INNOCENT PEOPLE ALSO GET STUNG BY SHOOTINGS OVER DRUG TERRITORY

Wilmington Mayor James Baker and Police Chief Michael Szczerba have sought
to allay fears about the recent rise in shootings by explaining the
violence is merely the result of more successful drug busts in hot spots.

That is a rationale, not a justification. The only thing that will relieve
fears of street violence is a decrease in street violence.

The mayor and police chief are trying to tell people that most of
Wilmington is safe as usual, and that the problems are only occurring in
locales where most visitors, commuters and residents never venture. But as
long as the city is experiencing a rash of shootings anywhere, innocent
people are at risk too. These hot spots are not deserted; people live
there. It is unacceptable to imply their safety isn't as important as
everybody else's.

The fact that most shootings are related to turf wars among drug gangs, and
that most victims have criminal records, has limited relevance. If police
are taking drug hustlers off the streets and shooting breaks out when other
hustlers try to move in and fill the vacancies, something is missing from
the overall public safety strategy.

Chief Szczerba said that the increased violence was not unanticipated
because busting drug hustlers means "we have stirred up a hornet's nest."

It seems to us that if you know you are going to stir up trouble, you make
sure measures are in place to protect bystanders from getting stung. As
long as bullets fly, even in confined territory, the public is endangered,
not just the thugs. Hornets fly off in all directions.

If drug hustlers are still fighting for turf, it means the problem is not
solved. The answer lies in eliminating drug turf everywhere in Wilmington
so that black-marketeers have no place to shoot each other to see who gets
to sell drugs.