Jim Tarbell and Jail Space

Once again, Cincinnati's Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell has almost been made a victim on the city streets, and once again he has responded by sticking up for himself, unafraid in the face of crime. (Via Cincinnati Blog.)

Tarbell witnessed a man verbally assaulting a group of musicians on their way to a gig at Kaldi's in Over-the-Rhine. He broke up the altercation and fisticuffs ensued with the would-be villain, who tried to get away with a cell phone. The police arrived and caught the guy, and you might reasonably expect he would be tried and sent to ...

Jail? Well, that's the problem, isn't it? Tarbell's assailant, Larry Smith, sounds like he's already been there repeatedly. The Enquirer article suggested that he's been arrested over eighty times. The nature of the crimes is unknown - but at least thirty of them are felonies. It boggles the mind that this man is on the streets instead of doing hard time as a multiple repeat offender.

But of course we don't need more jail cells, some say. There's no issue with putting four- and five-time felons (in this case thirty-times) back on the street. Instead we need more understanding, jobs programs and compassionate listening to the reasons why people like Larry Smith are roaming the streets punching people in the face, screaming profanity, and stealing everything that isn't bolted down. What are you, a facist, thinking hardened criminals belong in jail?

Certainly I'm for creative solutions to the crime problem, and I'm even willing to believe that some "root cause" issues can be addressed with kids who are on the bubble, and can still be steered away from crime. But grown men on the streets who have committed upwards of 30 felonies? Unless this guy is some incredible anomaly - and Tarbell has announced he will find out the real story - we need more room in the big house, and we needed it yesterday.

Please spend my tax money on a bigger jail.