Tom Finneran: This Is So Wrong, Part One

Wednesday, June 03, 2020

Tom Finneran, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the MA House

Here’s the quote of the week, as reported in the Boston Globe and attributed to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross:

“The hostilities were so bad that we had to deploy our emergency deployment teams from throughout the city to come and render assistance to the responding officers who were just trying to help the victims of a crime.”

Full disclosure: I know Commissioner Gross. I like Commissioner Gross. My bias on his behalf does not shape my opinion that the defendants, if properly convicted, deserve to suffer the highest punishment available to the sentencing judge. Their behavior was criminal, their behavior was outrageous, their behavior endangered countless others, and their behavior intimidated the lawful residents of the community. Any tolerance or excuse-making for this behavior is so very very wrong.

The setting of this outrage against public safety and plain decency was the Mildred Hailey housing development in Jamaica Plain.

Put yourself in the police cars suddenly called to the scene of a live shooting. Multiple calls are received about multiple shootings. You speed to the scene on high alert, fully aware of the danger to the public and to yourself. Your first efforts are to find and assist the victims who may already be on the edge of death. Your secondary efforts are to apprehend the shooters who in this particular instance actually killed one person and wounded another.

And you are greeted with “hostilities” from the assembled crowd.

The Globe reports that one noble citizen continually challenged the cops to a fight and tried to disrupt the entire crime scene. The Globe further reports that another nobleman was arrested carrying three guns at the community cookout. Wow, three guns---what a delightful guest he’d be at your everyday family picnic.

The Globe reports that two other men were arrested, one mere aspiring apprentice to crime who was only carrying one gun and one very special character who tried to trip an officer who was in active pursuit of a suspect.

Read it again: “The hostilities were so bad that we had to deploy our emergency deployment teams from throughout the city to come and render assistance to the responding officers who were just trying to help the victims of a crime.”

Here’s what I see when I read this quote:

Shooting victims either already dead or in rough shape and in need of urgent assistance;

Responding officers in danger due to “hostilities”;

No assistance or welcome or gratitude for the prompt police response to an active shooting scene, just continuing “hostilities”;

The remainder of the city stripped of police coverage while emergency teams respond to the scene;

Some very evil people putting a lot of good people in 24/7 fear.

I don’t think that I could ever be a good cop. The provocations are many and the criticism is constant. Plus, I’ve never liked bullies and I’d very likely lose control when confronted with such incidents.

There are no acceptable explanations or excuses for such evil behavior. No deprived childhood, no “privilege”, no crushing racism, nor any other social malady can excuse this outrageous conduct.

Let’s hope that others see these crimes for what they are---acts of evil against law-abiding citizens, acts which deserve the harshest possible punishment;

Commissioner Gross is so right in his condemnation of these actions.

This behavior is so wrong.

Tom Finneran: This Is So Wrong