COPS NOTEBOOK: Sorting the Boyz in Blue

Columns

March 19, 2010

By Rick Pfeiffer Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Fri Mar 19, 2010, 11:34 PM EDT

COLUMN — I know Falls Mayor Paul Dyster was trying to talk tough and be “street” at Friday’s news conference on the gang violence that has plagued the city for the past couple of months.

However, he may have inadvertently given an approving nod to the notorious Crips gang.

In an attempt to make reference to police in street terms, the mayor said he wanted the city’s “posse” to be bigger than those of the criminal gangs. But then, in an attempt to say he wanted cops to take control of the streets, he instead inadvertently gave props to the Crips.

“We want to make sure the gang that dominates the street is the blue gang,” Dyster said.

Blue, of course, is not only the color of cops, it’s the color of Crips.

As one veteran investigator said later, “Man that is going to (upset) the Bloods.”

Who thought this up

The Internet, what a wonderful invention. Sometimes.

While the Net has revolutionized our lives, not all of what it has brought us is positive.

I’m not going to give you the Web address of a new site that came to my attention recently because I was stunned that anyone thought the concept behind it was a good idea. But here is how it works.

The site uses a crawler to search social networking Web sites where people foolishly post all kinds of personal information. I’m talking about posts that tell your friends where you are at any given moment, when you’re out to dinner, at the movies, at a bar or on vacation.

The site then aggregates that information and posts it online. So anyone, including your friendly neighborhood burglar, can know when you’re not home.

It’s like providing a roadmap for who to rob and when.

One more reason why you really need to think twice about what you put on the web.

Save the tuna

OK, I know this has nothing to do with cops or courts or public safety, but here goes.

First, I love the Niagara Falls Aquarium. It is a jewel, a treasure and deserves as much support as it can get.

That said, I was stunned when I picked up the Gazette the day after the aquarium’s big annual fundraiser, Seasonings, and saw pictures from the event. There, on page one, was a picture of a woman, with chopsticks, eating Sushi.

Heck there was another picture of what appeared to be a huge tray of raw fish.

Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to invite a restaurant that serves raw fish to an event for a non-profit that celebrates waterlife. Emphasis there on the word “life.”

It seems inappropriate to me to be walking around gazing at the wonder of exotic marine life, while you consume their lesser cousins.

Charlie the Tuna would be outraged. The aquarium should be chagrined.

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