Last Week's Police Activity on State Street
A week ago, the "shared services response team," which some prefer to call the SWAT team, conducted raids at three addresses on State Street: 228, 241, and 508. The action was reported the next day in the Register-Star and made it into the regional TV news.
Last night, at the informal Common Council meeting, Fourth Ward supervisor Linda Mussmann spoke of what she called "a militarized raid on Hudson," saying it "doesn't belong in our community." Mussmann, who lives in the 300 block of State Street, told the Council, "I stepped out the door and thought I was in Iraq." She made reference to the NEWS10 coverage of the event, which characterized the action as "a preemptive strike against a possible return of yet another summer of violence" in Hudson, spoke of the raid as "offering hope to homeowners and potential big city buyers," and included the prediction of a contractor rehabbing a house in the vicinity that the area would soon be "very populated and very expensive." Mussmann said she had been opposed to the shared services response team when it was created in 2015, and she remained opposed. "If we don't get this under control," she warned, "nobody will want to live in Hudson."
Former Second Ward supervisor Ed Cross then rose to "piggyback" what Mussmann had said, saying he too had opposed the creation of the shared services response team. Fourth Ward alderman John Rosenthal commented that federal programs encouraged local law enforcement agencies to buy militaristic gear.
Council president Tom DePietro advised Mussmann and Cross to bring their concerns to the Police Committee meeting. Kamal Johnson, who chairs the Police Committee, commented, "For the community to be heard, they have to show up." Johnson, who represents the First Ward, on the other side of town, said he too had been on State Street when the raid was being carried out.
The next Police Committee meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 25, at 6 p.m. in City Hall.
COPYRIGHT 2018 CAROLE OSTERINK
Well then Ms. Mussmann, the next time you are in need of help, don't call the cops. Call a drug dealer! I commend HPD on their raid and their success on the battle with drug dealers.
ReplyDeleteThe usual suspects were taken of the streets, but we still have to suffer the usual whiners at council meeting....MUSSMANN, HUGHES, and the GANG OF THREE.
ReplyDeleteSome people in Hudson are pro drug dealing and violence. they would rather have drugs and shootings than painted houses paying their taxes.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Linda doesnt have to pay taxes -- she uses the rich person's shield of declaring herself a foundation.
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ReplyDeleteIf "a militarized raid ... doesn't belong in our community," is Ms. Mussman suggesting that heroin and unregistered handguns DO belong here?
When people stop making excuses for counter-productive, anti-social behavior, they'll eventually give up the idea that the police owe our worst actors some sort of cat-and-mouse proportionality.
A well-trained, disciplined, professional response team is the "proportionality" we need, not officers risking their own safety for people who romanticize sociopathy.
And for those who'd go easy on heroin, are you just as lax about opioids? That would be consistent at least, but next I'm sure we'd hear some victim-ridden sophistry equating the police with pharmaceutical companies!
- Anonymous