Thus far, 2nd Street doesn’t seem to be affected, as the perception is that the problems are not downtown, but in other places in the city. That’s not an incorrect perception; most of the violence seems to be confined to 3 or 4 specific areas (13th and Paxton was such an aberration it’s not even work talking about). My approach would be this: identify those 3 or 4 areas and impose a kind of quarantine on them. Increase the HPD presence (use the state police if you need to to supplement this), and watch for suspicious activity.

If you find that activity, don’t abandon the constitution, instead follow the proper steps for warrantless and warranted searches. But, in these area, rather than let a lot of suspicious behavior go, actually impose what the police can legitimately do. Increase the police presence in these concentrated areas until the violence, and the attendant behavior causing it, decreases.

Finally, make sure it’s temporary. When you think you’ve solved the problem, cut back to normal levels. We are not in a police state, and shouldn’t ever be.

I’ve spent too many years on 2nd Street watching too many HPD wait around to break up yuppie fistfights, while ignoring the rest of the city. While there are systemic problems like the economy and the hip-hop culture that are at the root of the violence, reallocating the police to where the problems actually are (and can be proven to be with real evidence) is something that can be done today.