Sometimes the point of violent crime is all about the money and forcibly removing those who stand in the way. Drug trafficking is a dirty, lethal business that deeply affects modern society. But, living in a community like Watertown, those criminals and their victims are mostly invisible. (More on this in a future blog post)
But there is
another category of violent crime where the jackpot is not paid in cash but in
enjoying the thrill of inflicting harm on unsuspecting, defenseless women and
men.
You may have
seen a recent notification from the Waltham Police Department, first appearing
on their website and social media sites on August 4.
Apart from
the purpose of this notification, which is to enlist the public’s help in
identifying the suspect and warning members of the public to be observant and
take precautions, this message from the Waltham Police Department is a loud wake-up
call.
At least it
should be.
Watertown has
just begun the process of selecting the next police chief, in an environment
where the traditional definition of public safety is being challenged.
I have
bolded several sentences in this notification that might remind some of us of why
the traditional definition matters.
Here’s the
notification:
“The
Massachusetts State Police and Waltham Police continue to investigate an
assault that took place along the Riverwalk on the night of Sunday, July 30,
2023.
Today
State Police and Waltham Police are releasing a police artist’s sketch of the
assailant in the hope that a member of the public may recognize the suspect and
contact us.
The
assailant is believed to be a Hispanic male, approximately in his late 20s or
his 30s, and approximately 5’7”. He was wearing a baseball cap at the time of
the assault.
The
assault occurred in the area of Newton and Farwell Streets at approximately
8:45 PM on Sunday, July 30. The female victim, a young adult, heard
footsteps behind her and then was grabbed from behind by the suspect, who tried
to put his hand over her mouth.
The
victim was able to scream and struggled to get free. The assailant then let go
of her and ran off. The woman turned and saw the assailant fleeing. Units from Waltham
Police and State Police responded and searched the area but were not able to
locate the suspect.
Anyone
who recognizes this suspect or has any information about the assault is urged
to call Massachusetts State Police Troop H Detectives at 617-740-7544, the
Waltham Police Department at 781-314-3600, or simply call 911.
We
urge the public to be aware of their surroundings and the presence of other
people around them when walking in any public space. People should carry a cell
phone, don’t wear headphones, and may also consider carrying pepper spray.
If you see anything or anyone suspicious call 911 immediately. If you are
assaulted, if at all possible scream, make noise, and fight back.
We thank
the Lincoln Police Department for their assistance in creating the sketch.”
Here’s the
sketch, drawn from the victim’s description of the suspect.
We are reminded by this message that law enforcement and the preservation of public safety are collaborative efforts. The area known as the Riverwalk is a state park operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, so officers of the Waltham Police Department are working with troopers of the Massachusetts State Police. The sketch of the suspect came from the Lincoln Police Department. I imagine that when this suspect is apprehended, it will have resulted from contributions from other police agencies and from tips from members of the general public.
I would be
surprised if the police departments of Newton, Watertown, and other nearby
communities are not, in some way, involved in the search.
The comments
on social media reflect the fear and anxiety generated by this attack, which I
am sure is reaching the offices of Waltham’s mayor and the police chief.
I hope that
most Waltham residents are confident that the police, in pursuing this
assailant, are leaving no stone unturned.
In the
meantime, something precious has been lost.
Freedom from fear of physical assault is a
luxury we often take for granted. Random acts of violence by sexual predators
deprive women of the freedom to walk alone, without fear, even on a tree-lined path
along the Charles River, enjoyed by couples, families, dog walkers, runners, and
bicyclists.
For
apartment dwellers, office workers, and all residents and visitors seeking
fresh air and scenery, Waltham’s Riverwalk is an urban oasis. But this oasis is
becoming increasingly unsafe for women who wish to enjoy it alone, especially
after dark.
In September
of last year, a girl (her age was not made public) was raped on the Riverwalk
and a few weeks later, a woman, running along the Riverwalk was groped by a man
on a bicycle.
In the first
incident, according to police, “The girl was walking with friends near the
Riverwalk's Elm Street entrance. After she separated from her friends, she
was grabbed from behind and pushed against a tree then sexually assaulted
until her assailant thought he heard someone coming.”
The victim
didn't turn around but heard what sounded like a person riding off on a bicycle.
In the
second incident, according to police, “a woman running on the path near
Prospect and Crescent streets said she was touched inappropriately by someone
on a bicycle who approached her from behind.” The woman ran off.
We do not
know if the three attacks were committed by the same individual. Nor do we know
the extent to which women have changed their habits on or around the Riverwalk
or in other sections of Waltham, especially after dark.
A female
commenter on the Waltham PD Facebook page, referring to the Riverwalk, said: “Never
would I walk down a path with no escape.” She’s right about there being no
escape. Between Farwell Street and Elm Street, unless you happen to be near one
of the cross streets, where you can enter or exit the Riverwalk, there is no
place to escape and no place to hide.
Police
patrols have been temporarily beefed up but a permanent public safety solution
needs to be found. And it will be. Because Waltham has a firm grip on the true
meaning of public safety.
And, with
good reason.
In Waltham,
dealing with community fear, spread by a violent predator, is not new.
On November
10, 2020, a man was attacked from behind by an assailant who struck him with a
blunt object. The next day another man was attacked from behind in a parking
garage. Over the next month, nine more men were attacked in a similar manner.
