Saturday, April 22, 1989
NEWS
11
DAILY
NEWS
220 E. 42d St. New York, N.Y. 10017
JAMES HOGE, Publiaher and President
MICHAEL PAKENHAM, Kditerial Page Editor
GILMAN SPENCER, Editer
JAMES P. WILLSE, Managing Bditer
Juvenile delinquency
does not apply..
HERE WASA FULL MOON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, A
suitable backdrop for the howling of wolves. A vicious
I pack ran rampant through Central Park They attacked
at least five people. One is now fighting for her life. Perhaps, by
the time you read this, she will have lost that fight. Her chances
were less than slim. She was gang raped. Sadistically beaten.
Left naked and bleeding and bound and gagged. Left uncon-
scious in a mud puddle for hours until someone chanced to find
her battered body.
Police are rounding up the suspects. All are believed to be
juveniles. The first four arrested yesterday were juveniles, but
they were charged as adults. Which is right and proper. This
was not shoplifting licorice sticks and bubble gum from a candy
counter. This was bestial brutality. This was attempted murder.
Or actual murder, if the woman they savaged does die.
There was speculation that a day off from school and the un-
usually warm weather drew the youths to the park to do "mis-
chief" and it escalated into tragedy. Mischief? "Mischief" is
scrawling graffiti on a wall. "Mischief" is overturning litter bas-
kets. "Mischief" is not mugging. It is not gang rape. It is not
beating someone's face to a pulp with fists and crushing some-
one's skull with a rock.
UMMER'S COMING. WITH NO SCHOOL at all and lots of
warm weather. Will more wolves be making "mischief" in
Central Park? Or anywhere they damn well choose?
The only way to deter these marauding bands is to use the
full force of the law against them. The kid gloves have to come
off. Kids they well may be, but that doesn't mean they are not
responsible for their actions. Warm weather didn't make them
do this. A full moon didn't make them do this. Utter disregard
for law and humanity and human life – and utter contempt for
the possibility of punishment made them do it.
Wolf packs have been roaming the subways in increasing
numbers. Assaulting and robbing passengers. They've declared
the subways their turf. Wednesday's wolves declared Central
Park their turf. Should they be free to pick and choose their
domains this way? Should the entire city be turned over to
them? That will be the message if such juveniles are treated as
delinquents. They are not delinquents. They are criminals. Of
the ugliest conceivable kind.
and fear must not prevail
The rape-bludgeoning of a Central Park jogger is a crime that
strikes fear into New Yorkers' hearts. It raises profound ques-
tions about where it is safe to go - and not go - in the city.
As individuals, each person must make his or her judgments
about safety. But as a city, New York can never accept the prin-
ciple that some areas are off limits, out of bounds, no-person's
land. The city můst struggle constantly to insure that Central
Park is open to everyone, all the time. The same applies to all
the other parks and all the streets and subways.
The prime responsibility falls on government. That includes
more police patrols, better lighting, more activities that draw
crowds. Private citizens must do their part. For example, jog-
gers, especially the ones who are out at night, can run with
partners or even organized groups. There's safety in numbers.
That's the prime directive.
Nothing will guarantee absolute security. People will always
need to exercise prudence. But collectively New Yorkers must
claim the streets and the night for themselves. Retreating be-
hind doors is like telling the wolf packs: Go on, the city is yours.
3/20
