Something very real and serious happened on Saturday March 18. A man was shot in the head during a robbery in uptown near Calhoun Square. The man, Michael Zebuhr, died a few days later. It was a sad day for uptown, which is normally a very safe and vibrant neighborhood. You can read more about this here, here, and here.

This, however, can't be serious...



Civilian CRIME PATROL?? "Gangstas, pimps, and prostitutes"? It can't be serious, can it? This photocopied 8.5 x 11 sign is hanging in the lobby of my building. It's been there for over a week. It blows my mind that no one has taken it down yet, which makes me think: it HAS to be a joke, right? There is a phone number on there. I removed it on the off chance it's legit. Or the number of some innocent victim of a pretty creative prank call scheme. Who knows?

Let's pretend it is real. First of all, I'm pretty sure the pimps and prostitutes have nothing to do with this robbery/homicide. Don't pimps and prostitutes in a way keep criminals off the streets? Second, "gangstas" is a meaningless word in today's society. Gangsta rappers? Gang members? Be more specific. If there really is a Crime Patrol, shouldn't they be going after drug dealers, car thieves, and rapists? They seem like more cause-worthy targets to me. And usually the culprits of crime in this area.

The actual robbery/homicide event has been in the back mind ever since. This scary flyer has been even more on my mind, though. I'm not going to live my uptown life in fear, but I will be a little more cautious about where and when I walk alone down dim lit streets. I'm not sure who to be more afraid of, though. The actual criminals out there or the ones taking matters into their own hands?