Posted by CedarPosts on June 25, 2008 at 5:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Reminds me of the Police Academy Movies.

The scene where the cops are arresting a little old lady type for j-walking while a gun battle rages behind their backs.

Funny how Chief Mullen is all talk about cracking down on concert patrons, while a few blocks away rape, house breaking and armed robbery crimes remain unsolved.

If the Charleston Police Department can't stop, or solve crimes, at least they could report the crimes that happen so the public can protect themselves.

The best way to reduce crime in Charleston is through public awareness and vigilance not sweeping it under "the rug".

Photos of Chief Mullen and Police Academy's Captain Harris at http://cedarposts.blogspot.com

Posted by jammer on June 25, 2008 at 6:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

this is one time I didn't want to be right...

hopefully someone will shoot the SOB(s) and that'll end that quickly and cost effectively

downtown's really turned into a ghetto, with a lot of lipstick and rouge<sp> trying to cover it up

Posted by beth1070 on June 25, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Women living downtown need to arm themselves.

Posted by desspec on June 25, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If that rapist slips-up and has a drink or forgets his seatbelt they'll get him!

Posted by RTC on June 25, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There must be a logical explanantion for the police dept. to be so tightlipped about this.
Or is there?

Posted by Tammie on June 25, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Desspec, they'll stop and ticket the rapist for a busted tail light maybe sooner than that.

My family from Long Island always comes down here and spends a month in Charleston. They love staying downtown and they love the shopping. Unfortunately, they've heard about what's going on and are kind of skeptical about coming down here this summer. I even offered them to stay with me but crime happens everywhere. I'm thankful that nothing has happened where I live but I won't ever say that crime won't EVER happen in my neighborhood. I hope they get this mess under control soon.

Posted by CedarPosts on June 25, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by desspec on June 25, 2008 at 8:18 a.m.

If that rapist slips-up and has a drink or forgets his seatbelt they'll get him!

Right.... and then they'll write him a ticket and say have a nice day!

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

downtown's really turned into a ghetto, with a lot of lipstick and rouge<sp> trying to cover it up

___________________________________

You obviously dont really know what youre talking about. Downtown is waayyy safer and less ghetto than it has always historically been. Downtown Charleston has always been mostly ghetto, for years upon years. Now that its being gentrified and so-called redeveloped, people are acting like crime downtown is some kind of new phenomena.

Posted by CedarPosts on June 25, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Early that's funny! They been using sting cars up Charlotte for some time. Put a brand new Mustang with the windows down and the keys in the ignition and presto! It's a roach motel.

A few blocks and the cops use a kill switch short ride in the car longer ride to the lock-up. The funny part is they get around 20 arrests a night, night after night. Even get a few of them boys twice using the same car!

Crackheads!

Donjon - Crime downtown is a new phenomena! It's just that downtown had expanded a good bit. Used to be Calhoun was the line, now the line has moved to crosstown and there's been some spillover.

Posted by Tammie on June 25, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Early, you are on a roll this morning man!

Posted by ptmama73 on June 25, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Did the P&C stop to think that maybe their request borders on Invasion of Privacy? Maybe the reports are not being released at the request of the VICTIMS that have to live with this trauma every day? Even without the P&C printing names, imagine having to read about your rape in the paper and having to relive to trauma over and over again. It can takes years of counselling to "heal" from a rape and most victims do not get the help needed. Publicity is not usually the answer for the victims.

Posted by coolfreaknbeans on June 25, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe they'll bust him tailgating.Or gumming a pole.Oh BTW I saw tourists taking pictures of the gummed up poles.

Posted by bigwhip on June 25, 2008 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Clearly the priorities are upside down. Public safety over deterring crime.

Posted by CedarPosts on June 25, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Tourist love the gum poles, I think its gross but you know maybe it's better than what happens at Walmart and McD's to the pavement.

Maybe we need more gum poles, kinda like those sand filled things for the smokers.

