To the editor:

The growth of violence and weapons violations in or near the downtown music venues is not due to the lack of additional city permits and fees. As much as our city officials hate to admit it, it is due instead to the increasing presence of thugs and gangs from Kansas City and Topeka and a lack of good old-fashioned law enforcement.

The Wakarusa Music Festival attracts a number of suspected drug dealers to the area. The Kansas Highway Patrol responds by setting up roadblocks leading to the festival. They recognize the source of a crime and then they go after it. That’s not a “bad welcome mat” as the promoters called it. That’s law enforcement.

At closing time, police presence at the downtown music clubs is often nonexistent. Foot patrols in the parking lots and inside the clubs rarely occur.

Perhaps we should first ask our city commission members to admit who is causing the crime and not look at this as an opportunity to pick another pocket. Second, we should demand that the chief of police properly allocate his forces. If the chief of police can’t figure out how to do that, perhaps we should hire one that can.

Vigorous and consistent law enforcement in Lawrence would be refreshing.

John Poorman,

Lawrence