Letters to the Editor

Searching for safe ground on BPD anti-gun plan

Boston’s new police initiative (“ACLU skeptical of police warrantless search plan,” Nov. 22, 2007) may be well intentioned, but it has shortcomings that may further strain the relationship between the Boston Police Department (BPD) and communities of color.

As a teen living under the roof my parents provided, I lived by their rules — my siblings and I were not allowed to have locks on our bedroom doors. If a son or daughter can restrict the access of the head of the household, then clearly there are larger issues in the home that the BPD cannot fix.

And while I applaud Police Commissioner Edward Davis for increasing police interaction with the community, I am not convinced that the front door is the best place for these interactions to take place. Especially in communities with large immigrant populations, without translators or legal consultation it may be impossible for police to have the effective communication that is required to negotiate a non-warrant search of their home.

I am all for getting illegal guns off the street. However, those that work in violence prevention know that illegal guns are not used for legal reasons. Nine times out of 10, a gun recovered will have likely been used in a crime by its current or previous owner(s). It is not hard to imagine a 15-year-old with a gun that he bought, stole or found that had been used in a crime without his knowledge. Now imagine him being prosecuted for a crime he never committed.

I believe that a heavier mandatory minimum sentence for illegal possession, along with a better strategy on targeting illegal arms dealers, is the best deterrence. It will quickly separate the real “impact players” from the pretenders and allow the BPD to focus on the few that continue to plague the hardworking decent families of my community.

Carlos A. Henriquez
Roxbury

Mass. Nigerian group focused on respect, inclusion

We members of the Nigerian-American Community Organization Inc. (NACO) are appreciative of the featuring of Nigerian American communities of the Commonwealth in Kenneth J. Cooper’s story in the Banner (“Ethnic diversity strong for Mass. Nigerians,” Nov. 15, 2007).

There are, however, some highlighted viewpoints noted in the article that require editorial response. NACO is not about the Nigerian politics’ tribal sentiments. Also, NACO is neither a byproduct of the Nigerian American Multi Service Association (NAMSA) nor an umbrella organization.

However, NACO, as a nonprofit community-based organization, focuses on doing community events and activities, evidenced by our youth violence prevention forum and parade. The organization is about cultural diversity, respect and the interaction with other communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and/or the mainstream of American society.

Anyenda Inyagwa, President
Nigerian-American Community Organization