This does nothing but throw sand into that fabric of trying to establish and trying reinforce what has been, over the last decade, a reasonably good relationship.

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Offenders know a slap on the wrist or a sternly-raised eyebrow is the worst they face, and when the economy is buzzing again, no one wants to throw sand in the gears.

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"He brings a toughness, a Boston street smarts mentality, a back-alley edge in a good sense ... a 'if you throw sand at me, I'm going to hit you in the nose' sense, " Coes said.

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