New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
If I was forced to describe New Bedford in one word, I would select apathetic. Apathy is defined as “lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern,” and that describes much of the New Bedford population very accurately. It’s the root cause of most of New Bedford’s problems, especially crime.
First, there is an extreme lack of interest in politics in New Bedford. While most voting age residents are registered to vote, very few do and most politicians from the municipal to the state level run unopposed. When was the last time someone ran against Tony Cabral or Mark Montigny? In 2013, New Bedford mayor Jon Mitchell ran unopposed. Most of your ward City Councillors run unopposed or face weak opposition. How do you expect things to change if the leadership doesn’t?
Second, while New Bedford residents are very concerned about crime on social media, there is a large segment of the population that looks away when crime occurs. “No snitching” is a problem in the worst neighborhoods of the city. The bigger issue of drugs, prostitution and violent crime have become an acceptable way of life on some streets. The police and politicians can only do so much – residents stepping up to clean their own streets is the only true way to clean up a bad neighborhood.
Third, while there are some great residents that step up to make their community better, too many don’t. Complaining on social media about a dirty street is easier than actually organizing and participating in a clean up. It seems to be the same amazing people that organize and participate in the clean ups and the same people that complain on social media while doing nothing impact in real life.
Fourth, too many New Bedford parents lack interest in their children’s lives. Too many teenagers are out late at night past responsible hours and very few parents show up to important school meetings. It’s embarrassing seeing a dozen parents at New Bedford High School public forums with a student body of over 2,000 students. Involved parents and keeping kids active in healthy activities are the only real ways to prevent kids hanging out with the wrong crowds.
Finally, once the citizens and police do their job, it’s up to the judges that sit in the New Bedford court rooms to take sentencing seriously. No criminal fears the New Bedford judicial system, it’s one big joke. It’s tough to convince people in bad neighborhoods to report crime if the judges just release them the next day. It’s the good people in the bad neighborhoods that have to live with the criminals and the revenge they take on “snitches.”
Remove the apathy from New Bedford and you’ll remove much of the crime. When our youth have involved parents, adults are active in their political process, judges take sentencing seriously, and residents take pride in their neighborhood, things will improve.
Great article. I’ve messaged you on Facebook. Would love your involvement with a community driven project I’m working on. Please and thank you for your time.
New Bedford is an armpit….your called zoo is pathetic, your streets are full of holes, your crime rate is so high it is pathetic, driving through most neighborhoods is dangerous… but the most pathetic is that a lot of residents want to dig a tunnel between the city and fairhaven. I don’t even like to go to market basket and only go first thing in the morning. Not even one redeeming factor. The only half way decent thing is the zeiterion theater and that leaves a lot to be desired.
Ms. Mitchell,
It is people like you that make me glad I live in New Bedford. The city is charming place of natural beauty and home to many decent hardworking people.
Your redundant adjectives reflect your lack of intelligence. I have never heard of anyone getting hurt driving through NB. I am sure you lock your doors as you drive through the city. Haven’t heard of this tunnel you speak of. I think taxpayers money would be better spent on education and improving neighborhoods by taking down abandon buildings.I am guessing your an older Fairhaven resident and are concerned NB residents are going to flood your city like a hoard of locusts. Take your air of condescension elsewhere.
Elle,
I am glad you’re so high and mighty on the lack of intelligence when your own post is rife with grammatical errors. New Bedford is definitely not the city it was over 40-50 years ago when it was a much more beautiful city than it is today. I grew up in New Bedford and even with working to try and change the neighborhood and city, the apathy of those around prevented meaningful work from happening. Yes there were nicer areas, especially in the North End and certain areas beyond the hurricane barrier in the South End that were much more well maintained. I just could not deal with the lack of involvement of others in my own neighborhood despite my own efforts to try and have people be responsible for their own areas. It was truly very sad. I have moved out of New Bedford and the state as it is, but still in New England. While every town and city has its own set of problems, I have not looked back and honestly don’t miss the lack of forward movement that New Bedford still doesn’t have. I have yet to hear from close friends or family that still live there talk about any real, meaningful growth or change for the positive since I have left 16 years ago. I can only hope it still will turn around some day, but it’s refreshing living in an area now where people are truly committed to their homes and neighbors and actually care about what goes on.
Your a GEM
I think anyone who breaks their back living paycheck to paycheck on the brink of poverty would be pretty apathetic to the goons running this city. Most people haven’t the time or the energy after being worked to the bone. Alot of these people can’t be present for their kids because they’re working constantly, afraid of losing their job or not being able to feed them. Then people say “Well then you shouldn’t have kids!”.. but with the state of our education system I’m not surprised people get knocked up all too often. Ignorance breeds poverty and crime, which in turn breeds apathy and it becomes a vicious cycle.
If it were easier to get a quality education (then attain less soul-crushing means of a decent wages) then I think people would feel more empowered to make changes and break the cycle and most importantly have more money for taking time to be there for their kids.
My question is why does NBG take part in the blame game? The citizens of NB complain because there are things to complain about and not enough time/money/knowledge to do much without more sacrifice to their families. In my humble opinion, if you want to help empower this city I would recommend that NBG first cease in creating more bickering by antagonizing and pointing the finger at it’s own readers.. not a great way to bring a community together. You always talk like you care, but it seems you enjoy watching it all fall apart in the end.
while I agree on apathy that’s not me and that’s not a lot of people I think half the problem is the streets where everything bad is happening why aren’t the cops doing something they know where it is they know what’s going on why aren’t they doing something and I don’t mean just a little bit when someone gets shot we probably need the better police chief and better policeman
Make church recommend & Amen to this article you killed it.