Some were found unconscious.
Reports of
these attacks set the community of Waltham on edge. Police stepped up patrols.
At a news
conference, Waltham Police Chief Keith MacPherson (now retired) said: “The
motive is somewhat in question but it appears to be a thrill of the assault,
or someone who’s very violent and enjoys seeing someone hurt by this. There’s
never been a robbery — it’s always been just an assault and the assailant takes
off.”
Mayor
Jeannette McCarthy urged residents not to walk alone and stick to well-lit
areas.
Residents
began changing their routines, no longer strolling or dog walking alone,
especially after dark.
“My God,
we’re scared,” Amos
Frederick, 37, told a reporter from Associated Press. “All of us stay
indoors except during the day. If someone is just walking to their car, we
watch out for them.”
On December
11, Waltham police arrested 24-year-old Clauvens Janvier for the second attack,
but they did not yet know if he was responsible for the other attacks or if
there was another attacker still on the loose.
The mystery
and the public’s anxiety ended just over four months later on March 18, 2021,
with the announcement that Mr. Janvier, the man in custody since December 11
was the lone attacker.
“It took
months of investigation to link him to all of the attacks,” said District
Attorney Marian Ryan. “After an extensive investigation that included a review
of cellphone data and surveillance video, the execution of search warrants and
interviews with victims and witnesses, investigators determined that he was
responsible for the 10 other attacks.”
Through a
search warrant executed on Janvier’s car, detectives found a machete, a gun,
two knives, and blood-stained boots.
The blood
from the boots was then compared to DNA samples that investigators collected
from the 11 known victims.
Solid police
work.
Mayor
McCarthy expressed the community’s sigh of relief: “It was traumatic for the
victims, but It was traumatic for the whole city.”
Police
reports revealed that Janvier had a history of violent crimes including assault
and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Other than
being men, his victims did not fit a particular profile. They were of varying
ages and racial and ethnic backgrounds and included a postal worker.
There was an
important piece of information that neither the mayor, the police chief, nor
the D.A. could provide. Had it not been for the arrest and the thorough
investigation, how many more victims could Clauvens Janvier have added to his
list of successful, head-bashing ambushes? Dozens more?
No police
department can provide data on how many crimes were prevented and how many
individuals did not become victims thanks to solid police work.
An attack
from behind in a dimly lit area, where a predator can choose his perfect moment
to strike has a high probability of success. And since this predator seems to
have been seeking gratification coming from “the kill,” why would he ever want
to stop feeding himself that gratification?
“This
is the work of someone who’s very violent and enjoys seeing someone hurt.”
Or, this
one:
“No
robbery. Just the thrill of the assault.”
So, the cops
quietly did their jobs and removed a violent attacker from the streets of
Waltham.
The mayor, the
police chief, and the D.A. did their jobs and kept the public informed but not to
the point of jeopardizing the investigation. Complete transparency in police
work is unrealistic.
And guess
what! The system worked as it was designed to work − without the assistance (or interference) of a citizens
advisory committee.
Now let’s
imagine that Clauvens Janvier’s terror spree was taking place today in the City
of Watertown. And let’s suppose that the Human Rights Commission was already up
and running.
Clearly, Mr. Janvier, as you can see, is
Black. Would the fringiest of our progressive idealists be crying foul? After
all, wasn’t the assailant obviously a victim of a fractured, biased, underfunded
mental health system?
Wasn’t he
the real victim?
How about the
suspected Riverwalk assailant who appeared to the victim as possibly Hispanic? Is
the inclusion, in the police department’s notification, of “is believed to be a
Hispanic male” racist?
Or might it simply
be a critical lead that, along with the sketch, will hopefully result in the
capture of the assailant, allowing women of every race and ethnicity, as well
as the men in their lives, to breathe a collective sigh of relief?
If a
suspected assailant is arrested in Watertown for attacking a woman on our
Riverwalk, should our future Human Rights Commission be called upon to sort
this out, with the understanding that every assailant is himself a victim of
societal neglect and depending on race and ethnicity, a victim of systemic bias?
On Tuesday, July
24, in the Watertown Savings Bank room at the library, City Manager George
Proakis, flanked by his two veteran public safety consultants, Jack Parow, and
Ken Lavallee, held his Community Input Forum about selecting the next chief of
the Watertown Police Department.
If you were
not in attendance and if you have not seen the video recording, and if you happen
to care about real public safety, I urge you to watch it.
If you think that it matters what kind of top
cop the next police chief will be, I urge you to watch it.
If you, like
many of our fellow residents, are clueless as to how much pressure is being
placed on Manager Proakis by a small, determined, highly organized group of police
reformers, to view this appointment through a narrow racial lens, I urge you to
watch it and to make your voices heard.
Safe streets
and parks, for every man, woman, and child of every skin color which is the current
reality in Watertown, is not an accident and it is not guaranteed.
And please
remember that the next police chief will have to contend with our new Human
Rights Commission, which is liable to have the same narrow field of vision that
dominated the City Manager’s meeting.
The members
of this much-needed (because other towns have one) commission haven’t been
appointed yet so I can’t show you a group picture. Until I can do that, I have
a picture that I am using as a placeholder.
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