OPINION | Brian Thomas: Stop and Search Bad for New Bedford [Poll]

Perception or reality, crime is definitely up in one whaling city. New Bedford City Council Brian Gomes is proposing a Public Safety Summit to curb the onslaught of shootings and vandalism in the city. Seems to me, representatives from the city council, the Mayor, law enforcement and the general public should have long ago pow wowed over the hoodlum issue.

One tactic destined to pop up as a crime deterrent is stop and search. This controversial method allows law enforcement to guess, read presume, some man, woman or child is suspicious, stop them without a warrant and search them. This is tantamount to defiling the innocent to pluck out a few guilty. Our forefathers would flip in their grave.

If New Bedford officials are truly serious about rebuilding the city to first class status, the last thing potential tourists and business decision makers need to see or concern themselves with is a beautiful, all American sign touting New Beige as a stop and frisk city, population 95,000. You say it worked in New York City. NYC residents are mixed over stop and frisk. Can you really compare a rotten apple to an extinct whale?

Editor’s Note:   Brian Thomas is the host of Brian’s Beat on 1420 WBSM New Bedford.  He can be heard weekdays from 10am-Noon and Saturdays from 6am-9am.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.