The shoe tree on Folly Road is cool, carved names along the battery either in the benches or the granite posts, like pennies on the fresh asphalt at Myrtle Beach, coins in the pineapple fountian, or putting golf ball up in the tree on the 8th at IOP there must be ten of them weged in the branches all part of self expression.

But I wouldn't go as far as calling it art.

Posted by Charles_Town on June 25, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I thought the FOI act only applied to Federal agencies and not to state or local.

Posted by jonsey2 on June 25, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dear crew and others:

After viewing comments the gals have left regarding allwoman's suspention you seem to continually make excuses and and say she was removed for "off topic" comments. Actually she was banned because her's and other's "off topic" comments were XXX in nature. Grannyofsex, I mean grannyofsix, finally got it right when she suggested that you find another site to "have fun" - its too bad things got to this point before this was realized.

The fact is that this is a public site that people's kids and grandkids visit. There is no disclaimer that this is an adult site with graphic adult content and beleive it or not, some folks even, get this - come to talk about news and local events.

Grannyofsex, I mean, grannyofsix - you should know better than anyone; would you want your grandkids reading some of the junk you and the gals have posted? Everyone's comments are available to view - why don't you peruse through some of yours and see if you'd like to read them to your grandkids?

Because of my actions in contacting a moderator to view the threads, I was booted as well for my vulgar and hateful comments - I was pretty sure this would happen as my words spoke for themselves just as your posts spoke for themselves. I am actually sorry and ashamed for some of the stuff I posted in anger and would hope to God no one's kids or grandkids read them -- I suppose I'm the only one since you all feel you did nothing wrong to begin with evidently.

Once my suspention is over I may come back to comment, but if I do I will watch what I say and always remember this is a public site with rules and choose my words more carefully.

So keep on thinking you did nothing wrong by hijacking nearly every forum you were on by posting your personal XXX thoughts and stories. Again, it was not just "off topic" comments that got folks banned, it was the content of those "off topic" comments - try to remember that.

It does look like since allwoman is allgone the XXX content has toned way, way down which is a good thing. Again, I am ashamed of some of the comments I made in anger and apologize, but I just couldn't get the point across to you all that the P&C site is a news site, not your personal sex blog and that peoples kids and grandkids have read your comments - maybe your own kids and grandkids. Several commenter have agreed with me and thanked me for stopping your nonsense.

If you want to discuss XXX topics using sexually explicit language, there are literally hundreds of websites designed just for that - unfortuneately the P&C website is not one. I love sex and sexuality, but just because I love sex doesn't mean I think its ok to screw in the middle of WalMart.

Have a good day.

Jonsey

Posted by lantanagurl on June 25, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

donjohn...you are right. I guess some people either don't have a memory or they are relatively newcomers to Charleston. I've been here since 1958 and I've seen lots. You used the perfect word...gentrification.

BTW, why does the public have a right to information about a crime that is currently being worked on? Don't ya'll want it solved or are you so nosey that you simply must have the info right this second? I'm from Radcliffe St. & I want this solved. I can read about it AFTER.

Posted by womanofsoul on June 25, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Has it occurred to the Post and Courier that the police may be protecting victims of these rapes? Maybe the police are more interested in solving the crime instead of digging up old records for a newspaper story. People need to be informed of what is happening around them but not if it interferes with an ongoing investigation. How would you like to be a rape victim and have your story told in the paper then go to trial only to have it thrown out because to much information was released carelessly for a news story. In my opinion I've seen more police activity than I ever saw with Greenburg.

*Speaking of da Greenburg ya think he be talkin to da post in paper? Ya dont say?

Chief Mullen is a man of his word, and is doing a fine job. I've seen the change from his presence. Thank you Chief Keep up the Great work. Let these folks be water off a ducks back. And Chief stay involved with our youths.

To desspec glad you think it's funny about a rapist not wearing a seat belt or drinking in public. Where are your morals?

Posted by Cid95 on June 25, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I concur, downtown was ghetto until Hugo, which is when the nature of the Charleston area started to change a lot in many ways. One of which was the gentrification of the peninsula. Crime has always happened downtown, even in the so-called "nice areas".

