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Post by bobbbiez on Apr 7, 2011 21:34:53 GMT -5
 I witnessed this week the effect of what the Armadillo has on trouble streets. This armored vehicle was placed on Andes Avenue for a week and all the criminals and dirt-bags disappeared. I haven't seen this street so quiet since I bought my house there 29 years ago. My good neighbors are so happy to get some relief and have peace and quiet for a change. I have already talked to my councilman, Jim Zecca (who was the one coming up with this idea of the Armadillo), and to Police Chief Mark Williams (who instituted the use of the vehicle), and suggested they get more Armadillos for the streets of Utica. I have their promise to do just that. What a great weapon to fight crimes in our neighborhoods. Just it's presences alone is enough to detour criminals and that was proven on Andes Avenue this week. 
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Post by firstamendment on Apr 7, 2011 22:02:02 GMT -5
The armadillo merely displaces criminals for a short time. Consider criminals as cockroaches and the armadillo light. Turn on the light the roaches scatter. Once you turn it off, they come back out. While the armadillo is on Andes Ave, criminals have moved to another area to do their deeds.
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Post by JGRobinson on Apr 7, 2011 22:54:40 GMT -5
The cameras in Syracuse are already having a positive effect according to Chief Fowler...
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Post by bobbbiez on Apr 8, 2011 0:25:01 GMT -5
Yes, the cameras in the armadillo is doing the same. Sure the criminals will scatter but the drug houses on the streets can not proceed with their usual business and it's putting a big dent in their profits and their customers stay away cause they don't want their pictures on file. Sure, they also can scatter but just how many times do you think they want to keep moving their business and losing their customers with each move? Eventually, they'll relocate to another city where there are no moving police sub-stations. I'm speaking from personally watching the effect it had on just one street and it can be moved around as often as they please in all target areas. It is the best idea anyone has had to detour crime ever and I can see it used eventually by many other cities in the near future.
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Post by Ralph on Apr 8, 2011 2:16:00 GMT -5
While I have always been behind this endeavor, and still approach it with some enthusiasm, I have yet to see it on the streets where I travel.
Though I can say that it looks nice and shiny parked in the back lot behind One Police Plaza.
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Post by firstamendment on Apr 8, 2011 11:11:37 GMT -5
I see it as playing "wack a mole" where you keep trying to hit a moving target. Park it on Andes Ave, and the criminals scatter to another part of West Utica. And its not like that thing is hard to miss.
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Post by bobbbiez on Apr 8, 2011 11:20:33 GMT -5
Huh Ralph, they just put it on the streets two weeks ago. Had to wait till all the cameras were installed. Now, all is done and it's rolling. If you or anyone else wants it placed on their street just call Chief Williams (2233402) and he will get it there. If anyone is bashful and doesn't want to call on their own then just call me (7658022) and I will be more then willing to get it done for them.
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Post by bobbbiez on Apr 8, 2011 11:41:56 GMT -5
I see it as playing "wack a mole" where you keep trying to hit a moving target. Park it on Andes Ave, and the criminals scatter to another part of West Utica. And its not like that thing is hard to miss. Well, that's exactly the whole purpose of the armadillo. It's presence alone detours the illegal actions. Kind of like in the old days when police officers walked their beat in all neighborhoods. Their presence alone kept the crime rate down. Most crimes in Utica are drug-related and the police with the armadillo are targeting the drug houses and it is working. These drugs houses can't just pack up that easy and move. In the meantime they are losing all their customers because the armadillo is parked on their street. Guess you have to look at the whole picture on how these druggies work to know why the armadillo is so effective. |
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Post by firstamendment on Apr 8, 2011 12:10:27 GMT -5
It doesn't necessarily curb crime, merely displaces it from one area to another. While they are monitoring West Utica, crime may drop there while crime migrates to say East Utica where the police aren't watching.
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Post by Clipper on Apr 8, 2011 13:58:04 GMT -5
The REAL question is this BZ. DID IT CATCH ANYONE PEEING ON YOUR LAWN??? ROFL   |
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Post by JGRobinson on Apr 8, 2011 14:58:45 GMT -5
Time to deploy the PP Cam and Robo Cop, those pissers won't get away with it next time...
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Post by Clipper on Apr 8, 2011 15:30:28 GMT -5
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Post by clarencebunsen on Apr 8, 2011 15:31:54 GMT -5
OWIE!
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Post by bobbbiez on Apr 9, 2011 1:24:21 GMT -5
It doesn't necessarily curb crime, merely displaces it from one area to another. While they are monitoring West Utica, crime may drop there while crime migrates to say East Utica where the police aren't watching. What makes you think the cops aren't watching other areas while the armadillo is in W.Utica or any other area? The beauty of the armadillo is no one has to be or is usually inside but the cameras are still rolling. You can't see inside of it and the criminals have no idea if it is being manned or not or do they want to know in fear of "smile, you're on candid camera." ;D |
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Post by Ralph on Apr 9, 2011 1:55:17 GMT -5
Despite making fun of it, and it taking so long to be truly deployed, it serves a very useful purpose.
The videos are high res and comparisons of people captured on them in one spot of town to another lends suggestions to LEO’s on who, what, where and when to watch. And if some of the scum look at it the way some folks do, as a joke and just ignore it, so much the better for LE.
Yeah….it’s playing “Whack a Mole” in some ways, but all avenues that LE takes are the same game, just different versions. I don’t care if it’s a big box with cameras parked in front of a dealers house or a SWAT unit tached out in full gear with an APC on standby there; same game, same results…..this one just happens to be more cost effective and it doesn’t have to leave to go pee at the most inopportune moment.
And if it gives a few overwhelmed neighbors a couple good nights sleep……well, that is an improvement on “quality of life”, even if for only a day or two.
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I witnessed this week the effect of what the Armadillo has on trouble streets. This armored vehicle was placed on Andes Avenue for a week and all the criminals and dirt-bags disappeared. I haven't seen this street so quiet since I bought my house there 29 years ago. My good neighbors are so happy to get some relief and have peace and quiet for a change. 
