Vandals shatter glass across city

This has to be gang activity!!! Just think what would happen if they allow concealed weapons! I'm moving out of Columbus

DUH WAT WAS UR FIRST CLUE 2 IT BN GANG RELATD

Really??Are they just going to let these lil "thugs" destroy our city?? I havent heard any of them getting caught yet..whts up with that??come on CPD..get to work..

to irrational thinker...

it does not matter if the city allows the concealed weapons.. if someone wants to carry a gun they will. I blame the police and the city attorney, they know who the trouble makers are in town, they have police records on all suspected GANG members but do nothing about it. We have buildings being tagged everyday, homes being broken into and summer has just begun, what's next gang wars in the streets, shootings at walmart? When is enough, enough....

I really wish they could catch these wimps and make them pay for all of the damage.

Concealed weapons is not the problem with the incompetent mental midgets that did this because they would not be the people that have them. However, upstanding citizens with a concealed weapon may have been able to bring a stop to it and contribute to their being apprehended during their melee.

You know it is gang activity and you bet they do not worry about getting a concealed weapon permit; in the first place, they would not be able to pass the requirements to get a permit starting with US itizenship and criminal background checks.

To irrational thinker;

Try rational thought. The law does not allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon, only those with a permit to do so. Do you really think that someone who is going to commit crimes with a gun is worried about a permit to carry a handgun? Also, this is a state law, not just Columbus.

This is just sad. Columbus just keeps going downhill. I wish they would expand their police force, and teach the public to help them. This could be a great town again if we would just take out the trash.

I have to agree with irrational thinker, i just recently got something stolen out of my vehicle and i am very irritated! I have lived in Columbus my whole life and have never seen such activity. This town is really taking a dive. I would love to move out of this town as well. I am afraid to send my kids to school with all these criminals.

Kids will be kids. It happens every summer.

Open your eyes "And who says theres nothing to do in Columbus" each day our commnuity is getting worse and no one is doing nothing about it!

A long time ago I wrote "coming to Columbus soon..... here it is and it ain't pretty.
The frequency of crime will increase if hands just get slapped.

---lorols---

That's not true. I'm doing nothing about it.

irrational thinker

Now see what you started! I give you 7 points for inciting a backlash of criticism.

This isn't necessarily gang activity. In fact, I'm willing to bet that it's not. It's just a few bored kids. I know the first thing that comes to mind when you read "windows shot out" is gang members with real guns, but windows aren't that hard to shoot out folks. Buy a BB gun at Wal-mart for $20 and you can shoot out all the windows you want. Trust me, I've done it. When you jump to conclusions like that, you're just making yourself look like the ignorant one.

Galileo-what planet do you reside in or on? Either that or you are totally buried in the sand, not just your head.

You probably think they need counseling and another 4 or 5 chances too, right?

Had a window busted out last year. Waiting for them this year, I'm on a night schedule anyway. Wouldn't want to take the police away from cruising 23rd and guarding Mcdonalds since they are open all night.

grammatically speaking

so you think kids can do what they darn well what to do! And us tax paying people should say oh kids are just kids. I do not think so!!

Galileo
Columbus citizens are trying to be CSI when they're really Barney Fife.

Can you really shoot out all the windows you want? I thought there was some kind of bag limit.

lorols

I was just replying to your comment that: "no one is doing nothing about it!" I'm thinking about taking my windows in at night.

Have you ever thought maybe it's someone that has a job replacing glass just trying to stimulate business?

What does the school systems have to do with this. HOW ABOUT LOOKING AT THE PARENTS! Not one person said anythig about parenting. Oh yea that's right that is the schools job now. I forgot!And who said this was school age people that did this. Maybe it was older people after a night at the bar? And those of you that think Columbus is so bad. Don't let the population sign hit you on your way out!

This is disturbing. My sister who has 2 small children has a backyard neighbor that likes to spend his time shooting his BB gun off around in the backyard; doesn't matter what he points and shoots at. He's only about 10 or so. No adult supervision, no cares if he hits one of the many children also in the neighborhood, or anyone for that matter. What does a person do? Is she to put her children in more danger if she goes to the authorities or confronts them? Wish these kids would find more constructive things to do, rather than deface and destruct our city and properties.

This has nothing to do with buying a BB gun at Walmart!! You can buy them anywhere, it has nothing to do with a concealed weapons permit, it has nothing to do with the Columbus Police Dept. hanging out at McDonalds because they are open all night. This has nothing to do with gang activity. This is the result of someone or someones being bored and not realizing how bad their life is going to become if they get caught. Parents, talk to your kids and re-inforce what can happen to them if they decide this is their direction. For those of you out there that did this and read this.... Your life is going in the wrong direction and believe me, you will have to pay for this!!

