[smarcus]

where to start...

First off, this is not supposed to resemble the New Haven Register reader posts where many take the opportunity to go on rants about gun carrying criminals and carrying my guns to be safe and talking about sending a New Haven neighborhood to Mars. Come on people.

1. The US has a serious gun problem and many US cities such as New Haven do have way too many of our kids and neighborhoods terrorized by gun violence and the fear of gun violence.

2. That being said, to rule out living or being in New Haven because of fear is just plain ignorance or means you also fear living or being in ANY US city. There are many cities where the newspapers and TV do not cover most shootings. In CT media, all shootings are covered and usually front page.

3. There are 1000s of hard-working families and innocent children that live in Newhallville. Too degrade a neighborhood when you really mean the individuals doing the gun violence, is disgusting and only adds to those who live elsewhere and want to add fuel to the fire of New Haven this or New Haven that.

4. If you have spent any time in downtown New Haven, or in Westville, East Rock, Orange St, Wooster Square, Morris Cove, East Shore, Fair Haven Heights, City Point then you know that there are very safe areas in New Haven. If you have spent time in Newhallville, Dixwell, the Hill, Fair Haven, Edgewood, then you know there are hard-working people in neighborhoods with very beautiful sections that do experience way too much crime and violence that overrides the good, at times.

5. Downtown New Haven has more occupied residential apartments, people on the streets, occupied restaurants, bars, stores, festivals, events, than any time in generations. With new supermarkets, the new community college, etc downtown will only be busier in the coming months. The 2 AM club scene gets loud and busy- yes -the same as in any US city! Those gun incidents make the news- I agree, but downtown is a good place to work, live, and play.

[Stylo]

Alchemy is the only place downtown that gets any sort of violent behavior. It's a dump and should be shut down.

I enjoy downtown quite often without any fear. The area where Yale occupies is VERY safe. Do you hear of numerous murders, assault and rapes of Yale students? No. And there's 10,000 of them occupying that area.

The suburbs are unsafe because of one home invasion? Wow. That can happen anywhere, anytime. There are thousands of households in Branford. One incident does not make it an unsafe place.

I feel bad for the paranoid. Life is much better enjoyed without trepidation.

[SVTJayC]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Disregard this "home invasion" story.

Italians with an all stone facade house almost always= "Connected" in this state. This was not a "random" event, it was specifically targeted.

Interesting...while we are on the topic of ethnicity. This particular article seems to have left out some of the descriptive details of the "masked men" that I've read in other articles. Hmmm...

[SVTJayC]

Originally Posted by smarcus

where to start...

First off, this is not supposed to resemble the New Haven Register reader posts where many take the opportunity to go on rants about gun carrying criminals and carrying my guns to be safe and talking about sending a New Haven neighborhood to Mars. Come on people.

1. The US has a serious gun problem and many US cities such as New Haven do have way too many of our kids and neighborhoods terrorized by gun violence and the fear of gun violence.

2. That being said, to rule out living or being in New Haven because of fear is just plain ignorance or means you also fear living or being in ANY US city. There are many cities where the newspapers and TV do not cover most shootings. In CT media, all shootings are covered and usually front page.

3. There are 1000s of hard-working families and innocent children that live in Newhallville. Too degrade a neighborhood when you really mean the individuals doing the gun violence, is disgusting and only adds to those who live elsewhere and want to add fuel to the fire of New Haven this or New Haven that.

4. If you have spent any time in downtown New Haven, or in Westville, East Rock, Orange St, Wooster Square, Morris Cove, East Shore, Fair Haven Heights, City Point then you know that there are very safe areas in New Haven. If you have spent time in Newhallville, Dixwell, the Hill, Fair Haven, Edgewood, then you know there are hard-working people in neighborhoods with very beautiful sections that do experience way too much crime and violence that overrides the good, at times.

5. Downtown New Haven has more occupied residential apartments, people on the streets, occupied restaurants, bars, stores, festivals, events, than any time in generations. With new supermarkets, the new community college, etc downtown will only be busier in the coming months. The 2 AM club scene gets loud and busy- yes -the same as in any US city! Those gun incidents make the news- I agree, but downtown is a good place to work, live, and play.

And cities with harsh gun laws like Chicago, NYC, DC, Detroit, etc...they have NO gun violence right?

[JViello]

Originally Posted by DanaMarley

we clicked on the link but there's nothing we can hear from it... do you need to register on that webpage in order to hear the broadcast from the NHPD?

No, it worked for me. Just click on the speaker. I chose "web player".

I don't think it's being paranoid to keep a keen eye out. Not all crime in New Haven is violent. No, petite theft or larceny generally isn't violent. However, anytime there is a *personal* robbery or mugging, I would consider that 100% violent.

There were two recent stories in New Haven of citizens being armed and warding off attacks. One guy was at the receiving end of a knife, and if he didn't have his gun, the article may have ended with him on the ground bleeding.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JViello

I don't think it's being paranoid to keep a keen eye out.

Yes, just basic street smarts. You'd do it in Chicago, LA, Manhattan, any city.

The paranoia is the outright avoiding ALL parts of New Haven, and then saying the suburbs are dangerous all of a sudden.

[Tetto]

Originally Posted by mkiv808

Yes, just basic street smarts. You'd do it in Chicago, LA, Manhattan, any city.

The paranoia is the outright avoiding ALL parts of New Haven, and then saying the suburbs are dangerous all of a sudden.

You have to admit, if you lived in that Branford neighborhood you'd be pretty freaked out too. They tied a child up and then poked him with a knife!

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by A_Lexus

This is a national crisis now, where kids barely out of 6th grade feel they can settle their differences with guns now. It's crazy.

It is a national crisis, but it's nothing new. It's always been like this in bad area's around the world. Just look at the crime rate in the ghetto's of South Africa 50 years ago. People don't suddenly become violent when they turn 18. Most violent criminals start committing crime when their in their lower teens or even younger. Part of the problem is we call grown people who have gone trough puberty at the age of 16 a child. There is no comparison between a child(say 11 years old) and a 16 year old(biologically an adult). A 16 year old is an adult as far as I'm concerned. I remember being that age and I was certainly no child.

[Stylo]

New Haven has had gun/violence issues for years. Believe or it not, it was very bad in the past (90's, 80's, 70's etc.) AND the downtown not nearly as nice as it is now.

This year is pushing is on murders though. Might be the worst year in a very long time (or ever?). I think it stands at 21. Pretty much all in Newhalville and The Hill.

[smarcus]

When I went to Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven, in the late 1980s, there were a couple of years when there were 34 or 35 people murdered. That was at the height of the crack and gang issue in too many areas.
So yes it is not good now for all our kids, families, and neighborhoods affected, but numbers-wise- less murders now than in those years.