Nocturnal Emissions

Bold New Philosophy

Chasing a refrain to the old saw, “Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves, “ it seems that New York cops are finally winning a battle against big crime by concentrating on little skirmishes.

Studies show shooting murders in the Big Apple are down 40 percent in the last year, most sharply and noticeably in areas where police have cracked down on drinking in public, vaulting subway turnstiles and “moving disturbances” of the shoulder-mounted boombox variety.

If suspects act suspiciously when stopped, they get frisked. A lot of concealed weapons have hit the evidence lockers. Word among the street hoods has it that you got to make a tough choice: Either leave your gun at home, or — listen to this! — don’t commit crimes in public!

As a result, some of the city’s most violence-prone areas have gone without shootings for up to a month at a time.

Don’t get excited, though. The New York Civil Liberties Union and an array of civil-rights advocates are flinging legal papers frenziedly at the program, claiming it is discriminatory toward blacks and Hispanics. Since the majority of the victims tend to be black and Hispanic, some could see the project as New York’s single most successful civil rights program.

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Mark Moritz hung up his satirical spurs last issue to a collective sigh of relief from America’s gunwriters whom he had lampooned in “Friendly Fire” for two long, painful years. The 10 Ring is written by Commander Gilmore, a retired San Diego police officer who bases his humor, like Mark did, on actual occurrences. All the incidents described by the Commander are true.

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