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A Murder in Lowell Becomes a National Story
Page one of the NYTimes online and in print features Deborah Sontag’s lengthy article about Pericles Clergeau, the young man accused of murdering Jose R. Roldan last January at the Lowell Transitional Living Center on Middlesex St. The reporter offers a disturbing account of Clergeau’s behavior for years and the problem he presented for medical, social service, and criminal justice systems.
This article was both depressing and infuriating. I felt so sorry for all who had to deal with this kid and furious that the system didn’t find a way to lock him up which, although not necessarily fair to him, would have prevented an entirely foreseeable murder. I won’t make the easy claim that the sad outcome of this was due to budget cutbacks but that undoubtedly played a role. Part of it I guess is the system’s need to play the odds. For every disaster like this, there’s probably hundreds of troubled kids who struggle through without killing anyone (but also without appreciably improving their lot in life). And in the print edition, the story was page 1 above the fold, dateline “Lowell, Massachusetts.” There’s a lot to like about . . . Oh, never mind.
“In mid-August, Mr. Clergeau showed up at the Lowell Transitional Living Center. A 90-bed shelter for single adults, with limited social services and a meals program, it is often the “last resort” for people who get “shuffled around,” Gary Baker, the board president, said. ”
This is unacceptable. Who else is walking around downtown Lowell like a short fused bomb looking for a light? Hopefully, the Lowell Transitional Living Center is planning a move. The last thing we need in Lowell is a “last resort” for violent people without a professional treatment program.