So no the Telegram is not going to include all of the details of this matter on-line unless you subscribe.. That's crap and the Telegram should be ashamed of itself!!!

I've lived in Columbus for 46 years, before gang activity and before immigrants. This kind of thing happened every summer. People would be getting their windows shot out with pellet or BB guns. It's just undisciplined kids. The consequences of the actions of these children has to fall in part on the parents before they pay any attention to what their kids are doing. Also alcohol is the most abused drug out there not meth and many people seem to believe.

I do agree that there is a need to increase the police force. But think about it, there are 20+ thousand people in Columbus and what 50 Officers with maybe 8 on duty at one time. The odds are against the police department.

Concerned For Family: Discharging BB guns, pellet guns, slingshots, etc. in city limits, is against city ordinances. Sis can call it in anytime she would like.

Former Reader: why should the Telegram be ashamed of itself? It is a business with bills, salaries, and wages to pay.

Crazyness: there are many hundreds of miles of streets and alleys in Columbus. How do you expect five or six on-duty officers to be at the right place at the right time?

and who knows maybe its 1 of ur kids that wud be a hoot huh

There are about 38 CPD Officers with anywhere from 4-6 on duty at one time.

Seenit is right. This stuff happens EVERY year. Sometimes they get caught, sometimes they don't.

You can't just round up all the "know gang members" or "known trouble makers" and arrest them. You have to have "evidence" of some sort. This is hard to do without someone seeing the crime happen.

What is the point of this website now they wont give the whole story. You now have to pay to read the rest, not worth it. Sorry I'm done won't find me here anymore mark my words!!!! See ya on the flip side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Concerned For The Family: I wouldn't think twice of turning in someone who is shooting a BB gun in their backyard. It's against city ordinance and the neighbor will never know for sure who reported it. That practice should not be allowed to continue.

Last year we had neighbors shooting fireworks in the middle of June. I called the police and it took 3 responses but they finally caught them in the act. Every time you witness it, call the police. They will gladly come out. The night they caught them, they had a cruiser sitting at each end of the block. Bingo!

I dont want anyone pointing fingers to a specific group or parents. This can be anyone. People wanting to be cowards that refuse to "man up" to having some "beef" against someone else. Pointing fingers and blaming parents or schools will get you nowhere. Take action. get together with your neighbors and form a neighborhood watch. Set up cameras, hide valuables, talk to your neighbors and be alert. Otherwise the criminals will get away.

what is that now we have to pay to read the whole story. wont be seeing me on this website anymore.

I can only hope that if these punks are caught that they are actually punished by our really tough judicial system.

ruralbetter
How dare the Telegram try to profit from the work and expense they put into publishing a newspaper!

You're not kidding anyone. You'll be here every day just like always.

For complete details, subscribe to our online edition at www.ee.columbustelegram.com or call 563-7547 for home delivery.......I USE TO LIVE IN COLUMBUS, THIS IS MY WAY TO PASS THE TIME AT WORK AND CATCH UP ON ALL THE FUNNY THINGS THAT COLUMBUS HAS GOING ON. GANG ACTIVITY? SERIOUSLY, LETS PUT THE GANG MEMBERS FROM MILWAUKEE IN COLUMBUS AND SEE IF YOUR "GANG" ACTIVITY IS REAL.. WONT BE READING THIS SITE AGAIN ANYTIME SOON...

Crazyness.....GET A LIFE. The police in this town do a fine job. My guess is that you are a little too much like Corky. Life goes on water head. Get to work? Geez. You un-appreciative sob.

Local Resident. You are another one. Get a badge and gun and you get out there. Have the police slighted you in some way? Blame the police? YOU HAVE NO CLUE D_BAG!!! I'm sick of this crap. You have way too many people in this town that blame the police. Maybe if half the people in this town had parenting skills we wouldn't have to worry about this.

Come on people, stop complaining about the Telegram only putting half the story in. Are they a business? Isn't a business suppose to "sell" their product and make a profit?(heaven forbid) Has the government giving away everything to everyone caused you to think that a business should just give you something for free? Doesn't the Telegram have salaries, benifits, fixed costs and all the other expenses that a business has?

Either pay for the home delivery, buy the online version, Stop at your local store and buy one, or stop complaining about not getting something for "FREE"

Beppo
It's too bad your parents didn't have better parenting skills. I agree the police do a fine job, not a stale donut to be seen in this town. As far as getting a gun and a badge goes, obviously by your little temper tantrum comments, some people shouldn't have them.

Beppo, I liked your "Corky" comment and that part about "life goes on". You must have stayed up all night thinking of that one. Keep up the good work!

P.S. Leave me one of the jelly filled next time.

I haven't seen Beppo this mad since he missed Jeopardy!