The Market, which is south of the mystical but imaginary defense line of Calhoun St, was full of winos and drunks in the early 80's, I can attest to that from my own observations.

Girls I dated at CofC had their downtown houses broken into several times, though in all cases while they were away (early to mid 90's).

At least a few tourists have been killed or at least shot over the past decade downtown.

Hell, my grandfather had to chase a thief (a black guy, for the record) out of his house on Tradd St with a baseball bat in the 50's! Yes, crime even penetrates the sacred Broad St defense line also!

Things always seem rosier in the past. But don't paint Charleston as something it has never been, at least not in recent memory. The "nice parts" of town are only a walk or a bike ride or a car ride away from the awful parts.

Posted by dreamer on June 25, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm not sure why the police are being so tight lipped about this...among other things. For example, I met someone this week who was shot in a parking garage last weekend. There was much more to his story than being the victim of an apparent robbery. Yet, even after talking to him, I realized the police did nothing--and shared nothing with his case. I don't have the whole story. After all, there are always three sides to every story--the victim's, the suspect's and the truth. But from what I understand, the CPD didn't even send an officer to investigate, instead they sent a former Detroit police officer who was there to either apply for a job or help with another case. The victim was told to keep things 'hushed'.
Honestly, I have to say, I was in total shock. Regardless of the circumstances regarding this situation, someone was injured and the police knew....yet where is the P&C story? Where is the investigation?

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Donjon - Crime downtown is a new phenomena! It's just that downtown had expanded a good bit. Used to be Calhoun was the line, now the line has moved to crosstown and there's been some spillover.

----------------------------------------

I take it youre not originally from here. Let me explain a few things.

First off. Downtown Charleston is the entire peninsula. Not just the communities below Calhoun Street. Or whatever (in)visible line separates the wealthy white residents of downtown from the rest of the inhabitants of the peninsula. Thats the first thing.

Second off. Check your history/stats, whatever or whereever youre getting this distorted information from. As far back as the history books and newspapers have documented, on up to right now, Downtown Charleston has always been crime ridden. I take it that you dont know, but FYI, Chief Reuben Greenberg was recruited to be the new police chief of Charleston for the same exact reason this new Chief Greg Mullen was recruited for. To do something about the extremely high crime rate of Downtown Charleston. This was in 1982. Take it back even further, to when a (then) young Joe P. Riley was elected to be the new mayor of Charleston. One of the main issues he ran on was ridding the city of the crime problem that the city had been dealing with for years.

Take it back even further than that. In the 1930s when Al Capone and other notorious mob figures were terrorizing the streets of Chicago and New York during prohibition. Downtown Charleston yet and still had a murder rate twice that of Chicago and 4 times that of New York.

Like I said. Downtown Charleston has never, NOT been crime ridden. The lully squeaky clean image of Charleston is not real. If it does exist, it only does so within the parameters of the 1 or 2 square miles of the tourist district.

Posted by CedarPosts on June 25, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by Cid95 "At least a few tourists have been killed...." well thank goodness for that or we'd really have a problem, nothing like culling out the herd to keep the tourists in line.

Wow I didn't realize that people from the 50's and 30's were still alive? Or that Joe Riley was ever anything but old.

I guess I've been really sheltered thinking that downtown was just King, Market, Queen, Broad and Meeting Streets south of Calhoun... I just always figured ya'll called every thing else the hood?

So where is uptown then? I got to admit the only people I see running along Chicora aren't working towards next year's bridge run.

Posted by Yeah_I_said_it on June 25, 2008 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Eyfigueroa,

You made me spit out my nice cold sweet tea. jonesy is out there, he even sent a private email to me and I wasn't even one of the people posting that day. I believe he may have sent the same thing to a few others, too. I pray that he is done now because I am sure others are.

Back on topic....The police normally withhold evidence from the public because are still building their case and they don't want to compromise any of the evidence (at least that is what I was told by a friend).

