Link:http://forcv.com/index.php?idnoticia=21


Police often Contributes to create Dysfunctional (CV) Families

Reflect on a case scenario:

Many capeverdean families live the way the cv traditon has been about. Men work hard to support his families so that nothing is scarce but tend to enjoy some freedom to meet their friends. In many cases meeting these friends mean going to bar and drinking. Of course that is not fair if you leave your family all the time to entertain with friends and your wife (girlfriend) stay home most of the time. Of course that is something that men need to adjust to a more appropriate behavior so that his freedom to go out is no better than his wife's.

Ohter times, girls tend to go out with their friends and even have an extra-marital relatonship so that at home the husband feels suppressed with anger, or try to do the same mistake trying to help his feelings of hopelessness and shame. That is because according to the CV culture men whose wife had an extra relationship within their mariage while living together, are considered weak, and feel themselves embarassed even though they did not do any wrong. Eventually, when there is a conflict between the two, women tend to use all sources of help to make her case strong, and defend themselves at the face of justice system. Men, often times, do not call the authorities (police) for any reasons, especially because he is often called weak if he does that.

The man came from outside late because he was with his friends, most probably drinking, but he is still sober, just a couple of beer, yet it is midnight. The wife who knows the system is ready to react in the case of domestic violence (law of Massachussets) call the police and claim that the husband beat her up to death (lie) she started it, or threat to kill her (lie) - she did that. Other times the men is just in the process of leaving, dressed up because CV men are "basofu". She doesn't like it, she calls the police normally with alarming claims (threat to kill, hit her, anything really strong). The police without trying hard to see if there is any reason for even to call a police, come and handcuffs the men and turn him in. Instead of going out, the men will sleep encarcerated and the next day the wife goes and bail him out of jail.

The justice system are so dumb in these cases that they can ruin somebody's life (men's and women's) with repetitives nonsense cases because after few cases will come your CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) that wil prevent you from getting jobs, scholarships, make you look like criminals by the police and the justice system, etc. Most of the times these men tend to leave their homes, their families their wives and stay with their relatives and friends providing just the child support to that SINGLE MOM. These children are going to live all kinds of problems because of subsequent known difficulties of single families, vulnerability of their environment, no presence of their fathers and ma;e figure in their lives, etc.

Therefore, the police system is not helping families. THEY ARE DISTROYING FAMILIES. They are using fear tactic to scare men because the statistics of homicides and violences. Guess what?! The Police can lie big time!! To make up a case, they can lie to make men look ugly in front of the judges after they make a mistake. They don't do their jobs. No wonder they cannot discover any case of crime but often get the wrong guys. That is an old tactic. Capeverdean do not fit in their statistics of domestic physical violence cases. There has been tremendously more cases of men being arrested for no real threat reason than there are cases of real domestic violence that requires imprisionment.

Capeverdean community needs to come together to refuse these kind of help. It is not a help, it is pressure with all kinds of prejudice they use against people whose accent sounds strange to them. We are paying their salaries with our taxes, but they are doing us a diservice. We need real help. Our problem is our youth violence whose fathers, in many cases, left their homes to join the streets as a result of families without the presence of a man.

Families need to come up and say no to police violence!

Leave your thoughts.

Cabrala

When are people going to take responsibility for their own actions? Everyone has been blamed here but the individuals performing these violent acts. Its been parents, schools, police, and even BET. What's next?

Don't be naive ! We are living in a violent society for the sake of economy.

It takes a community to raise a child. I aknowledge the hard work that many police officers are doing, but I can understand that there are stigmas that some groups have, especially capeverdeans, that will not help them much in the view of local authorities.

Police needs to understand the cultural background of a community or at least try to, or you will not help them because they will need to trust you in order to work with you. Police cannot do the job themselves alone. They need the help of the community to be effective. If an institution or an individual authority do not validate your culture as part of the issue, will you be willing to cooperate?

What I am trying to say is that the capeverdean community is not a violent community while placed as such because of foolish attitudes of few of its fmembers. Police often do not try to understand the reason why they were called upon and only urge to have the job done, no matter how. In a domestic issue there is alot more invloved than just having the guy arrested. You may start a new trend of problems by hurting a sensitive issue. Capeverdean families (men and women) are not violent but there may be misunderstanding that may look like abuse.

Now reflect on these case scenario: Child abuse:

A child use to go to school and do a good job in school. he uses to be so proud of going to school that even though his/ her father doesn't have much time or skills to support him/her, nonetheless he continues to make his family so proud. There is no case of drug, alcohol, neglect, or anything negative that would affect the child emotionally but his/her parents is working hard to support him to be "alguem" that he really has no time.

