Wow, just wow given the location and time of day.

 

SECURITY ALERT

 

Case Western Reserve University Police & Security Services

 

This incident took place off campus, but Case Western Reserve Police and Security Services want to inform the campus community of the occurrence.

 

The delay in reporting is a result of statements initially given to multiple police agencies, and then officers with jurisdiction were unable to speak with the student until a day after the incident.

 

 

Location of Incident: Southbound lane of Mayfield Road at East 117th Street

 

Date of Incident: Monday, March 8, 2010

 

Time of Incident: 4:15 p.m.

 

Incident Description: A Case Western Reserve University student driving south on Mayfield Road stopped her car in traffic at East 117th. While she was waiting, an unknown suspect approached the passenger-side window of her car. The man shook the partially rolled down window until it fell off track and into the door and opened the door using the inside handle. The student turned off the car, removed the keys and exited the vehicle from the driver's side. Outside of the car in the center lane of Mayfield Road, a second unknown suspect struck the student in the eye with a closed fist. Then two unidentified bystanders chased the two suspects, who were last seen running east on East 117th Street.

 

Suspect Description: The suspects are described as African-American men, both about 6-feet tall, weighing around 200 pounds and 35 to 40 years old with light beard growth. One suspect was wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans and black cotton gloves. The other was in light brown pants and had black cotton gloves.

 

Additional Information: The student received treatment for a minor injury. The investigation is ongoing.

 

"Southbound" on Mayfield Road?

"Southbound" on Mayfield Road?

 

We'll just say away from the lake, so eastbound, hahaha.

I don't know what the motivation was... but those have got to be two of the dumbest criminals I have heard of in awhile.  All the private security on top of public safety forces around there... I mean, they had to be on something to even take the risk on such a major street in such a busy part of town.  They would have been 100x better off just a 1/2 mile down the road in EC where there are no cops.

And yet they still got away?  Just goes to show that that area still has a long way to go.  I generally feel safe down there, but I still keep an eye out for sketchy individuals who do seem to roam the area on a regular basis.

They were :"chased away"... with no loot.  I feel sorry for the girl who got punched and surely traumatized, but things could have been a lot worse.

 

And you should "keep an eye out" no matter where you are... sketchy individuals don't always look sketchy.

That's one way of putting it.  I remember being in that area a few months back when there was some sort of a ghetto parade on E. 118th where about two dozen cars blaring loud music, bouncing on hydrolics came rolling on by, swerving across lanes and not really giving a damn about anything.  Like I said before, that area has gotten better, but still is years, perhaps decades, from really being a nice area.  Of course you have to keep an eye out no matter where you are, but some places require such vigilance more than others.  Unfortunately, University Circle (and Shaker Square, for that matter), are still areas where one must constantly watch their back.

^ You are lucky MTS is MIA

i think this area is a lot closer to turning the corner than you think... even though the incident happened "near" an active area... it's actually a completely desolate area by a sketchy rail bridge inbetween 2 active areas.  I'm actually surprised more stuff hasn't happened here.  Plain and simple it just needs feet on the street, and more people.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, deters crime more than having more people around.  Uptown and hopefully the lot 45 development are going to go a long way towards that.

Shaker Square has more police presence than UC.  Maybe it's just better police visibility, but they're seemingly always around.  This sort of thing works wonders.

^ You are lucky MTS is MIA

 

?

That's one way of putting it.  I remember being in that area a few months back when there was some sort of a ghetto parade on E. 118th where about two dozen cars blaring loud music, bouncing on hydrolics came rolling on by, swerving across lanes and not really giving a damn about anything.  Like I said before, that area has gotten better, but still is years, perhaps decades, from really being a nice area.  Of course you have to keep an eye out no matter where you are, but some places require such vigilance more than others.  Unfortunately, University Circle (and Shaker Square, for that matter), are still areas where one must constantly watch their back.

