Jennifer B.
Syracuse, New York  

Isn't it scary, when one minute you can be reflecting on your life and the next running for your life? 

Well, it was to me when those bullets flew by . . . pzu . . . pzu . . . pzu . . . ping . . . ping . . . ping. 

Sitting on my porch writing a poem about my life, about all my qualities, about all the violence that I've been through, and most of it was by my so-called family. 

As I ran into the house I thought and prayed to God, Lord thank you because my life, my life could have been ended by the violence in the streets. 

There was something on the news a few days ago about all of the reported gunshots or shootings.  Since the beginning of the year they said 99 or 100, and that the most is right here . . . on the Southside of Syracuse.

They also said that there are officers over here on feet .…    Well, today, yesterday, the day before, as a matter of fact it's been almost two weeks since I've seen any officers walking the streets.

They know the corners that the drug dealers and gang members hang out on.  I've never seen the police walking down the street telling them to move on. 

They walk or ride right by the loitering, the drug dealing, the gambling, and the ignorant people who hold up traffic just to stop in the middle of the street to talk. 

I called the police today after the bullets flew by.  They never even came to see what was going on.  The 911 operator asked. ‘Was there anyone on the ground?  Do you see people running?’ 

I'm thinking, yeah lady, me!  But because it appeared that there was no one shot, it was o.k. to let those bullets astray. 

Every single day it's the same people in the same places doing the same thing, wearing the same colors.  How do you expect us to keep them off the corners which they very clearly claim?  We don't have the training, the bulletproof vests, or the badges and when a store asks them to move along, they say, ‘I ain't going no where,’ and ‘Make me move along!’

This ignorance is not o.k. to me, and I'm sure I speak for a lot of families.  When we have to fear sitting on our porches, or walking down the streets. Even inside our homes, they pulled 9-millimeter bullets from my back door in 2003. 

They said it was probably just random, oh, and you probably shouldn't sit or stand in front of your windows or doors.  Well, maybe I could have if the Syracuse Police Department would do a better job at what they're getting paid for. 

Please stop expecting the community to fight crimes for you.  All we can do is make that call, but then we never even see you. 

You tell us the information is confidential, that our names they will not know.  Next thing, we got people trying to break down our door. 

We can't trust you, we can't depend on you, so what is left to do? 

When my daughter didn't come home from school, I called the police even letting them know the disturbing message my daughter's principal left for me. 

Not just the Syracuse P.D., but D.S.S is really screwed up.  When I was two, I was put in a tub of hot water and even before that, reports, there were reports of abuse.  You'd think they would have done something to make a safe environment for me, Hell no!  But they sure took me away after someone attempted to kill me.

There are so many things important to me and two of the most are family and safety. 

When I took my 13-year-old son to get help because of his dangerous activities, neglect is with what they charged me.  And, in this case, neglect meant that I was unable or unwilling to control my child.  I plead guilty to not being able to control my child but not to being unwilling to control my child.

When help is needed, it's truly not there.  They say they're here to protect and serve, but where are they?  Not here. 

I see so many innocent people being harassed and or arrested by the police, people who aren't out here selling drugs, raping, killing or robbing people for nickels and dimes in their homes and on the streets.