Man Stabbed to Death inside Petworth Library Evening of 3/2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is serious mental illness involved and we need to go back to a time where the city and police had more leeway to institutionalize persons refusing mental care or medicine.

Why?

Becuase too many homeless have serious mental I’ll eases like schizophrenia. It’s a revolving door, so they are known in the system but can’t be institutionalized against their will until AFTER they push a women in front of a train (NY)

I previously worked in a n urban library; most of the homeless who came in had serious mental health issues. Not all, but most. There was nothing we could do except have unruly people trespassed. One of the trespassed mentally ill homeless who harassed staff eventually killed someone, but not in the library thankfully.

I don't want most people hospitalized against their will, but there was a reason for the existence of state run mental hospitals.

Yeah my mom worked as a library clerk for a long time, and eventually transferred from an urban to suburban branch because it became too much. They weren’t trained to deal with the stuff that went down on a regular basis and she didn’t feel safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Silver Spring MD library goes so much further than any of the DC ones when it comes to the amount of space devoted to safe warm quiet seats for homeless people to stare into space. Several dozens last time we were there. The kids library has signs saying that you will have to relocate if you don’t have children. But the rest of the few floors of the library are as much of a shelter as a library at this point.

Do we need libraries at this point? Everything is online. Convert them to all to shelters and retrain the staff.

Spoken like a true philistine.

You probably don't want to hear about my idea to convert post offices as well. They already serve as defacto shelters in my neighborhood. Let's just make it official.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Silver Spring MD library goes so much further than any of the DC ones when it comes to the amount of space devoted to safe warm quiet seats for homeless people to stare into space. Several dozens last time we were there. The kids library has signs saying that you will have to relocate if you don’t have children. But the rest of the few floors of the library are as much of a shelter as a library at this point.

The libraries in the VA suburbs don't have homeless hanging around except in Alexandria. Libraries are mainly beneficial for young children these days but apparently some cities want their librarians walking around reviving addicts instead of reading to children.

I've been to rural libraries that are gorgeous and functional for the community - teen rooms with computers and research guidance, beautiful kids sections with toys, puppet theaters and contests, conference and special event areas, oh and books! They looked, felt, smelled like libraries!

[Anonymous]

But how are we going to get more stinky dangerous homeless into our book lending facilities? Thoughts? Strategies?

[Anonymous]

This is one example of the issues - under the current DC code the mand min is 15 years for armed carjacking. This guy had also a previous weapons offense. Through a combo of undercharging and a plea he got only 5 years, will be out in less.

https://twitter.com/NW_Realist/status/1632840948139917314

Note the USAO put out a press release about this. The USAO, part of DOJ and appointed not elected, does not report stats, or respond to FOIAs. These occasional press releases are actually not an "atta boy" moment but a WTH, why is that known to be dangerous guy gonna be on the street in @ 3 years when it should have been 15+?

Chesa got recalled as DA in LA for weak prosecution. We don't elect the USAO, but I do wonder if they prosecute more or less cases than Chesa did? Congress has oversight over DOJ, would be nice if they exercised it. It's not just Graves, no USAOs have been even minimally transparent.

The whole idea of mandatory minimums needs to be revisited when these outcomes that are "success stories" fall SO far short.

This statement by Contee, also today, was quite impassioned https://twitter.com/FeverPotomac/status/1632813055842107392

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is one example of the issues - under the current DC code the mand min is 15 years for armed carjacking. This guy had also a previous weapons offense. Through a combo of undercharging and a plea he got only 5 years, will be out in less.

https://twitter.com/NW_Realist/status/1632840948139917314

Note the USAO put out a press release about this. The USAO, part of DOJ and appointed not elected, does not report stats, or respond to FOIAs. These occasional press releases are actually not an "atta boy" moment but a WTH, why is that known to be dangerous guy gonna be on the street in @ 3 years when it should have been 15+?

Chesa got recalled as DA in LA for weak prosecution. We don't elect the USAO, but I do wonder if they prosecute more or less cases than Chesa did? Congress has oversight over DOJ, would be nice if they exercised it. It's not just Graves, no USAOs have been even minimally transparent.

The whole idea of mandatory minimums needs to be revisited when these outcomes that are "success stories" fall SO far short.

This statement by Contee, also today, was quite impassioned https://twitter.com/FeverPotomac/status/1632813055842107392

Council member furiously bangs away on a calculator for 15 minutes. "If you sentence him to 15 years, he will have spent more than 1/3 of his life in jail."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Silver Spring MD library goes so much further than any of the DC ones when it comes to the amount of space devoted to safe warm quiet seats for homeless people to stare into space. Several dozens last time we were there. The kids library has signs saying that you will have to relocate if you don’t have children. But the rest of the few floors of the library are as much of a shelter as a library at this point.

The libraries in the VA suburbs don't have homeless hanging around except in Alexandria. Libraries are mainly beneficial for young children these days but apparently some cities want their librarians walking around reviving addicts instead of reading to children.

I've been to rural libraries that are gorgeous and functional for the community - teen rooms with computers and research guidance, beautiful kids sections with toys, puppet theaters and contests, conference and special event areas, oh and books! They looked, felt, smelled like libraries!

The library in my small town was de facto after care for kids as young as 5-6. They just walked over after school. It’s hard to imagine that now. I think one idea might be to have separate children’s libraries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is one example of the issues - under the current DC code the mand min is 15 years for armed carjacking. This guy had also a previous weapons offense. Through a combo of undercharging and a plea he got only 5 years, will be out in less.

https://twitter.com/NW_Realist/status/1632840948139917314

Note the USAO put out a press release about this. The USAO, part of DOJ and appointed not elected, does not report stats, or respond to FOIAs. These occasional press releases are actually not an "atta boy" moment but a WTH, why is that known to be dangerous guy gonna be on the street in @ 3 years when it should have been 15+?

Chesa got recalled as DA in LA for weak prosecution. We don't elect the USAO, but I do wonder if they prosecute more or less cases than Chesa did? Congress has oversight over DOJ, would be nice if they exercised it. It's not just Graves, no USAOs have been even minimally transparent.

The whole idea of mandatory minimums needs to be revisited when these outcomes that are "success stories" fall SO far short.

This statement by Contee, also today, was quite impassioned https://twitter.com/FeverPotomac/status/1632813055842107392

Council member furiously bangs away on a calculator for 15 minutes. "If you sentence him to 15 years, he will have spent more than 1/3 of his life in jail."

15 minutes is right. None of them can do any math. It’s tragic.

It’s like Soviet Union all over again. Rhetoric only

[Anonymous]

This is sad. I feel sorry for the kids and dad.