'NO SNITCH' CODE STIFLES POLICE, DESTROYS SAFETY

Editor's note: This essay was written in response to the "See No Evil,
Speak No Evil" articles on the "Stop Snitchin' " movement that
appeared in @issue, May 20.

Let me tell you something about being the police. We are only as good
as the people of Atlanta want us to be. Unlike any other government or
corporate agency, we rely on community interaction and strong
partnerships to do our job well.

Take for instance the sanitation department. They will still pick up
your trash -- whether you like them or not. Public works will still do
street repair whether a community is happy their streets are being
torn up or not. The fire department will put out a fire at a building
- -- no matter what -- and all, in most cases, without the help of Atlantans.

Now, consider the police. Our job is to provide the residents of
Atlanta with a safe place to live, work and play. There is no way to
do this without the support of the community. That support and trust
comes from communication -- our ability to get word out to the
community, and equally the community's ability to trust and talk with
us.

Atlanta police have done a good job in forging strong ties with faith
and community leaders in the city. I also think our officers on the
street have developed strong bonds with local residents. However, the
growing popularity of a twisted "no snitch" campaign has me and police
chiefs across the country concerned.

This is nothing new. Police dealt with "Omerta," the Mafia's "no tell"
principle for years. But now, influential public figures have taken
the idea to a whole new level. Apparently, the genesis for the "no
snitch" movement was the idea that serious "big time" criminals were
turning in lesser-level criminals in exchange for little or no jail
time. People took offense to that, figuring if you've done the crime,
do the time rather than ratting out others. However, what it's morphed
into is an umbrella societal "don't talk, don't tell" movement, which
severely curtails law enforcement from doing its job.

This campaign does nothing but allow crime and criminality to fester
and grow in our communities.

Here's how: Someone in your neighborhood is murdered. No one
cooperates with the police. That sends a clear message to the
criminals that this is a community where no one cares about each
other, making it a prime place to set up shop for crime and criminal
activity, which then, if left unchecked, grows exponentially.

It's time for community leaders and public figures to step up against
this "no snitch" campaign that has our youth thinking it's "cool" not
to care. I support maximum penalties for criminals. If more people
were willing to stand up for their family, friends and their
community, the police wouldn't need to count on "snitches" as much as
they do.

Information from the public is key to solving the majority of serious
crime. Here in Atlanta, we have recently implemented a "Crime
Stoppers" program that pays people for their information, while
allowing them to remain anonymous. It's already paying off --
literally. Atlanta police are currently waiting the return of a murder
suspect who was recently arrested in New York. The information that
led to the arrest came to us through "Crime Stoppers." Although it is
disappointing to me that we have to pay for information, I am
heartened by its proven success, and I encourage those who are afraid
to talk with police about a crime, to call "Crime Stoppers" at (404)
577-8477 or (404) 577-TIPS.

It's time to take a stand against apathy. Crime prevention and
creating a safe Atlanta are not the sole responsibility of your police
department. Every one of us must make a commitment to our family,
friends and neighbors to report crime, work in partnership with law
enforcement and forcefully reject the "no snitching" campaign.

Richard Pennington is the Atlanta police chief