I need to get into “work mode” late sunday night in order to make it to work on time. Part of that ritual involves going over the previous week, so I can figure out which clients I need to work with this week. I figure I’d share with MetBlog, because what happened Friday, while not usual, gives a small picture of my clients and my neighborhoods.

I delivered a summons on 76th and Kingston; my Client had been out to 4 am for the past few nights, and that’s a violation of his probation. I don’t know what he was doing and I don’t care what he was doing, being out that late at night is going to get him killed.

Knowing this client as I do, I figured he hadn’t eaten. After I told him to be in court, I bought him dinner. He points out the place he wants to go, as he wants a Gyro. So we get to the diner, and my kid starts rolling up his sleeves and says, “Oh s*** Mr. Gleason, I’m going to have to box.” Another kid, about his height, comes out of the place, and he starts he rolling up his sleeves. This kids friends–3 15 year olds, one 12 year old–come out too. The new kids starts yelling posturing for a fight, his friends are egging him on. My client is in a defensive stance, but obviously ready to fight.

In six years of working this neighborhood, I have never felt threatened or in danger until that very moment.

I disarmed the situation without anyone getting hurt and the police weren’t involved (as I seriously doubt they would have gotten there in time anyway. Yes, this neighborhood has those police boxes–and I’ve had to wait hours for the police to show up before.) My client, and his family, didn’t call me. By Wednesday, my client will probably be in custody. Just getting my kid into the detention center, or into DoC, isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference. Police boxes (the one with the cameras) on the corner haven’t made any significant improvements either. I wish I could end this post on a happy note, but there is nothing happy about it. If anything does change, I’ll post it.