October 17th, 2007 by Atomictumor
“You better start locking stuff”
Thats what the ladyfriend (still no name) told me the other day. See, I’ve always been pretty unafraid of crime, on account of I’m a big guy trained in like 400 different ninja arts, and while I lock the house at night (uh, except for most of the summer because the door swelled up and the lock would latch and I couldn’t be arsed to do much about it) with the deadbolt, I usually leave it unlocked during the day.
Thing is, tho, in the last year, it seems that the crime in this town is getting a higher profile. Most recently, there was a stabbing and carjacking a few blocks away from my house. While it looks like the thing happened in a part of town known for having a rotating collection of ricers parked out front, and there are good odds that there was a relationship of sorts between the stabber and the stabbee, this, along with a recent murder, a heist and kidnapping at a local pizza place and a summer full of this kinda stuff, (like a drive-by shooting near a friends house in a sleepy elderly neighborhood which apparently isn’t good enough to make the news) has me wondering.
I wouldn’t say concerned, necessarily. I think, pound for pound, this town is much safer than most around us, including Knoxville and Clinton, tho I don’t have any numbers to back it up. I don’t feel an air of menace when I go about my daily business.
The conversation came up with the lady and myself were at one of my favorite places in town, a small tiny little wooded park next to the Museum of Science and Energy one night about 8 PM. We had just had a great date, a dinner out at Applebees, which I normally eschew on general principle (yes, I’m snobby) but found to be mighty damn tasty anyway, and I wanted to take her to the little wood thing to sit around on a picnic bench and chat.
No, we weren’t making out. I’m too old for that, and besides, I own my own house.
I digress.
As we were sitting around, the only people in the little grove, cuddled up next to each other, a jeep drove by shining a spotlight on us. I saw the rack of lights on top, and realized it was one of the security marshalls, so I waved at him. I intended the wave to communicate “hi there, nice to see you. we’re fine here. all adults, no alcohol, no drugs, no deviant behavior. please stop shining your big light on us and have a nice day” and I think it did a pretty good job, because the jeep didn’t stop, it just slowly kept driving. The spotlight moved down the woods.
And then moved back on us, as the jeep turned down another road, still shining its bright ass light directly on us.
At this point, we were discussing our ‘dealing with the law’ techniques. The lady is more of a “yes sir” kinda gal, and I’m more of a “is this breaking any posted laws, sir” kinda guy, so we agreed that I’d do the talking when the jeep inevitably stopped, but it just kept slowly moving, shining a bright ass light. Finally, it left.
And then it came back, 5 minutes later.
We found out later, or rather she did, that they’ve stepped up patrols in that little grove because apparently, in my little favorite place, some kid got his head cracked open by some other kid.
I keep telling myself that this stuff happens everywhere, and its just modern living. I don’t feel insecure, but I wonder how much of that is me just not WANTING to feel insecure.
Besides, I know ninja moves.
October 17th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Extra patrols, and personal responsibilty for one’s own safety is the best bet. Look, this violent crime you are reading about is being perpetrated on aquantances. Most murders are committed by family and friends of the dearly departed or through some type of “other” personal relationship i.e. drug dealer/customer owes money, and yes homosexual behavior is included.
Unless you are afraid of ladyfriend cracking you in the head like the kid mentioned, (probably needs to bring a ladder) then I say go to the park, enjoy life, but be watchful of your surroundings, and thank goodness there was a “cop” around when you felt like you might need one.
October 17th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Our group was hassled by Harriman Police during a Huanted House Tour this weekend. Once he verified that we were fine upstanding Government Welfare Workers, and not there to cause trouble, he was very nice, and told us a Ghost Story of his own. I usually don’t like being hassled by The Fuzz, but in a strange way, I welcomed it. He was doing his job.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
I went to school in a small SC town where nobody locked their doors. Freshman year I got all my cds stolen and started locking my door. Sophomore year I got my computer stolen and had all the locks in the building changed. Junior year I had the windshield of my truck bashed in for no apparent reason (townies).
October 17th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Scary stuff. Imagine my surprise when I come to work yesterday get out of my car and see a forensics team inspecting a huge pile of blood 50 yards from my desk. I know not to go to Scarborough, but I’ve never been scared in the dark in this section of town. I’m not liking it one bit.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
You should be worried. Anyone who reads here now knows that the way to get around all 400 of your ninja moves is just to hit you in the ribs…its your one weak spot
October 17th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Sad as it is to have to accept, she’s right. Doesn’t matter how big you are if you’re sleeping or inattentive.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
last week our neighbors had some tool-type items stolen from their carport and yesterday another break-in on our street during the day … broad stinkin daylight. so much for the sleepy elderly neighborhood, eh?
October 18th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Yikes, I hope Clinton isn’t worse than Oak Ridge. The young man linked in the stabbing, I grew up with him and just a couple weeks ago a guy I knew in Oak Ridge was found stabbed to death in his home. This guy wasn’t shady at all. I’m hearing more and more scary things coming from Oak Ridge, I’d feel safer in K-town than quite a few spots in Oak Ridge at night. I would have never thought the area you are talking about would be of concern though.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I often wonder if its not that things are getting rougher but that things are getting smaller. Years ago living in a small down with 3 television stations, the focus was on local news with bits of highlights of nation and world the half hour before local. I am sure school shootings happened but if you were in Wilmington North Carolina and the shooting was in Denver Colorado, it didn’t really impact you.
Now as the shooting is happening its beeping across cell phones around the globe like a stock ticker. We know everything about everyone as it happens. That’s good! But we must maintain a sense of perspective which is hard to do under the current fear mongering administration. The government, the media, and the preachers have people scared into giving up their rights! These people aren’t thinking; baaaa baaaa. Re-read 1984. Look at the what’s happening in the UK and how it could easily happen here. Watch Wag the Dog. I’m not saying go totally tinfoil hat on us, but if we don’t shock some common sense into some people, we are going to speed down a bad path. GW Bush 2008!
As an example, the Rocky Elementary School Principal is adamant that the children’s safety at the school relies on enclosing the entire property in a horrifically ugly hurricane fence. Will it have barbed wire? This will destroy a community school. No one will be able to use the playground on the weekends. Home values will fall. Is there really a threat to the children? I haven’t seen it and I’m not stupid or blind. But the principal is so caught up in the security assessment by some for profit firm (that’s what the firm is supposed to do!) that he doesn’t even want people talking about the fence.
In summary, we are now inundated with information that makes the world smaller but also stresses us with somebody else’s problem. Fear mongers react instead of respond thinking “this will happen to us” and in an oddly self-fulfilling prophecy, their lives get scarier because of the increased security due to “the threat.”
October 18th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
[…] Is Oak Ridge getting rougher? My reply to Atomic Tumor: I often wonder if its not that things are getting rougher but that things are getting smaller. Years ago living in a small down with 3 television stations, the focus was on local news with bits of highlights of nation and world the half hour before local. I am sure school shootings happened but if you were in Wilmington North Carolina and the shooting was in Denver Colorado, it didn’t really impact you. […]
October 18th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
http://www.city-data.com/city/Oak-Ridge-Tennessee.html
Scroll halfway down for crime stats.
You can click on the chart to make the graph update and compare to the US average.
Overall, it looks like Oak Ridge has seen an increase in crime in the past few years, and does have higher than average crime.
October 18th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I’m from New York City. Since moving to Nashville last year I’ve heard more crazy local crime stories than I ever heard in a lifetime of big city living. Corpses lit on fire, rapes on special-ed buses, hitchhikers getting dismembered and their organs used in weird rituals. I think you’d be crazy not to be a little paranoid in this state.