The Evidence
Freetown is a cultural hot house, home to blue collar workers, artists, families, students and teachers. However, It’s rich history and colorful facade hides a dark truth about the community of roughly 1,250 residents; Crime is Rampant. According to Katie de la Rosa of theadvertiser, “Over the last 90 days, 109 crimes were reported in Freetown, an area of about .35 square miles and home to roughly 1,200 residents. Of those, according to data from the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, 32 were thefts, 24 vehicle burglaries, 14 criminal damages to property, five residential burglaries, one assault and one homicide.” This is not OK.
Learn from the Past
The community of Freetown was founded on the basis that everyone should provide for and help each other in the neighborhood. Following the Civil War freed slaves flocked to Freetown, a well known safe haven for freed people of color even before the war ended. Soon after during the late 1800’s the True Friends Society was founded to ward off attacks by white supremacy groups. In the years following Freetown became a melting pot of culture with different races working and living together as a unit; Freetown was prospering.
A Call to Watch
Freetown does in fact have a nighborhood watch but according to Kate de la Rosa’s interview with CPL. Nicole Benoit of the Lafayette Police Department, “It has been inactive for quite some time”. But she believes that if brought back the neighborhood could prevent much of the crime that is happening in the historical neighborhood. So what should we do? I propose Freetown organize a Community neighborhood watch meeting in the coming months. A simple meet and greet would suffice, people don’t communicate in this small community now and its really turning the neighborhood upside down . Email me on my contact page with any solutions at : nomadguy8@gmail.com
Abraham Lincoln sums up this call to action perfectly in the Gettysburg Address..
“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced”.
Damon Robert
Source: http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2014/08/08/freetown-safety-comes-neighbors/13804187/
Freetown Press 