Dragnet. You are probably one of those tools that got busted for doing something they weren't suppose to be doing and blame the police for slighting you in some way. Damn the man, huh? I love how the people in this town bash the people that look over them. You got meth heads running rampant, illegals gang raping women, people shooting out windows, etc. and it's all the fault of the police? No.
My parents did fine. No complaints. Maybe your parents should've done better. It's sad to see you disrespect the people who protect your sorry butt.

Zeppo...I only stayed up for two hours before I came up with that.

Beppo
I am not blaming the police. I've never had a run in with them. They do a great job. There is no way they can watch over eveything that goes on at night. I just think you're wound up a little too tight and you're condescending. Why are you picking on water heads? What have they ever done to you? Lighten up a little!

To: THE FACTS

I am appalled that you assume that this is gang activity by illegal aliens!!! I am shocked by the narrow minded, prejudiced opinion that seems to prevail on this comment board. There was only one other person who addressed this bigoted comment! Do you seriously believe that the gangs around town only have Mexican and Latino members?!? And do you seriously believe that none of the "legal" boys in town would shoot out windows?!? Ridiculous!!!

i'd love to comment on this, but not gonna pay for something previously offered for free, and don't have all the facts, sorry Telegram.

as far as CPD and Beppo goes, why do you think we have so many druggies, rapeists, and scum in general running around? maybe if CPD spend less time telling me and my friends we're "trespassing" on vacant parking lots on a saturday night (old hyvee), and spent more time driving down a dark alley or two, u might be able to take a few more of these people off the street. even if it is just a bunch of bored kids doing this, u could at least be able to clear the air around this matter and disipline those responsible.

CPD has its heart in the right place (i'd like to think that anyway) but usually looking in all the wrong ones.

To Everyone:
My whole thought behind the post was to create an influx of posts that were actually "irrational". I think I was successful!

Dragnet. I agree. I am wound a bit tight. Condescending? I suppose. I recently moved to town and it's amazing to me how people in this town disrespect the police. I respect what they do for us as citizens. Mostly it's because I have family in law enforcement and I see what they have to go through.

Snowman 710. Seems like a pretty easy job being a police officer, right?

irrational thinker
I figured you were being sarcastic.
That's why I gave you 7 points

you all really need to stop blaming the parents they can't be with there kids every second of the day thet most likly beleave they raised good kids and trust that they are behaving themselves when allowed to go out for the night!! The police do do there part i have always had good luck when i needed a cop or when i didn't:) this is probily just some kids bord and looking for something to do yes it is wrong but stop blaming the parents and the police like many have said they can get a bb gun at the store!!

Quote: "seenit
I've lived in Columbus for 46 years, before gang activity and before immigrants. "

You should have inserted "Hispanic" before "immigrants" because I know that Czech, German, Polish, etc. immigrants were moving here in the 50's and 60's. We were all immigrants at one time.

My entire family is from Mexico. Do I fit under your stereotype of Mexicans and immigrants that are "responsible" for causing a disturbance in Columbus? I was raised there my entire life and have seen a lot of racism in my days but to put all of the blame on immigrants and Mexican? Come on now.

To say Mexicans is gammatically incorrect. Not all brown skinned spanish speaking people you see are from Mexico, I would like to clear that up. Hispanics is the word to use.

And I'm shocked that a few of you are actually narrow minded enough to think only Hispanics are to blame for this.
As we learned in grade school it is not nice to judge someone by their skin color. ANYONE is capable of committing a crime so don't put yourself on a pedestal.
I'm shocked at some of your comments. Hopefully, from now on we can all be adults about this and leave race out of this!

Maybe if the police cars did not have such darkly tinted windows, the officers could see the crime happening.

FYI..only 1 police car has tinted windows and trust me they see just fine out of it! the cops is town are doing a great job...if stupid people would stop calling in stupid stuff then they would be free long enough to hopefully try to catch people doing worse things but they get called to help with the dumbest things..they work their butts off to keep all of you safe so stop blaming them for things..if you needed them they would be there for you in a heartbeat so give them some credit! those of us the worry about them going to work everyday are sick of all you people not having faith in them..they have families to come home to!

ARE YOU SERIOUS????? You called the police 3 times because someone was lighting fireworks in June? OMG!!!While they were sitting on your block watching for those NASTY fireworks, someone in town was driving down 23rd street 90 MPH, someone was driving drunk, someone was beating their wife or children etc... and you were worried about fireworks!!! Get a life...

I call the police if my neighbors grass is too tall. A crime's a crime no matter how small.