 

For more information about the dark side of that so called 'hobby' and its frequent links and associations.....and how it is contributing to destroying the quality of life in neighborhoods and much more illuminating factual material...suggested reading: www.lowertheboom.org and www.noiseoff.org I worked with neighborhood groups/police on that issue since '05 and on average, 1 in 4 of those vehicles stopped for profiling themselves.... and drawing all the attention to themselves by producing excessively loud, obnoxious, anti-social, and imposing noise with their "audio weapons" producing a kind of "audio terrorism" or "acoustic assault" if you will.... will yield many other illegal goodies and goings on. Physically, the kind of noise, low frequency sound coupled with bass is extremely unhealthy to the body. In fact, here is a great editorial written on that:

 

 

 

BOOM-A-BOOM.... THUMPITY THUMP!

 

 

 

It's five minutes after three in the morning and here you come, booming and thumping down my street, rattling my windows, shaking my doors, and making sure, as you cruise by ever so slowly, that no one sleeps while you're on the prowl. My double-paned thermal windows are closed, my ear plugs are in, but there is no defense against your invasion. Love those lyrics, too - the one four-letter combination that functions so conveniently as verb, noun, gerund, participle - the one-word-serves-all approach for the poet of limited vocabulary.

 

 

 

You are breaking the law, violating the peace, damaging your ears and those of the helpless babies you strap like sacrifices into the rear seats of your tricked-out cars. In 4 or 5 years your hearing will start to go but you won't notice because you live life so loud all the time, it won't be a problem to just ratchet up the decibels another notch or two. Your children will go to school with impaired hearing and learning disabilities because your selfish addiction to loud is more important to you than their wellbeing. How much will this end up costing society?

 

 

 

All over the country police departments strain to respond to complaints for what used to be soothed over with an apology, a polite request, a little courtesy. Tax dollars now go to field a constant barrage of angry citizen complaints, night and day, because no one any longer gets a good night's sleep, or keeps a thought in his head at the computer, or enjoys his front porch or even his back yard because of your relentless barbaric yawp. Whole towns have lost their sense of self because of you and your unholy racket.

 

 

 

Hospitals, school zones, libraries -- these are all the same to you. You do not discriminate. Everyone gets to suffer.

 

 

 

Car alarms go off. Babies wake up shrieking in the night. The sick and the dying call out, "Make it stop, make it stop." Sensitive humans find themselves with nausea, trembling, chest pain, a racing heart; blood pressures soar. Innocent animals are frightened. Police, fire, and EMT vehicles go unheard by you at intersections because you're too busy imposing your little hobby on those who never asked for it, in your roving night club! Yes, you do good work. You are efficient, you are thorough, and above all you are as constant as the morning star - we can all go to bed every night confident that you will come by, regular as the newspaper carrier and the mail man, but a whole lot louder.

 

 

 

And should you get a ticket, how you scream! It's freedom of speech! you bark. I have a right! you shout. I paid a lot of money for this system and I'm going to use it! you protest. You resent being picked on, singled out, noticed. But if you don't want all that attention, why are you making so much noise?

 

 

 

Why are you making so much noise? Do you feel unloved? Unwanted? Unsuccessful? Unnoticed? Do you have to call attention to yourself to be sure you're really here? Or maybe you're just young and foolish and think making a big racket is just harmless fun. Whatever your reasons, noise obviously works for you, satisfies you, makes your life worth living. And the rest of us?.... well who cares, right? It seems you use your so called 'freedoms' to hurt and not help others--and you actually think you're entitled to do what you do. It seems the angrier we get, the more pain we feel, the happier you are. And that is good enough for you.

 

 

^ You are lucky MTS is MIA

 

?

 

MTS lives on and loves Shaker Square.

^ You are lucky MTS is MIA

 

 

 

?

 

MTS lives on and loves Shaker Square.

 

 

Where is that crazy dude anyway?

^ You are lucky MTS is MIA

 

 

 

?

 

MTS lives on and loves Shaker Square.

 

 

Where is that crazy dude anyway?

 

Just enjoy the peace and calm for as long as it lasts!

^ You are lucky MTS is MIA

 

 

 

?

 

MTS lives on and loves Shaker Square.

 

 

Where is that crazy dude anyway?

 

Still recovering from the Oscars' weekend.