Recently he/she is becoming a little fresh at home and he responds with negative attitudes. His family who is not used to this type of attitude and don't want him/her to take the wrong path, begins to become worried and starts to promise "porrada". But this child knows better. He/she knows that his/her parents do not know much of English and say "si bu dam porrada n'ta tchoma policia"

If that family tries to stop that child not to stay late in the street, do not hang out with bad company, do his homework on time, he knows that the police will come first and next the DSS will get him. End of his family. Because DSS will investigate you, often put you in jail, take your child out of the home, send you for anger mangement program, never stop hassling you arround. AND I AM NOT SAYING DSS IS BAD EITHER !

That family instead, decides to leave that child in the street and take care of the younger ones untill he/gets to the age of rebellion!

What could the police do to help?

What is your sentence, blame game?

Cabrala

The same issues will be arising in RI as is already happening in many parts of MASS. Here is my take on it: basically here in RI the small city of Pawtucket is over 50% Capeverdeans, however it goes unnoticed. Why? Because the sensus doesn't include Cape Verdean as an option, and unfortunately crioles do not have the knowledge to check other, they simply check off black or latino. Now how does that affect us? First of all, with all the linguistic barriers that exist, the school system is failing out children, which leads them to poor education, and dropping out, because many parents go unaware of what is happening in the schools until it is too late. Drop outs equal, street kids, hanging out and doing what they are set up to do, kill each other.

The problem has snuck up on Mass. Over the years you see this same thing happening. RI has a lack of interpreters, parent aids etc. In Boston there are more avenues, but it is a lot of resources. Is it just too late how do you get these grown kids back into society?

in New Bedford it is worse. They have been overly populated by Cape Verdean sooooo long that the educated ones go on about theit business and stay connected to the CV community only when there is $$$ involved. The many CV immigrants that come over from the island into New Bed. think it's good to be there because there are so many but realize quickly that there is a cold shoulder treatment that happens. The long time residents lookin down upon the new ones as "greenhorns".

This "I am a better Cape Verdean than you" treatment also happens here in East Providence, old school Cape Verdeans (americanized) calling immigration on newcomers because they hate on each other. Until all Capeverdeans learn to appreciate each other regardless of status, we will continue to kill each other. Most Cape Verdean teens have a serious identity crisis: when parents act other than criole, kids get lost in what they are and what they should represent.

I also came to this website and noticed that there is an article entitled Boston's First Murder Victim of 2007 is Cape Verdean. Well, I never saw an article about how many Cape Verdeans are in the community, and how the city can adjust to accomodate such a huge impact. But when they start killing each other due to lack of resources throughtout the system, everyone including their own want to announce Cape Verdeans killing each other. When a person does something positve, is the culture or background highlited in your community??? Cause it doesnt get highlighted either way around here, if you can't say something positive, when a criole is making it big in a good thing or how it could motivate other youngsters, but when there is violence involved you want to promote that in CV community. Well, what message are you sending? The way to get yourself noticed on the news is to kill or be killed????? Think about it, you are on the net serving as media for CV. Don't let it be crippling to us. If you are trying to help start by being more careful with how you portray youself and our community.

Sorry if I sound angry, but there is a need for change here. If you can't be part of the solution than you are part of the probllem.

I think the bottom line of what Cabrala is trying to point out is that the Boston Police department needs more Cape Verdeans officers, and not just any Cape Verdeans, "real" Cape Verdeans, that is, who know the CV cultural context and most important of all, speak Kriolu. After all, if Dominicans and Puerto Ricans and Jamaicans and Haitians can be officers in the New York police Department why can CVs do the same thing in Boston?
There should actually have been at least 100 CV officers in the BPD ten to twenty years ago. It's not excusable that in 2007 only 18 of BPD are Cape Verdeans.

Another new excuse. Not enough Cape Verdean cops. That theory goes to waste based on that fact. Its the same thing as saying a Cape Verdean respects an American business much more than a Cape Verdean one.

There are only 18 Cape Verdeans cops in Boston. And out of those 18 CV officers how many really understand and respest the CV cultural context and speak the kriolu language fluently? If the answer to this question is "very few", then I'd have to agree with kakau's points. In other words, BPD needs officers who understand the culture and language of the said ***** in order for them to better grasp the reason why these troubled youngsters became ***** in the first place.

Mr. Manu Salah, the points you made apply to just about all working class males. By no means are they unique to CV males. If you replace the word "CV" with any other historically working class and immigrant group, your points would still be applicable.
So, basically, the point about BPD hiring more CV officers is, really, a matter of demographic social justice - that is, since there is a significant percentage of CVs in boston, the percentage of BPD's officers has to reflect that demographic reality.

