If this seems worse, there is a logical reason in illogical times
February 28th, 2012 by Steven GardnerDuring Monday’s district meeting hosted by City Councilman Roy Runyon there was a small disagreement between him and resident David Johnson about where the current scare ranks with past fears.
Johnson said the current fear, centered on a person who may have stabbed three people on well-traveled streets, is worse than ever. Runyon referred to the 1990s, when Bremerton struggled with street gangs, in saying that this current situation may not be the worst its ever been.
I don’t know for sure. I’ve only lived in Kitsap County since 2002, and for the first three years we were in Poulsbo. I worked out of that office. I felt no fear there. For the last six-plus years we have lived out in Illahee and I have worked downtown. For those years I have had my guard up a bit walking from the office to the parking lot a block away, but for me it has never been as questionable a proposition as it is now.
One time someone unhappy with how coverage was in the paper caused one of our reporters to ask for an escort to his car, but that died away as an idle threat. I was never personally scared myself. Now we all take measures. We generally don’t walk to the parking lot alone anymore. I don’t have any music playing on my iPod. In general I seldom did that before anyway, but now it’s for a reason.
Still, that’s no indicator of how bad this is historically.
So I asked someone who would have much more perspective than I: Chris Dunagan. He’s worked here for more than 25 years, so he was working here during the 1990s. And for many of those years he lived just down the street a ways.
Before I left on vacation a week ago I asked him whether things had ever been this frightening. Nope, he said.
We may be overdoing our fears, and the police officials who spoke to us Monday both said we should continue our alertness even once an arrest is made. And it is possible that the fear we feel now might be forgotten in a few months. But the idea that people are more scared now makes sense to me for the following reason.
When violence is up in most cities, it is still most often between people who know each other. Even if it’s gang violence, victims can be incorrectly targeted, but generally the killers are not attempting to be random. In fact, in most cases people seem to be targeted. But in this case all it seems to be is so random, that the victims are people who happen to be in the same place at the same time as someone who gets the notion to do something awful. I’m not sure anything could scare me more.
I agree that my movements and my commitment to living my life haven’t changed much at all since this all started. But I’d be in great denial if I said I wasn’t more nervous than I used to be. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so nervous about crime in my entire life.
Tags: Bremerton murders, Crime
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February 29th, 2012 at 9:21 am
How do the women in the office feel about their personal safety nowadays – seeing as the two actually murdered were women?
I may have missed the mention of using dogs for walk around town/stay at home protection/warning of danger – but I’m surprised that dogs haven’t been mentioned as a crime deterrent.
A barking dog giving warning is usually not the friend of a thief or a person intent on committing a crime…so are more people in Bremerton getting dogs for company and warning?
February 29th, 2012 at 10:08 am
If I need to go outside in the dark around my home, say to get the mail or take out the garbage I have my dog with me now. Nick is not allowed outside if it is dusk or dark and if he is playing outside on the weekends during daylight hours I make him stick close to the house where I can see and hear him and the dog is always out with him.
February 29th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Was just listening on KOMO the other day about the extra concern in Seattle right now . Crime being up , more murders . Reading an article about taking the streets back . People upset because pan handlers are getting more aggressive .
I moved out here in 77 driving my 71 Cuda and my first rental was on Callow . I recall Taverns In Bremerton , massage parlors which were getting in trouble all the time , I worked on cars for Sears down town . Had a radio stolen out of my car , but never felt threatened , I was a party goer , but really out only for fun . Most people I encountered out in town at night were the same . I thought of Bremerton as very old fashioned , with a touch of Navy kids getting out of line once in a while .
February 29th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
I agree with both Steve and Colleen above. Things seem to have changed and our city appears to be more dangerous today than when I moved here in 1993. Maybe it’s just my perception or maybe I am just paying more attention but, I don’t think so.
February 29th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
What extra measures I am taking now I still feel are for the short term. Just until the person is caught, the murders are solved or the immediate threat ceases to exist. Overall I still feel pretty safe most times and most places within the city. That does not mean I am going to be foolish about my or my families safety. Currently I have many of the same concerns about upticks in crime and violence regarding my work City of Poulsbo as I do my residence City of Bremerton. I have no regrets living in Bremerton and will continue to reside here for some time to come.
February 29th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
I’ve lived here all of my life and it’s never been this bad.
Realistically the odds are in your favor nothing will happen…but the fear of it having happened 3 times.
You probalby have better odds winning the lottery, but it is best to be prepared and that is the fear.
February 29th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
To what end would Councilman Runyon have us make comparisons to the past? To have us feel satisfied with the present by comparison? If so, how far back should we go to trivialize the present threat?
Such comparisons are irrelevant. Let’s deal with the here and now!
February 29th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Nothing could trivialize the real present day threat of murder based on the recent murders of two Bremerton women.
If history is unimportant, why teach it in school?
By “Let’s deal with the here and now!” do you mean you have a plan to capture the murderer/s?
February 29th, 2012 at 8:47 pm
Depends on who you are. Most of the violence in the late `80s and early 90`s was directed at Navy personnel going out to the clubs, Callow or Burwell on pay days was the wrong place to be.
March 1st, 2012 at 3:26 pm
In the 50′s kids drove through downtown Bremerton Friday/Saturday nights honking horns – a regular conga line of cars out tootin’ horns. Dressed up high school girls – some gowned from a Rainbow meeting walked downtown Bremerton at night without a thought of danger or worried about their personal safety…it was a fun and innocent time. So far as I know, no one was ever hurt by another person.
Contrast those times with today. Why would any young person walk alone or without the family dog on lead with them to give criminals the message to stay away?
Neighborhood watches can make the safety difference and I hope they are being organized. The days of look not, see not in downtown Bremerton and elsewhere should be over.