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Downtown Charleston is from the Battery to the Mount Pleasant St/Heriot Street area, and everything in between.

That is Downtown Charleston.

Chicora Cherokee is located in the city of North Charleston. Which is the neck area on up.

Now within Downtown Charleston, there is obviously a part that can be considered Uptown, which I guess can be considered everything above the crosstown. But its not referred to as Uptown, and if it is called that by some people, its unofficial. Its still all Downtown Charleston. There is no Uptown Charleston. And as far as the "hood" comment. Maybe you need to find out a little (lot) more about the city you claim as home. The city of Charleston struggled with extreme poverty for years up until about the time Riley got into office and they slowly transformed Downtown into what it is now. All before then even many of the touristy areas below Calhoun were dirty and delipidated. Charleston's "hoods" werent secluded to just the Black neighborhoods.

Im glad I could provide some better truth and clarity to your severly distorted and poorly informed assumptions.

Posted by jammer on June 25, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

downtown's really turned into a ghetto, with a lot of lipstick and rouge<sp> trying to cover it up

___________________________________

You obviously dont really know what youre talking about. Downtown is waayyy safer and less ghetto than it has always historically been. Downtown Charleston has always been mostly ghetto, for years upon years. Now that its being gentrified and so-called redeveloped, people are acting like crime downtown is some kind of new phenomena.
____

ok einstein, I've lived in and around that city for nearly 50 yrs, my family had a business in the middle of it for close to 4 decades and my family tree goes back over 400 yrs in the lowcountry I guess that doesn't qualify me to "know what I'm talking about"

geezzzz what an goofball egomaniac knowitall you must be

I think it's obvious even to Ray Charles that things have steadily gone downhill, but of course those depending on people not realizing that fact don't want this top secret info to get out... lol

the "uptown", if you will, portion of downtown has always existed with it's blueblood old Chas money that tries to dictate many a thing... but if I was them I'd move out, things in your "hood" are changing for the worse too

good luck :)

it's just a dressed up ghetto, get over yourself

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My point exactly. Downtown has always been a rough ghetto. Just cuz its dressed up now and they put the facade on for the tourists, that still doesnt make it any less of a ghetto than its always been. They try to make Charleston seem so innocent. Charleston is no different than Savannah or New Orleans. Crime rate included. Charleston has always been one of the ghettoist, roughest places in the country. And the crime going on downtown now is nothing new. That was my point from the getgo. You must be confusing me with some of these fake white people that try to act like Charleston is so quaint and nice. When that may be their falsified sense of reality. But me and my people know better than that. And my family roots go back just like yours do. And Ive never lived outside the city. Ive lived in the heart of downtown Charleston my entire life.

Posted by itsmeagain on June 25, 2008 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

How are we suppose to get anything out of "She described the man as tall with facial hair and a big stomach". Goodness... That sounds like my boyfriend!

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

And while Im at it. Chief Mullen is horrible too. His officers dont like him. Instead of them doing more effective things that could make downtown safer, since thats his goal, instead theyre disgusted by him cuz he got them camping out downtown wit roadblocks and speed detectors giving out a bunch of petty traffic violations downtown. You cant even park your car outside your own house without buying a parking decal from the city now. This is what I hate about what Downtown is becoming. The crime is no worse than it has always been. In fact its a lot safer if anything where Im from. Whats bad is that visitors cant even park outside your house for over an hour cuz THEY will get ticketed multiple times as each hour passes. You cant even put trash, bags of grass, etc..etc... anything outside your house before the exact day the people come to pick it up. Or they fine you for that.

They made Rutledge 2 way so now the corner of Calhoun and Rutledge is considerably worse and more dangerous than it used to be. All these changes theyre making in the name of redevelopment are the real cancer to Downtown Charleston. The crime has gone down if ya ask me.

Posted by itsmeagain on June 25, 2008 at 5:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

donjohn... After reading your post... I am so glad I live in Berkeley county.

