The Two Types of Crimes on Marco Island

Here on Marco Island we are entreated to two different types of crime: those that are reported and pursued (Type 1), and those that are evident and summarily ignored (Type 2). Let’s deal with the Type 1 crime and the fine job our police department is doing.

For the majority of us, we become aware of these “serious” incidents when we chance them in the local print mediums. As but two examples, this week’s journals inform us that a fishing pole was stolen and a car window was broken. The crimes were reported, and there is not doubt that all that can possibly be done by law enforcement authorities on these cases is being done.

Now let’s look at the second type of crime. These are the crimes that occur but for some unfathomable reason, they don’t warrant the attention and the resultant action of the city or of law enforcement authorities.

Here are some examples

• Asbestos was found on a lot on Marco Island. Regardless of how it got there, isn’t the fact that it is there a crime? The EPA and the DEP are aware of this fact.
• There is a video (on this blog) where at a Celebrate Marco meeting a person calls out for someone to be “shot”. Isn’t that a felony?
• At a city council meeting, the city attorney and the city manager intimidate voters. Isn’t voter intimidation a felony? By the way, this whole exchange is caught on video.
• The city councilperson Tucker accuses someone of planting asbestos. Isn’t the planting of a toxic substance a felony? This deed has also been recorded.
• If it turns out that the “planting of asbestos” accusation is false, isn’t the false accusation of a felony in itself a crime?
• Several people witness boats dumping raw sewage into the bay (source: MIE Oct. 19. Pg 5). Let’s see if we got this straight – homeowners are being forced to replace perfectly working septic tanks to the tune of nearly $30,000 that don’t pollute one iota into the waterways, but boaters are seen willfully and maliciously dumping raw sewage into the same waterways. Isn’t dumping of raw sewage into the waterways a crime?
• Celebrate Marco receives money and gives political speeches and campaigns for issues. Why don’t they have to register as a Political Committee?

So, who if anyone in law enforcement is pursuing these crimes? No one it seems.

Why the double standard?

Perhaps a stolen fishing pole and a broken window demand far greater interest in the crime solving world than inducement to violence and depositing/planting toxic material in a lot.

Or is the reason because the Type 2 crime has irrefutable evidence (like videos), whereas the Type 1 has no such evidence. If so, then Franz Kafka is making the decisions as to which crimes to pursue.

Or is the dichotomies between pursuing the two types of crimes due to the fact that the perpetrators of Type 2 crimes can be easily identified and just happen to be “important” people?

Or is it perhaps that the real estate cabal has a hand in all of this and doesn’t want the bad news of the Type 2 crime to become widely known for fear that it would further adversely affect real estate prices?

Who knows why these truly serious Type 2 crimes are ignored. But the fact that they are simply disregarded demonstrates that at least this city has more than two types of crimes – the city has two standards of enforcement.

So much for equal protection under the law.

Would it be too much to ask to have someone look into these matters?