Off the Record
'Peaceful as evensong'
High Point's once-dangerous West End section is "now as peaceful as evensong," says the eminent British journal The Economist in its Oct. 22 edition.
It's the latest acclamation for the city's innovative anti-crime initiative, which truly has made a difference, not just in West End but in several troubled High Point neighborhoods.
But let's not get carried away.
A quick look at the High Point Police Department's P2C Web site finds 186 incidents over the last three months within one-half mile of English Road Baptist Church in the heart of West End. They include plenty of burglaries, larcenies, assaults, robberies and drug offenses.
The Economist uses what it labels High Point's "velvet glove" approach to make a point that tough punishment is a less effective response to crime than reasoning and second chances.
High Point police have taken the second route in many cases, sometimes with good results. But they can't afford to go easy on serious crime.
West End isn't far from my home and, despite improvements there, I don't feel comfortable even driving through the area at night. I sure don't hear any evensong.
News & Record Network Sites
Triad Weather
- Current Condition: MOSTLY CLOUDY
- Current Temperature: 57°
- UV Idx: 1
- Forecast High/Low: H: 60° L: 36°
User Tools
Search News-Record.com
closeSearch News & Record Article Archives
Not all of the newspaper's content appears online.
*There is a fee for downloading some older articles.