I have lived in university circle for the past 4 years and I feel safer here than anywhere else in Cleveland.  There have been a few instances that have happened to friends of mine.  A girl I know had a cup of pop dumped on her by UH at about 3 pm by some random guy, and another friend who was pushed to the ground right outside of a dorm at about 8pm and had his wallet stolen.  This is probably one of the highest density neighborhoods in Cleveland and with the student population there are usually always people on the streets.  I would walk around campus by myself at 2 in the morning but I can see how some would not want to, but these daytime crimes must be by crazy people because there are always other people on the street during the day.  The intersection that this happened by is clogged with cars this time of day so I would have to think that these guys were on drugs or something because that is the dumbest crime I have ever heard of.  I feel like the area is about as safe as it can be especially considering it borders troubled East Cleveland and Glenville.  They do a great job with security.

^Thanks for reporting your first hand experiences, mikel- always good to hear from residents.  I have to say, I thought it was pretty cool that (according to the article), the perps were chased off by two "unidentified bystanders".

^^Thanks for that perspective mikel.  I certainly agree and that was the point I was trying to make earlier before the discussion diverted to "ghetto parades", etc.  There simply is no urban area in the Country that is completely devoid of these types of incidents.

^^Thanks for that perspective mikel. I certainly agree and that was the point I was trying to make earlier before the discussion diverted to "ghetto parades", etc. There simply is no urban area in the Country that is completely devoid of these types of incidents.

 

Yes, nothing like anecdotal evidence to make everyone feel better!

 

For what it's worth, as far as urban areas go, I do see UC as being safer than average.  But then again, that's why so many people have bolted urban areas for the suburbs and exurbs. :)

Yes, nothing like anecdotal evidence to make everyone feel better!

 

Didn't you use anecdotal evidence to try to scare everyone?

Yes, nothing like anecdotal evidence to make everyone feel better!

 

Didn't you use anecdotal evidence to try to scare everyone?

 

Yes, but I wasn't trying to scare anyone.  You people just needed someone to come along and post something you agreed with so you could ignore my post.  We can turn to statistics, if you'd like.  I don't know what we'd be comparing, however.

Yes, nothing like anecdotal evidence to make everyone feel better!

 

Didn't you use anecdotal evidence to try to scare everyone?

 

Yes, but I wasn't trying to scare anyone. You people just needed someone to come along and post something you agreed with so you could ignore my post. We can turn to statistics, if you'd like. I don't know what we'd be comparing, however.

 

"You people"?

 

I would be willing to bet the statistics for crime in University Circle are similar to the national average, which makes it a relatively safe urban area.

 

What do you know!?!?!?!  It looks like you agree with "us people"!

 

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/331016-so-exactly-how-dangerous-around-cleveland.html

Whoopsie...

He's right, to an extent.  I may not always agree with clevelander17 but I like how he pokes holes in groupthink.  In our efforts to promote we sometimes overcompensate.

He's right, to an extent. I may not always agree with clevelander17 but I like how he pokes holes in groupthink. In our efforts to promote we sometimes overcompensate.

 

I do agree, but I think he overcompensates in the opposite direction, which is just as bad.

From Wikipedia (yes, I know it is not technically a "source" but it cites to the relevant studies):

 

The distribution of crime in Cleveland is highly heterogeneous. Relatively few crimes take place in downtown Cleveland's business district, but the perception of crime in the downtown has been pointed to by the Greater Cleveland Growth Association[146] as damaging to the city's economy.[147] Neighborhoods of higher socioeconomic status in Cleveland and its suburbs have lower rates of violent crime than areas of lower status, and even controlling for this factor, areas with higher populations of African Americans have higher violent crime rates.[148] A study of the relationship between employment access and crime in Cleveland found a strong inverse relationship, with the highest crime rates in areas of the city that had the lowest access to jobs. Furthermore, this relationship was found to be strongest with respect to economic crimes.[149] A study of public housing in Cleveland found that criminals tend to live in areas of higher affluence and move into areas of lower affluence to commit crimes.[150]

 

 

 

He's right, to an extent.  I may not always agree with clevelander17 but I like how he pokes holes in groupthink.  In our efforts to promote we sometimes overcompensate.

 

I do agree, but I think he overcompensates in the opposite direction, which is just as bad.

 

It's worse

So, we got this update today.  We're all really confused as to what it actually means:

 

SECURITY ALERT UPDATE

March 12, 2010

 

The University Circle Police Department has released an update regarding the incident that occurred around 4 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2010, at Mayfield Road and East 117th Street.