Posted by CedarPosts on June 25, 2008 at 6:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The love the word "Ghetto" it's so much more poetic than "slum" "shanty town" or "hood" add "Ghetto" to the word fabulous, chic or booty and you have a whole new wonderful meaning.

Langston Hughes didn't need the word "Ghetto" in his poem "The Heart of Harlem" in 1945.

The buildings in Harlem are brick and stone
And the streets are long and wide,
But Harlem’s much more than these alone,
Harlem is what’s inside."

Harlem was synonymous with Ghetto as was Cabrini Green, Robert Taylor Homes, South Central, Compton, Bronx, Patterson, Watts…

Hell you don’t even need the city and state most people know where these places are and Charleston isn’t one of them because Charleston doesn’t have a “Ghetto”.

Take a trailways bus to East St. Louis and walk the 59 blocks to the “Gateway Arch” on the Mississippi River.

Ride the subway from Wall Street to Broadway, you’ll know you’ve missed your stop when you’re the only white person when the train leaves the station. The next 18 stops are no man’s land, that’s why the transit police lock the doors between the cars.

Ask a cab driver at the Newark airport to take you to Patterson, and watch the color drain out of his face.

Ya’ll have some pretty small minds, maybe you don’t get out much or never been north of Georgetown.

If you’re going use the word “Ghetto” to describe a few dozen blocks on the Peninsula, understand that to the people in South Central or Patterson living in Charleston’s “Ghetto” would be living the dream.

Need to school up on your “hoods” check out the photos at:

http://ghettoamerica.blogspot.com/

Posted by donjohn on June 25, 2008 at 11:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If you’re going use the word “Ghetto” to describe a few dozen blocks on the Peninsula, understand that to the people in South Central or Patterson living in Charleston’s “Ghetto” would be living the dream.
---------------------------------------

I have friends from Patterson. Another associate that grew up in Compton and now lives in North Charleston. I have a friend that grew up in the slums on the Westside of Chicago with a mother addicted to crack and the rest of his family gang members. Ive met people from all of these so-called worst ghettos of America. And Ive even lived in one of them for a period of time while I was in college. None of those places are any worse than the poverty in the slums/ghettos (whatever you want to refer to it as) of Charleston. In fact, people from the ghettos of these other places you named see ours (Charleston) as worse. People from Brooklyn. South Bronx. Harlem. Uptown New Orleans. The list goes on and on. Im speaking from first hand experience unlike what you seem to be doing, which is speculating. Their crime rates are no higher than ours. And their ghettos are no worse than ours. Just because they painted a few buildings over the past 10-15 years and made Downtown look more visibly appealing, doesnt change the condition that the underclass of the people live in. About 1/3 of the people in Brownsville Brooklyn (one of the most notorious, poverty stricken, crime ridden neighborhoods in New York City) live below the poverty line. 99% (actual stat, not an exaggeration) of the residents of Chicora Cherokee live below the poverty line. The crime and poverty that goes hand in hand has existed Downtown for a long time. And instead of people being real and truthful about it they try to make it seem like the crime occurring is some new thing going on downtown. And in the process of ignoring the truth, nothing substantial is done to try to change it. I know somebody that was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight on a main thoroughfare of Downtown Charleston at rush hour on a Friday. Robbed and carjacked. And the police didnt help him for weeks. They never returned calls. And the person who found the car in their backyard said they called the police 4 times to come get it and they never came.

I can go on and on with similar stories. Meanwhile they got 3 to 4 patrol cars blue lighting some innocent random tourist for not wearing a seatbelt or some other petty traffic violation. While the real crime goes on and the police always show up AFTER the crime is done and the assailants always seem to get away. THEN they arrive on the scene. 20 minutes too late cuz they were busy giving out tickets at a roadblock they put up near colonial lake or something equally as ludicrous.

Posted by jammer on June 26, 2008 at 5:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

it's all relative Cedar, not a contest

I've worked in the Bronx and Brooklyn, seen the "ghetto's" there first hand myself too...