#public safety

Drugs are bad, mkay?

One of my dispatchers calls me. Says he has a weird one. I’m like okay, hit me.

“This guy wants a police officer to come out and stand by to keep him safe while he meets his drug dealer to explain that he has no money and can’t pay.”

Me:

Employee:

Me: Did you say he wants the police to stand with him while he waits for his dealer?

Employee: …..Yes. He’s not even there yet. He arranged this meeting in public in front of the library. He wants the officer to go first so he won’t be alone.

Just when I think nothing can surprise me, that damn phone rings again…

If you’re curious how my day is going, I’m fielding a complaint from a man who is angry about accident debris that was in the roadway two days ago.

You forgot Bang.

Me: “Communication supervisor.”

Caller: “Yeah I need to talk to that place where people go when they get arrested.”

Me: “You mean the jail?”

Called: “Yeah, something like that.”

What’s your Bang flavor? Let’s discuss.

Trainee: “Okay, and what’s going on out there tonight?”
Caller: “This guy needs an ambulance I think. I’m not sure what’s happened, but he’s bleeding, um, profusiously.

Me: “I would have asked her if he choked himself with the intention to harm himself. Just give us an idea of his state of mind.”
Trainee: “Why else would anyone choke themselves?”
Me: “…have you ever heard of auto-erotic asphyxiation?”
Trainee: “A-what a whatta?”
Me: “Oh lord. Here, let me google this, but NOT on the work computer.”

-5 minutes later-

Trainee: “That’s the craziest shit I’ve ever heard.” *pause* “I’m really glad you didn’t google that on the work computer.”

My trainee: “Which way did the clown go?”
Caller: “I didn’t see, but he came out of the sewer so he must have gone back that way.”
Me: “Did he say ‘sewer?’”
Trainee: “Sir, did you say ‘sewer?’”
Caller: “Yes. Down the sewer.”
Trainee: …..
Me: …..
Caller: …..
Trainee: “…like the Ninja Turtles?”

Guys, I’m dead.

I always advocated approaching the urban design issue in city with improving public spaces and pedestrian areas. There’s a lot that can be achieved just by focusing on few important elements such as the people who flood our streets.

In the past years we sadly witnessed the death of innocent people by the hand of radical Islamic terrorists who used vehicles to fulfill their nefarious plans. Public security is at its highest alert since the events of September 11 2001 in the United States, and perhaps we can now help cities both ways in terms of security and decor.

Governments can continue to spend millions on local security among hot-spots some cities might be vulnerable; police and army personnel are siding to keep communities safe across Europe during this wave of radical terror. However, we can make cities safe when we decide to use simpler approaches to limit traffic and potential threats in specific areas.

Common cement road barriers downtown Milan resemble Checkpoint Charlie in post-WW2 Berlin.

We don’t need to turn roads and intersections into Cold War security checkpoints, we just need to use urban landscaping tools and reshape them into spots that can blend within blocks and avoid any uncomfortable and insecure atmosphere among people. It’s important to create smart urban solutions that don’t trigger the population into believing there’s any threat.

A heavy cement flower pot is the best way to combine decor and security feature in one object.

Cities can safely implements large gardening objects like flowerpots made of cements to be placed where sensible gateways needs to be protected. The decor element of nature will play the advantage point while enhancing the security methods where needed.

These important and hefty pots are already everywhere used as decorative elements in many cities across Europe, some even have horizontal planks functioning as bench-element for pedestrian to use. This system is both eye-friendly and it doesn’t stand out as something alienating for the user to experience.

Any of these objects comes with a considerable weight that can improve the security of those city spots in need of safety; they act as dead weight to stop any moving vehicle by acting as physical barriers defending people. The plus side is they can be arranged to fit the decor and theme any city sports by changing pot size, weight, flora, pattern.

A selection of these pots placed according to the city’s strategic need has the full potential to stop any commonly driven vehicles to create disaster. People will be protected without knowing enforced barriers have been placed.