Mr. Bealefeld has also made going after bad guys with guns a priority. Short of installing metal detectors everywhere or frisking visitors to downtown, there's just no way to ensure absolutely against people bringing weapons into the area. But the more illegal guns police can confiscate in other parts of the city, the fewer will find their way to the harbor and other tourist destinations, and the less chance they'll be used to commit crimes there. Targeting illegal guns will require more aggressive detective work as well as more effective cooperation between police and prosecutors to put gun offenders behind bars and keep them there.
None of these strategies are foolproof, and they also raise the possibility of serious abuses of civil liberties. Every rambunctious teen isn't a gang member and police can't single out people as suspects just because they happen to be wearing a certain color. Mr. Bealefeld's officers have to be smart enough to recognize the signs of potential trouble without going overboard and trampling the rights of innocent citizens. That will require experienced officers with not only the right attitude and temperament to defuse situations before they get out of hand, but the ability to deal firmly with determined troublemakers if that becomes necessary.
