May 23, 2012

Last week the Jackson County prosecutor teamed up with the police chief for a dog and pony show like no other to announce their “new” NoVA campaign which, according to the presser, is designed to reduce violent crime in the city’s urban core. This lil’ newshound isn’t at all impressed and is still having trouble getting past the acronym “NoVA,” which translated into Spanish essentially means “no go!” Appropriate, especially given this thing was dead before it left the starting gates.

Below are some quotes from the head prosecutor and the police chief that tell the tale.

Chief Forté is quick to state that, “We can’t arrest our way out of this problem” and “Our goal is not to fill up the prisons.” Really? I was always under the impression that the police department’s job was to enforce the law. Doing so, arrests are made and bad guys (theoretically) go to jail, thus filling the prisons! Wow, to think I had it backwards all this time!  

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker wasn’t much better: “Look out because we’re coming for you.” Really? Sure seems to this urban hound that the statements made by the top cop and the prosecutor are contradictory in nature.

We’d sure like to know who the county’s top legal eagle is planning on prosecuting if the police department isn’t planning on arresting anyone. Both Peters Baker and Forté also stated that measurable results would be 9 to 12 months off which tells us that they’re really not invested in the success of the program. Fitting, especially if we re-visit that whole NoVA, no-go acronym.