5 people shot in Cornhill

[Ralph]

www.uticaod.com/breaking/x1151559773

Finally, the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance being used for the reason it was intended.

[thelma]

When I was young and married, our house was always the number 1 place for house parties on Saturday nights. There were 5 couples and we entertained ourselves by playing Poker , drinking beer that we all brought, and snacks. Not once, were we ever reported to the local Police for making too much noise.

It this party went on all night until Noon today - they were doing a lot more than just playing cards and drinking beer!

I hope they do use that Nuisance Abatement Ordinance - it was passed as a law for a reason.

[Swimmy]

Ok, so they evict the resident. Does MHA come in and provide them city housing or something? What happens to the evicted resident?

[thelma]

I'm not that familiar with all the details of this Ordinance but would "assume" that once a resident was evicted, it would be up to him/her to find some place else to live. That is why we have shelters.

Remember, swimmy, these kind of people that party all night and end up shooting one another are NOT the type of people like you and I that care about NOT breaking the rules.

[Swimmy]

I agree, I'm just curious if the ordinance is self-defeated by some other city policy of providing city-paid housing for them or something like that.

[Ralph]

Nope.....you get kicked out, that's your problem.

Wanna play.......you gonna pay.....





.......sucka!!!!!!!

[thelma]

Isn't it a shame an Ordinance has to be in place to force people to comply with normal considerations for their neighbors? Once again, this type of Ordinance/Law only applies to the minority - NOT the majority (so far).

[Ralph]

What's a shame is that it's been in place for about 5 years now and has never been used to it's full potential until now.

[frankcor]

I have a question for Rocco LaDuca, the author of this flawed report. I read it several times carefully, looking for any mention, no matter how remote, of possible suspects in the shooting.

Did you even ask the police if they had any leads? Don't they teach who, what, when, where and why in J-school any more? I guess that was two questions.

Maybe he wrote something like "police say they have no immediate leads in the case but continue their investigation" at the bottom of his report and it got cut for space by the editor.

Oh, and another thing (I'm on a roll):

State police and Oneida County sheriff’s deputies assisted Utica police following the shooting, and LaBella said he was impressed with the level of cooperation among all three law enforcement agencies.

Do they teach that phrase in Law Enforcement Management 101? Why is it that EVERY time more than one agency is involved in an investigation, managers claw and climb over one other for the microphone to utter those words?

Are they so entrenched in their fiefdoms, protecting their own turfs, that they actually ARE amazed when one agency cooperates with another?

Here's a clue: the public is never impressed with cooperation. They are impressed by results. Just shut up and go find the person responsible for the shootings.

Another clue: look for someone who is a very poor shot. They fired at 5 people and didn't kill one? They're not the foxhole buddy I'd be looking for, that's for sure.

[frankcor]

The roll continues (somebody, please stop me!):

This particular residence has had a history of police complaints related to after-parties, and LaBella said he plans on investigating whether that location should be shut down under the city’s nuisance abatement ordinance.

How does shutting down that house make anybody safer? To eliminate possible targets? Why don't you just bulldoze the whole city? With nobody living there any more, there will be no targets to shoot at.

[thelma]

What a roll you are on - I think I will join you.

I remember years ago when Cornhill had numerous fires/arson consuming the neighborhoods and a Task force was brought in to find the culpits (which they did). I remember remarking to a Fireman friend that they should just let Cornhill burn to the ground.

His remark to me was "Do you want them to be moving into YOUR neighborhood?"

IMO, this Ordinance is going to also affect these slum landlords that rent to these kind of people.

[thelma]

Another thing - that reporter Rocco LaDuca still has mountains of knowledge to learn BEFORE he can even come close to calling himself a "reporter". I'm willing to bet he is a newly graduate from a College who thinks he "knows it all" and willing to work for peanuts.

Read other written articles by him and I'm sure you will agree with my assessment of his writing "skills".

[frankcor]

Thelma, you got a roll of your own going now.

I agree that the real value of such ordinances is to force landlords to do their homework when they choose tenants. I know little about Utica's ordinance, but in Rome they have used the law to close houses several times a year. A hearing is convened by codes, law enforcement, fire protection and other city officials and the landlord is invited to show cause why the house should NOT be shut down. I know of at least one case where they found that the landlord had shown due diligence and permitted the dwelling to remain open. Not all landlords are absentee slumlords.

The law is further supported by the city maintaining a database of problem tenants. Landlords are given free access to assist their background checks and are encouraged to contribute their own experience to the data.

That's the experience in Rome. I remain willing to be convinced that Utica's law will work effectively, but threatening to shut down the place where the victims were located, without knowing who the perpetrator is, strikes me as grandstanding and bluster.

[Ralph]

Utica's was written pretty much the same as Rome's was, and is enforced in quite the same manner.

While shutting the place down won't catch the perp, it will stop it form happening again in that location.

I am sure that if this has been on ongoing problem there, "partying" is not the only thing going on behind the closed doors.

[thelma]

I hope Utica follow thru on this Ordinance like Rome has. I agree that not all Landlords are slum landlards - I'm a landlord myself, but the property is in North Utica and my tenent has been with me now for over two years and was referred to me by a family member and highly recommended. Plus I agreed to rent him this house at a reduced rent as he agreed to do all the maintenance that was needed. It has turned out to be a win - win proposition for both of us.