Well Dressed "Rat Pack" Attacks Bystander

An Oakland resident reports, "Today (Oct. 19, 2007) around noon a group of about 15 teenagers mugged a young woman, knocking her down and stealing her purse. This occurred at the corner of 40th St. and Piedmont Ave. A bystander pursued them, at which point they turned and (essentially) attempted to murder him by gang beating him. They got away. They were described as very well dressed, like Nation of Islam or private school. Police arrived after the fact and did their jobs as best they could, but wouldn't it be nice if an officer was close enough to have been on the spot?" A police report was taken for strong-arm robbery and pocket-picking.

A few days later, police chief Wayne Tucker repeated the excuse, "You can't arrest your way into public safety." (San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 23, 2007) First of all, wouldn't it be nice if there were enough police to apprehend vicious attackers like these so that we could decide how to proceed? Second, a spell in jail – not a huge prison sentence – is exactly what the attackers need. They should learn there are consequences for their actions, enjoying some discomfort and some time to reflect on whether or not they should respect other people.