The news that a 17-year-old boy was stabbed at Beachland Park late Sunday afternoon is disturbing. The Courant reports there were about 15 teens at the park but Lt. Daniel Coppinger is quoted saying “no one is being cooperative” in telling the police what happened. The stabbing, awful as it is, is nowhere near as disturbing as the possibility that 14 witnesses are keeping mum.
The story cries out for more information. Who were the young people? What were they doing at the time? Is this gang related? Is this some kind of race problem? What the heck is going on?
That witnesses are saying nothing is a terrifying indication that the gangland code against narcing is reaching into the psyche of our own youngsters. That’s the way of spiraling crime. The police are right to be concerned. We all should be.
Witnesses who stay mum are basically complicit in the crimes they won’t report, in keeping criminals on the streets where they can cause more mayhem. But, of course, most everyone reading this already knows that.
I hope the police and papers will stay on top of this, and keep us informed. A stabbing in broad daylight with 14 witnesses shouldn’t be hard to solve.
If it is, God help us.
The West Hartford Blog 