Victims? Forgiveness an option, not a requirement

If you have been a victim of crime, or wondering about crime in general, here is a number for you.

Right now, there are nearly 45,000 outstanding arrest warrants in the state of Connecticut for crimes ranging from failure to appear to violation of probation.

More than 16,000 of them are for people who committed felonies and there is an order to incarcerate 138 of them immediately upon arrest.

That is a lot of felony arrest warrants for people who are out here walking the streets.

Or maybe a better way of putting it is, that is an awful lot of victims.

Regardless as to whether those outstanding warrants represent serious felonies or minute misdemeanors, they tell the tale of crimes and where there is crime, there is a victim. Sometimes, there is more than one victim.

The FBI reports crime is down across the board nationwide. The Malloy administration agrees, stating it has dropped so drastically in Connecticut, prisons have to be shuttered.

And in terms of statistics, they are right. In 2016, property crimes fell by 1.4 percent, burglaries were down 2.3 percent and so were larcenies at 2.8 percent.

But statistics don’t mean anything when ordinary citizens are arming themselves against the possibility of being mugged, robbed or carjacked. They don’t mean anything to people who are investing in expensive alarm systems to secure their homes, cars and personal property.

Statistics are not human. They don’t see people, they don’t feel pain, they don’t cry over loss or grieve emptiness.

Most of all, they don’t experience fear.

I have a reader who lives in Meriden I speak with often. She tells me she doesn’t leave her home without protection.

The Bridgeport Police Department is cheering a grant that will put 15 more cops on the streets. I don’t think they would be do cartwheels if more cops weren’t so desperately needed.

Everybody is talking about crime, safety and security. And when it comes to crime, a lot of people here in the Nutmeg State and most Americans agree with me and my columns, “Prisons? They’re out here, not in there.” and “2nd chances? It’s the 3rd, 4th and 5th that are the problem” and not officials that criminals are running amok on the streets.

The Washington-based Pew Research Center reports that “public perceptions about crime in the U.S. often don’t align with the data.”

In 21 Gallup surveys released since 1989, a majority of Americans said there was more crime in the U.S. compared with the year before and in 2016, 57 percent of registered voters said crime had gotten worse since 2008.

So, the stats are not bringing people much comfort or security.

But speaking of stats, I do wonder if there are official stats on the pain, loss, grief and anger victims experience when criminals steps into their lives and disrupts it? Would that stat be declining or rising?

I guess when you have been a victim of a crime, you begin to look at crime — and the people who commit it — a little differently. Mainly, because you are forced to because not much attention is paid to victims unless they’ve been killed, kidnapped or some other horrendous act has happened.

Then, it’s front page news before being relegated to the back pages.

But all those “little” crimes — a snatched purse, a stolen car or scooter, a home break-in, a store robbed, tips taken from the waiter or waitress’ jar — that don’t scream headline is where crime is often forgotten. In this new modern era, if a person is not shot and killed, maimed or physically harmed, the crime just doesn’t rate much attention. It barely generates paperwork.

And now that they have faced the consequences, many of the people who have committed these crimes want their victims and everyone else to give them a second chance. They want us to look past the hurt they caused, the damage they left behind and the money or items they stole, used and enjoyed.

And not only do they want forgiveness, they expect us to smooth the road back for them by funding the services they need to, hopefully, go on to lead productive lives.

Somehow, they have become the victims with a team of supporters around them including government officials, programs, social workers and counselors.

And that leaves us, the real victims, on the sidelines watching as their lives are made whole while our lives are left empty with holes.

The sad part is we have no choice but to support them if we are to live as a society. We have to swallow their bad decisions, and give them a break even though they didn’t give one to us.

But giving someone a second chance doesn't always mean it comes with love. Forgiveness is separate thing. Victims don’t forget. And what criminals asking for a second chance must recognize and remember about their victims.

Forgiveness is an option. It is not a requirement.