 

Authorities reviewed security camera footage that did not support the involvement of two suspects in University Circle as originally reported.

 

Geez, is anyone really even disagreeing with anyone here?  Gratuitous digs aside, I think we all agree that UC is generally pretty safe and this type of brazen daytime assault is really out of the ordinary, but also that UC, for many reasons, has more crime, on an absolute level, than exurban residential neighborhoods.  And I think we all agree that mentioning street noise on threads that Etheostoma Caeruleum reads is guaranteed to induce a long post by him.  I kid because I love, EC.

And I think we all agree that mentioning street noise on threads that Etheostoma Caeruleum reads is guaranteed to induce a long post by him. I kid because I love, EC.

 

:D

Yes, nothing like anecdotal evidence to make everyone feel better!

 

Didn't you use anecdotal evidence to try to scare everyone?

 

Yes, but I wasn't trying to scare anyone.  You people just needed someone to come along and post something you agreed with so you could ignore my post.  We can turn to statistics, if you'd like.  I don't know what we'd be comparing, however.

 

"You people"?

 

I would be willing to bet the statistics for crime in University Circle are similar to the national average, which makes it a relatively safe urban area.

 

What do you know!?!?!?!  It looks like you agree with "us people"!

 

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/331016-so-exactly-how-dangerous-around-cleveland.html

 

+1 for your internet stalking skills.  Look at the date on those posts.  My opinion has changed a little bit in the past two years.

+1 for your internet stalking skills. Look at the date on those posts. My opinion has changed a little bit in the past two years.

 

Internet stalking?  You're the one that followed me around the internets.  Thanks to your tip, I found out you were over on city-data.

 

So, in the last two years, you think University Circle has become much less safe?  Or you had a recent epiphany?  Or you just hate people at Urban Ohio and like to give us a hard time?

For what it's worth, City-data is full of Cleveland-bashers.  There's no sense in trying to engage in any kind of a constructively critical conversation there because these people will pile on.  If anything I spend a lot of time there defending the city from people who exaggerate how bad things are.  On the flip side, if I want to have a real conversation about the city's problems and potential solutions, this place seems far more suited.  And sometimes I argue just to play devil's advocate (and because I like to argue :) ).

So, we got this update today. We're all really confused as to what it actually means:

 

SECURITY ALERT UPDATE

March 12, 2010

 

The University Circle Police Department has released an update regarding the incident that occurred around 4 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2010, at Mayfield Road and East 117th Street.

 

Authorities reviewed security camera footage that did not support the involvement of two suspects in University Circle as originally reported.

 

 

Wow, this is totally weird.  I wonder if the victim used a non-incident as a cover story for injuries received elsewhere.

+1 for your internet stalking skills.  Look at the date on those posts.  My opinion has changed a little bit in the past two years.

 

Internet stalking?  You're the one that followed me around the internets.  Thanks to your tip, I found out you were over on city-data.

 

So, in the last two years, you think University Circle has become much less safe?  Or you had a recent epiphany?  Or you just hate people at Urban Ohio and like to give us a hard time?

 

I haven't followed you around at all.  We just happen to share similar interests on post on some of the same boards.  I recognized your name because you use the same one on all of those boards.  You may have recognized my name from City-Data because I post there quite frequently, especially on the Cleveland board.  No need to turn things malicious, I was simply busting your chops about the internet stalking. 

 

I don't think things have gotten better or worse in UC in the past two years.  I do think my opinion has changed a bit and I just don't see things as rosy as I used to.  I still feel generally safe when visiting UC, there are just certain parts, especially as you move eastbound down Euclid, that I think still need more gentrification. 

I was simply busting your chops about the internet stalking.

 

Understood.  The tone of your voice was lost over the wire somewhere and I mistook it.

 

I don't think things have gotten better or worse in UC in the past two years. I do think my opinion has changed a bit and I just don't see things as rosy as I used to. I still feel generally safe when visiting UC, there are just certain parts, especially as you move eastbound down Euclid, that I think still need more gentrification.

