March 31, 2011
The blogger explains why he has developed such a bad attitude toward City of Albany officials, why his attitude is very much justified, and why he may soon have to change his opinion
Several weeks ago, in the middle of a day in the middle of week, a couple of jerks tried to steal copper pipes out of an empty building in my neighborhood. The building is empty because the owner, an outfit located at the end of my street called Jake’s Towing, is subjecting the building to Demolition By Neglect. They want to demolish the building, petition to change the property’s zoning to industrial and park their trucks on this residential plot. But first, they have to let the building disintegrate.
Jake’s, of course, didn’t call the police. I’ve noticed that they carefully leave a few back windows open at 226 S. Swan Street so that no one will have trouble breaking in. This is standard procedure with Demo By Neglect. It was the neighbors living in the house located on the other side of 226 who called the cops. They are new to the neighborhood, you see. That’s why they called the police.
226 South. Swan Street Next To Jake’s Towing:
Demolition By Neglect
That’s when something astonishing happened. The City of Albany Police showed up fast. Seriously, they did. They hauled out the two thieves and arrested them. Me and another person watched the whole thing. A cop stood at the front door of the house restraining a german shepherd dog and called inside, “Come on out or the dog WILL bite you.” The guy came out.
Copper Thief
Charles Moore II
I’m sure the owner of Jake’s Towing was disappointed by the police response. But I was delighted and astonished. The police responded in a timely fashion and did their job! Could this be because of the new command down at police headquarters? Has Denial of Service ended?
At this point you may wonder why I am saying such awful things all the time, why I have such a skeptical bad attitude toward our City governmental officials, including the police. Particularly the police. I want you to know that I don’t develop such extreme attitudes suddenly or on a whim. It takes a lot to get me permanently pissed. So I’ll give you a little bit of an explanation why I have such a bad attitude toward our “leaders.”.
Albany Police Compound On Morton Avenue:
Exactly Three Blocks From 216
On September 1st 1999, a little before seven in the evening, I discovered an elderly neighbor lying prone amid debris on her living room floor. She was 70 years old and had multiple health problems including diabetes. By all appearances she had had a debilitating stroke. When I found her she was conscious enough to tell me she had been lying there helpless since the morning.
This older lady was living in a second floor apartment in a building which I had purchased in 1994, located diagonally across the street from my own home. This was a monthly ritual we had established, I would be sure to visit her on the first and she would give me a rent check right on time. I was one of several people who dropped in on her regularly for one reason or another to make sure she was okay.
A stroke was way more than my slim medical skills could handle. So I quickly made her as comfortable as I could and called Albany City Emergency Services. That is, I talked to an Albany Police dispatcher. I will never forget this conversation which is burned into my memory:
DISPATCHER: What’s your emergency?
ME: I just found one of my neighbors lying on the floor of her apartment. She appears to have had a stroke. She’s been there since at least ten this morning. Can you send the EMS?
DIS: Where are you calling from? [They always ask this first.]
ME: I’m calling from my house across the street. She’s at 216 Morton Avenue, corner of South Swan.
DIS: [Pause, followed by a simpering chuckle.] Did YOU say ‘Morton Avenue?” [Loud and mocking.]
ME: Yes, 216 Morton Avenue. Two blocks downhill from Delaware Avenue.
DIS: [Long pause filled with more simpering.] All right. We’ll send somebody along. [Click off abruptly.]