by Nadra Enzi

Crime is a game. While playing it carries life or death consequences, it’s still a game nonetheless.

The easiest way not to be behind bars as a private citizen-player is not to commit crime. Barring that, being very, very smart about the crime you commit seems the way to go.

Police-players in the game know they have to answer not only to command staff but nay number of monied, mouthy folks whose high income equal high priority in the criminal justice food chain.

Lower income players, given their lack of political clout (i.e ability to affect officers employment, promotions, pensions, etc. ) aren’t accorded the same deference. Their hope lies in making noise in print; on camera and to their elected officials in order to overcome lack of political capital.

Then you get to my team, concerned citizen-players who come from varied backgrounds but share a passion for getting involved in the process.

My particular squad, concerned citizen-players from the inner city, have a host of hurdles to vault in our quest to have our citizenship get first class treatment from the people whose salaries are also paid by our tax dollars.

Hurdle one is leaping over ingrained perceptions that inner citizens are, take your pick: criminals, criminal sympathizers or just plain ignorant.

Already looked down on, unless we raise the bar with players from law enforcement and other parts of government, we’re guaranteed the shortest end of the short stick.

Hurdle two is putting real bite to go with our bark because absent good marketing and strategy, concerns from ‘Hood level zip codes are routinely ignored, up to and including by government-players who happen to be Black.

This is accomplished by knowing who to take your issues to, in local media and official positions and applying pressure until results happen. Rich folks do it all the time. Folks from other communities who aren’t rich but whose sense of citizenship is sufficiently wealthy do the same.

Why shouldn’t we? Nobody else in America faces what we do and keeping silent about doesn’t improve our odds.

The crime game is a mercilessly effective barometer of just how much or little certain segments of the population are respected. One death gets the equivalent of martial law declared while dozens from a less respected segment hardly rate a yawn at police HQ or City Hall.

A long ago filed request I made to go on a police ride along met the fate of not even being answered because my segment, Black male private citizens, can only ride in patrol cruisers in two narrow capacities: employee or prisoner.

To have one of us ride alongside an officer might suggest police actually work for Black male private citizens like we too are stakeholders in society- sadly still a radical notion, even in the “enlightened” 21st Century.

The crime game is one private citizen-players who aren’t criminals or rich need to play much more actively. if you can’t afford to live in a gated city or hire off duty officers to patrol your neighborhood then you’d better step your game up to become a competitor in this game that affects everyone in some way.

If you come from a traditionally overlooked group it’s your duty to know procedure and relevant law in all situations you encounter.

Absent a blue chip address or big friends downtown, being poor and in a confrontation is the same as being guilty.

Knowledge of the system is an investment of time that will reward you time and time again while navigated the biased playing field that is society.

I’ve played the crime game as a concerned citizen-player from the most stereotyped group in American history. Nobody really expects someone from a neighborhood like mine to be a safety activist or believe in civic duty.

Where I’m from the likely presumption is I’d be a crack dealer; crack head; wino or other waste of human potential.

I didn’t choose to play the crime game as a criminal; nor an addict or even as a law enforcement officer.

My contribution to the game is playing it as a very concerned citizen from a part of town taken for granted by players on both the law enforcement and criminal teams.

My job is to play my part of the crime game to win. Winning in this case means creating a safer, saner inner city that finally gets first class treatment from those who are also paid by our tax dollars- just like other players around town.

Even with Black men as President of the United States and Attorney-General it’s still up to us in the inner city to make ourselves heard.

NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development alongside his STREET TEAM OF AMERICA (very) concerned citizens group.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NADRASW1