HATE MERCHANTS WORKING OVERTIME IN GRAND RAPIDS

The Grand Rapids Urban League released a study Monday that shows African-Americans make up just nine percent of Kent County residents, but account for more than half of arrests for "obstructing a police officer."

The group says between June 6, 2004 and March 3, 2005 that 64.6-percent of Grand Rapids residents arrested for "obstructing" were African-American. Blacks also accounted for 57.8-percent of those arrests in Wyoming, and made up 28.2-percent of those busted for "obstructing" by the Kent County Sheriff's Department. Countywide, 54.1-percent of the people arrested for "obstructing" were African-American.

Want statistics, the chief asks? Almost two-thirds of felony assault suspects are black. So are half of the victims. Those numbers don't add up, either, he says. "Those are the great issues facing this community. The violent crime, the fact that our children are heartbreakingly dropping out of high school and our community. These are the issues that are most pressing to me as a police chief, and are most concern to the majority of community."

"Allegations that race would serve as the foundation for whether or not a police officer would make a charge is not only professionally insulting, but it also represents a great disconnect between those that would articulate that they are the leaders in the community and the citizens that every day are dealing with some real problems," Chief Dolan adds.

Chief Dolan hopes this study won't encourage more people to take on the police. Neither does the Urban League whose leaders say they want to work with police from across the county to cure this problem.

According to the Grand Rapids Police Department, officers made 367 "hindering and opposing" arrests last year. Of those, 132 went to trial, 131 were found guilty, and the one person who was acquitted was convicted of another crime. Two hundred twenty-four of those arrested took plea bargains for lesser offenses, and 38 faced more serious charges of "resisting and obstructing." All pleaded or were found guilty. Prosecutors dropped 11 cases. Most of those suspects were found guilty or pleaded to other crimes. Only one case was dropped outright.

After this report was released this week, a local radio show host and merchant of hate went on the war path against the Grand Rapids Police Dept. After 5 minutes of listening to this radio show host call officials of the GRPD "IDIOTS" I finally got sick of the show and turned it off. Of course we all know that the show I am referring to is that of the one and only Tyrone Bynum show on 640 am.

And of course when a caller chimes in with a differing opinion then that of Tyrone and his base listeners, they go on the attack resorting to name calling and NEVER, EVER actually debating the issue.

I am not saying that the Grand Rapids Police Dept. is perfect. Everyone has a few bad eggs, but the hate rhetoric and the slamming I heard on Tyrone's show could dangerously embolden people to take action against the police in forms of physical violence and increased resistance to lawful arrests that could cause injury to both the police and the public. Obviously by the hate displayed on Tyrone's show this week toward the police made it appear to this writer that Tyrone does not care about whether or not police get hurt in the performance of their duties.

The best action to take if a police officer is making an arrest of someone you know, is to just "BACK THE HELL OFF!" Let the police do their jobs. If the person being arrested is innocent then that will be proved when they have their day in court. If not...OH WELL, SEE YA IN 5-10 yrs. NEVER, EVER INTERFERE WITH AN ARREST! RESISTANCE AND INTERFERENCE ONLY ESCALATES THE SITUATION CAUSING INJURIES AND MORE ARRESTS THEN WERE NECCESSARY TO BEGIN WITH.

I don't think this is a race issue. I think it is an actual problem that people continually interfere with police making arrests. I see it on COPS all the time. 99% if the time if you just keep your big fat mouth shut and mind your own business, the cops will leave you alone. But, if your up to no good. Well then, I hope they get you.

I guess that it is no coincidense that 640 AM also has a new format during the evenings and nights. COMEDY, and that is exactly what you get when you listen to the Tyrone Bynum show between the hours of 3pm - 6pm. All Comedy Radio, cause Tyrone Bynum as a serious intellectual radio host, HA HA HA. The guy is a huge joke. And not a funny one at that!

The Rogue Jew