What, if anything, can we learn from the horrible murder of Dru Sjodin?
The defense introduced evidence that the defendant was severely impaired and not able to exercise restraint or judgment. Should he even have been released from prison? At the very least, these dangerous rapists and their ilk should be wearing monitoring equipment.
Let's also require that all parking lots in malls and shopping centers be adequately lighted and have security cameras covering all areas.
For example, Florida has older police cars doing mall policing and may possibly use retirees for this duty. Purse snatching is rampant in Florida and older women are frequent targets for substance abusers needing money for drugs. Florida also introduced the Gainesville Ordinance, which addresses security needs for retail clerks and provides for security cameras, in addition to prohibiting clerks from working alone during most hours of darkness.
I don't believe most people are aware that the most dangerous job in this area is working alone in a retail consumer goods business at night. In New York, it is cab driving, but we have a lower percentage of cabs in Fargo.
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A lasting tribute to Dru Sjodin would be if all North Dakota colleges, cities, counties and townships took action to legislate these needed laws. Fraternities and sororities could help facilitate the message. These solutions would be of greater benefit to young people and college students than worrying about Division I athletics and having the best flower gardens and landscaping in town.
If public safety is really important, cities could easily require exit DUI screening in bars, but lawmakers don't have the courage to consider these stern measures.