Did I call the police 3 times because of fireworks being shot off during the time period outside of the city ordinance? YES I DID and YES I WILL! Why? Because it was extremely dry out, the wind was blowing, they were aerial fireworks and the weeks of "legal fireworks" becomes a time of living hell for my dog without putting up with someone's stupidity of shooting them off before the limited time. I don't need to put up with it nor will I.

I fail to understand Columbus's lenient policy on fireworks when Omaha and Lincoln both have banned them and every year during that period, a fire is started somewhere here in Columbus and we read articles in the paper that "there has only been X number of injuries this year". There should be NONE of above.

Talk about cruelty to animals! I will also call the police if I see unattended children shooting fireworks. Which by the way, parents, they are doing it all day long. I did discuss that subject with a policeman and he encouraged me to do so. His response was "one quick trip out may save a child's finger or eye and it's worth it to us".

I have absolutely no tolerance for fireworks and think that each and every church or organization who sells them, should be liable for any injuries or damage. They sell a stick of paper wrapped explosive and tell the kids "in the name of God and our profit - go have fun"! Shame on them!

Our neighborhood also had vehicle windows shot out with a BB gun the other night including a paving company's truck. Thought it might be interesting to people that from the angle of the shots, it seems apparent that the culprits are walking.

this is great..you can just feel the blood pressure rising through these posts...cheap entertainment

irrational thinker
High Five!
Most of the time you can't beat this for entertainment. If I'm having a bad day I just read some comments. I can't wait for the movie to come out. Here's the working title:

"The Fable of the Author and the Dear Public and the Plate of Mush"

I agree with you about the fireworks being shot off during off hours. We too had to call the police when our neighbors across the street (parents included) were lighting the artillery shells way past midnight several days before the 4th. I had a newborn and my husband was going to work at 5 am every morning. The law is the law. But that is where I stop agreeing with you! Saying that the church or organizations that sell fireworks be liable! That is like blaming Wal-mart for your housing burning down because that is where you bought the lamp that caused the fire!
We are not talking about fireworks- we are supposed to be talking about the shattered glass. I think the Police are doing the best job that they can and they cannot be everywhere at once!

If you want more Police to patrol Columbus call your Council Man/Woman. If you don't have one here in Columbus then you shouldn't be bi&*hing here!

How dark are the windows on the cop car?
I've heard of people getting stopped for too dark of tint.....Hard to enforce the rules while breaking them yourself.....

I'd say 100 percent that it was something to do with gang activity. Time for the cops to connect the dots and book'em Danno!

To: TO Di......, Maybe you would like to give us your address and sleeping schedule. We would like to test your "get a life" theory.

To: Di, Lincoln did not ban fireworks. Sales and use are allowed only on July 3rd and 4th.

The police dept even knows what houses to go get them out of if the parents call and report one of them.
Its the parents fault for not making them behave and if they are of age you cant shoot them or anything with or without a concealed weapon. Irrational thinker must be long word for iggnorant idiot.
There are guns in pickups up and down the street all the time. The gun has nothing to do with the behavior of its owner. You could carry a gun anywhere you want in town and always could.
I hope you do move its people like you and your children that make things like that happen. Dont want to take the time to spend with your kids its just better to give them more monetary rewards than time.
We need to get back to disipline in the court system too. Give it back to the teachers and pricipals make them behave or wish the God they would of.

How about a 9:00 curfue and let the kids figure out who needs to be punished for ruining it for everyone.

I see garage doors that they are constantly "tagging" with whatever insignia they think is cool. If it was my garage door that they continually were vandalizing I would be waiting up for them in the middle of the night and then see how "big and bad" they really are. Where are all these losers coming from? This town is going down hill fast. The citizens are going to have to start taking action if the legal figures aren't going to!

Come ON! You guys act like you don't know who is doing this stuff! Look at the stuff that is spray painted on buildings, garage doors, etc. Now tell me don't know who is doing this! And no this exact type of activity WAS NOT going on in Columbus even 15 years ago. Open your eyes! There is a major common denominator here!
Our community is being drained! We are paying to raise others' children and to put food on their table while the rest of us "middle" class are struggling to pay our own daycare bills and put food on our own tables. I guess we should just go get in the WIC line also. Oh that's right, "we make too much money"!
So now on top of all of that we are having to repaint our buildings to get the trash that they write off and we are having to pay for new windows in our car because no one is putting these little punks in their place. Where are the parents? Working nights at Cargill?

To seriously...........
Yes this is gang activity! Instead of Milwaukee gang members we have California gang members. It isn't a competition about who has worse gangs, it is a real problem for Columbus. None of us even know half the crap the police deal with on a daily basis and I'm sure ALL of it gets real old! I mean calls about fireworks!? How petty! Your dog will live. And since when did we start treating dogs like they are human beings? And they DON'T need clothes either--they are animals. I mean I have animals but I don't treat them better than I would treat a real child!