Violence in Mount Vernon and Yonkers is a topic of particular concern among readers, given the ties many have to those communities. So they were interested in a meeting last night of a coalition of community leaders to discuss the violence. Here’s the full story by reporter Ernie Garcia.

After reading this comment by Jim Bostic, chairman of the City of Yonkers Violence and Gang Prevention Coalition: “We’re extending an olive branch this morning to say to you that there are those of us here who love and care for you, but yet we are tired of the violence that’s taking place, and we are saying directly to you that it has to end and we’re willing to help you end it.” one poster wrote:

What? … How about condemning parents who let their kids run free, pay absolutely no attention to them, and now they are out of control. How about telling the police commissioner to get off his butt and start quality-of-life policing in an effort to stop crime before it happens? Get rid of the project-type buildings and build two-family homes, where people can take pride in where they live. These are all steps which took place in East New York, Brooklyn about 10 years ago, and the crime rate there has dropped. Community leaders should not be sitting down with thugs, they should be combating them and taking their streets back.

There is no outrage because the politicos have made it clear that they do not care as well. When people become used to a ‘way of life’ and they do not demand action from their elected officials, this is the end result. Things will only change when people demand action justice from their so-called leaders. It’s always amazing that the crime rate drops 6 months before an election and comes back up 6 months later, especially in high-crime areas.