- These people [drug people] are not going to give up just because you had a drug raid.
- You have more drugs down on Garrison Street than what anybody suspects here.
- I came from that world . . . so I know, personally myself, as to what’s happening in these communities.
- If you’re not doing anything, it’s not going to happen.
- You have to get involved, really involved, and bust these people.
- It’s the drugs.
- They don’t give a darn about what they do and how they do it and they don’t care about your churches and they don’t care about your community.
- They are out to destroy.
- Do something about it before this situation gets out of hand.
- I’m pleading with you for the sake of the decent-living community members that came out here.
- Do something now before it’s too late.
- You gotta get the police more involved.
to be continued . . .