"I fully understand this problem and it is not so simple as it is being said.
First and foremost this is not Cabo verde when men can do what they want with women and get away with it,let us not blame the Police department for the mis behavior and dysfunctional behavior from macho CV men. This is not to say that women are always right,but we need to have much counseling in marriage. Playing it off as the man only had a couple of beers and he is still sober is for the birds. "

I'm always bothered by the way that some people address the issues related to Cape Verdeans. The line "this is not Cape Verde" is surprising to me, because the same laws taht protect women here, do exist in Cape Verde and are enforced when the women make use of the justice system. We forget that immigrants come to an EXISTING context, where dysfunction already reigns. Start counting the liquor stores in poor neighborhoods and you will know what I mean. Most of the time we don't bring the dysfunction: we find it here, and we lack the know how as to how to deal with it.

There are just as many services and programs in Dorchester and Roxbury as there are liquor stores and bars. Construction has begun on two major parcels of land for more community centers. One building just opened up this year right near the old Fundunzinho and another construction site is in process next to Fundonzinho. You ask for programs and services and you shall receive programs and services. Every other storefront on Dudley Street is some sort of Social Program. There are even two gardens in the vicinity to feed the poor. Too bad none of these are open during the hours that they are needed. Pretty soon $3,000,000 will be made available to us to volunteer. Isn't it supposed to cost $0 to volunteer?

The community needs to cooperate more when there are cases. The stop snitchin mentality must stop. There is even the Crime Stoppers Number where people can leave anonymous tips to crimes. The case of the 14 year old showed how bad this mentality can be.

Boston Police needs to be more aggressive. In the 1970s the TPF otherwise know as the Tactical Police Force existed. It was pretty much a bunch of ***** who beat up ***** during the desegregation wars. They also walked the streets those days. Any **** acting up got a club to the head when misbehaving happened.

Poverty is not the reason why this is happen. We can say its poverty once these guys start stealing loafs of bread to eat. They aren't even stealing rims and car stereos anymore. Poverty is another excuse.

Maybe we should come up with the excuse that these guys are mentally ill like other do. Maybe then there will be medications available at all these centers that are open on Dudley St.

Of course, I do not agree with violence and crimes. But we, together, need to try to figure out and understand why those people behave that way and help them. I hate what they do but I do not call them "savages" and they should not be called names. They are people like you and I.
They are people with problems that need to be addressed. The real problem can be psychological, poverty, drugs abuse... with all their "ingredients".
Cabrala, you must be right about what you said. Kakau is also right. We have very limitted CV police officers and I heard that very few of them identify themselves as Cape Verdeans. If it is true, shame on them!

There should be different ways in how the Police should approach problems that occur in the community. One way surely is dealing with the street situation where you find violent people, criminals, thugs, all kinds of people that can even kill polices. In this cases, I understand, for the sake of safety for everybody the officers are allowed to use their force, to control any possible disruption of social order .

Another way, of course completely different, is the way how police should intervene in family situation. In every family there are arguments, disagreements, even yelling sometimes, or more, in the most functional families, including the police officer's. So, if a police officer are called to intervene in a family situation, he should have the capacity to read the situation as quickly as possible and act accordingly, so that he identifies if there is danger involved, if anybody is at risk, if somebody is hiding anything and do their services, either arresting the violent individual that can be either men or women, separate them for that moment for the sake of avoiding the escalation of problems,

BUT NEVER ASSUME THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE SITUATION IN ALL CASES OF DOMESTIC ISSUE.

"MAN IS VIOLENT, HE MUST HAVE ABUSED HIS WOMAN, SO WE ARREST HIM".

That is what makes many marriages end because of lack of sensibility of the authorities in solving domestic issues. Maybe what is needed is marriage counselling in that family, but you do not start that with arresting an individual unless there is a reson for that. As I said before, many of our women perceive the American Justice System wrong because they take it for granted, that they can get away with anything. Because some cv men have a abusive relationship towards some cv women, it does not make it right for the women to have the same kind of behavior towards men with full suport of the police officers.

That is disruption of family roles in any decent society and what we are ending up having is CV men staying away from families because of fear of women retaliation in an event of problems ( which of course will happen even in the most honorable families). Of course they date, have babies, but are not assuming the families. The result is babies without fathers and families without support. Please don't take me wrong, I am not trying to say that police is to blame for everything bad that happen to families in disfunction, but that the way they act on domestic issues often adds more problems to it.

In this cases the police better be fathers, husbands, psychologists, social workers because, in part, that is what it is needed. No need to be rough and tough other than in the streets, but sensitive to issues at hand.


Waht could the police do to help?

Cabrala

Cabrala you have a point well taken in terms of how the police officers should conduct themselves. I would suggest that this be brought to the attention of the police public relation division.

Perhaps a sit down meeting with some of the CV organizers who work in the community should ask for a meeting with the proper police agency.

I have worked with the police dept in the past and I am sure they will welcome such a meeting. One can also utilize your representative, town selectman or city rep.

Best wishes and congratulation on the work you do in the service of the community.

Manu Salah