Courts need to do better

Editor,

The recent from Ken Kuyawa hits the nail on the head with respect to strict sentences as one of the most effective deterrents to the lawlessness we see throughout Ocean City.

Whether it is participants in these pop-up events terrorizing our streets and beaches, guys beating up on wives and girlfriends, combative drunks who don’t hesitate taking a swing at our police, or the drug and gun toting criminals that seem to increase every year, a message needs to be sent that we will come down on you, and come down hard.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. For those of us here well past the craziness of summer, we often read in the OC Today-Dispatch about the disposition of cases that took place many months earlier.  Serious crimes of guns, assaults, and even drugs get a slap on the wrist. How many more times do we need to read about stiff sentences that are then suspended? We have seen very serious crimes waved off with time served waiting for trial and the balance suspended—and this has been the case for years.

The city council talks tough about cracking down and zero tolerance but if the courts don’t do their job, then it is pointless.  And spare me the nonsensical argument that we don’t want to appear to be a police state and scare off tourists—the people we are talking about are not the kind of “tourists” we want coming here to begin with.

This isn’t just the violent crimes, we were hit in a near head on collision last year by a drunk driver and by some miracle we were not killed, although there were injuries. The driver, with previous infractions, got probation with no loss of driving privileges.

Send the message– you come into our town with guns and drugs and expect mandatory time. You drive drunk and have no regard for the safety of others, you won’t drive again for a long time. The cops are doing a great job. The city, our Congressional delegation, and all of us need to demand better of our courts.

Doug Durante
Ocean City