March 1st, 2011
It was reported on WHDH (Boston Channel 7 Television) 7 News Today in New England (at about 0630) this morning, an unruly youth (mid-20’s in age) during the early A.M. hours of this past Saturday threw a snowball at a police vehicle which was “being driven by an officer who was responding to a call” (or something like that). That youth has since been arrested and charged with “assault with a dangerous weapon” (or something like that). What’s more, it was further reported that, in fact, it is against the “Law” in the City of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to even throw a snowball. It was subsequently reported that the youth pled ‘guilty’ to the charges (yesterday?).
Now to begin with, I suspect the ‘call’ that the police officer ‘was responding to’ was probably the snowball fight that was going on between various patrons of late-night drinking establishments immediately prior to the ‘responding’ officer’s arrival on the scene of the potentially ‘deadly’ snowball. Lest one forgets, much of the ground of the greater Boston area has been under four feet of snow for several weeks, if not months, at the time of this writing.
But it is illegal to throw a snowball? And yes, I am aware of the potential implications of the unruly youth’s action and target as well. But…
Regardless of all else, however, do we really need to wonder why our governments are broke and consistently over-budget? I don’t really need to explain my meaning here, do I? WE in the real world, of course, are aware that to throw someone in jail essentially ties up resources, manpower, and funds, correct? Or am I the one that is incorrect here? Could the fine have made money for the City of Gloucester – to warrant such an allocation of the City’s resources?
Adam Trotter / AVT
See:
Gloucester police/fire: 'Homeland' [security] camera leads to arrest in snowball assault.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x72346381/Gloucester-police-fire-Homeland-camera-leads-to-arrest-in-snowball-assault
