Nic:
I sense some hostility from you. Granted, at 19 - 21 years of age I maybe didn't handle things the best way possible. I lived in a building for $500 a month and knew I couldn't get that deal anywhere else. When I said I once or twice tipped them off that the NYPD was busting up people a few blocks over, I didn't mean arresting per se. I mean busting up as in beating the hell out of them with billyclubs (not that I'm saying it was undeserved.)
But any way, I mainly just take offence at being called a coward and accused of having no backbone. Guliani undoubtedly cleaned up the streets - that's great. If I had lived there longer, I would have happily joined in a neighbourhood programme. But as Denise said, there just wasn't such an option in 1987-1990. Had I called the local precinct and reported, what? that drug dealing was going on at that corner . . . well they would have said thanks and probably had a good laugh after hanging up. I'm all for taking back the streets and helping police do their jobs. But for most people living in poor neighbourhoods in most cities, having at least some sort of civil acquaintance with the local thugs is not a bad survival tip. Would I want to have them on my corner in an ideal world? No. But change doesn't happen overnight.