 

OK, I can understand where you're coming from there.  The closer you get to the bridge on Euclid the sketchier it gets.  I just took some exception to what seemed like you lumping all of University Circle into the "bad neighborhood" category.

 

I know there's crime in UC, but there's crime everywhere.  It seems like we've reached the point where after a crime in the city happens, you're an alarmist if you say there's too much crime, and an apologist if you insist the neighborhood is still great.  The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.  I think people just like to take sides and a stance.  I feel in UC, it leans more towards, "pretty good neighborhood that could use a little work in cleaning up some crime".  I would apply this to any other areas surrounding University Circle (except up the hill into Cleveland Heights).

So, we got this update today. We're all really confused as to what it actually means:

 

SECURITY ALERT UPDATE

March 12, 2010

 

The University Circle Police Department has released an update regarding the incident that occurred around 4 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2010, at Mayfield Road and East 117th Street.

 

Authorities reviewed security camera footage that did not support the involvement of two suspects in University Circle as originally reported.

 

 

Wow, this is totally weird. I wonder if the victim used a non-incident as a cover story for injuries received elsewhere.

 

My thoughts exactly.  I did find it odd that the alleged "heroes" who chased the criminals off went unidentified in the first place.  You don't just chase criminals off and then vanish unidentified.... unless you are a superhero of course.

 

If it is a false report, it is a shame how she chose to describe the suspects.  But typical I suppose.

My thoughts exactly. I did find it odd that the alleged "heroes" who chased the criminals off went unidentified in the first place. You don't just chase criminals off and then vanish unidentified.... unless you are a superhero of course.

 

If it is a false report, it is a shame how she chose to describe the suspects. But typical I suppose.

 

Yeah, I find this story getting really strange.  I found it strange to begin with, but if it really happened, then that's bad and the girl must be traumatized.  If it didn't happen, however, she could be trying to cover for injuries and get an insurance claim for a window that is messed up at the same time.  In stories like this, you hate to assume, because you look like a jerk if you're wrong, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a possibility.

^Thanks for reporting your first hand experiences, mikel- always good to hear from residents.   I have to say, I thought it was pretty cool that (according to the article), the perps were chased off by two "unidentified bystanders".

 

Probably Pisans

"and because I like to argue"

 

Arguing for the sake of constructive discussion is fine; arguing just to get a rise out of people is frowned on here.

"and because I like to argue"

 

Arguing for the sake of constructive discussion is fine; arguing just to get a rise out of people is frowned on here.

 

Turn that frown upside down.  I take an upopular position because it's what I believe, but I'll also enjoy the debate, too.  If I cross the line, I'm sure you'll let me know. 

Wow, this is messed up.  I wonder if the alleged perp's gun was legal and licensed.  If so, this is nightmare PR for the NRA:

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/shooting_victim_life_was_full.html

 

 

Is this the first downtown shooting since the Perk Park incident in February 2009?

Yes, although that's not really all that long.  Damned Uniontown thugs!

Very sad.

^^Because what makes many people uncomfortable about concealed carry is the possibility of escalation.  Normal arguments (likes this seems to have been) becoming fatal shootings.  I'm not weighing in on the merits of that view, just describing it.

^Depending on the fact pattern that emerges here, you may be disappointed what "reasonable" people think.

nm

So the shooter was from a wealthy subdivision in the Akron suburb of Green.  He was a college student too.  Just goes to show that you ALWAYS need to keep wits about you.  My guess is the parking attendant got the better of this kid in the scrum, which the kid picked to try and impress his girlfriend.  But then he turns his back on him and tries to go back to work, assuming the kid didn't have a gun.  Regardless of what occured, this is very sad.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/shooting_victim_life_was_full.html

 

 

So the shooter was from a wealthy subdivision in the Akron suburb of Green.  He was a college student too.  Just goes to show that you ALWAYS need to keep wits about you.  My guess is the parking attendant got the better of this kid in the scrum, which the kid picked to try and impress his girlfriend.  But then he turns his back on him and tries to go back to work, assuming the kid didn't have a gun.  Regardless of what occured, this is very sad.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/shooting_victim_life_was_full.html

 

 

 

That was just horrible.  I hope the people that "assumed" the shooter was a resident of Cleveland and a minority realize that "thugs" can reside anywhere.