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arturo
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Williamson: Flint will hire 50 new cops, reopen jail, buy new cruisers
By Robert Snell
rsnell@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6302
FLINT — Fifty new police officers that could be hired soon will ride solo through the city during the most dangerous hours on high-crime shifts and earn a higher starting salary than current rookie cops.
The revelations were unveiled today by Mayor Don Williamson, who wants to immediately start hiring 50 officers, reopen the city jail, and buy 40 new Chevrolet Tahoe police cruisers.
The spending spree will be paid for by using some of Flint’s projected $8-million surplus, revenue from the impound lot, and other funds the mayor did not identify.
“We have the money, it don’t make a difference where it comes from,” Williamson said. “Crime is an immediate problem, therefore, we must act immediately or sooner.”
He will immediately submit the plan for City Council approval and meet with union officials.
The officers would be paid $41,600 a year -- about $8,000 more than current rookies -- and work 7 p.m.-4 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
The plan is the mayor’s attempt to stem violent crime and homicide in the state’s poorest large city. There were 49 homicides last year, the most in more than a decade, and there have been at least 38 this year.
Williamson will tap revenue from the city impound lot that opened this year and has raised $631,000 in about four months. That money will eventually help the city reopen the Flint City Jail, which closed in 2001.
A hiring wave would boost the 240-member department to a staffing level that preceded Flint’s financial emergency, which led to a state takeover in 2002.
See complete story in Friday's Flint Journal |
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Fri Sep 08, 2006 5:29 am |
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Adam Ford
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Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:28 am |
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Richard
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Whether it works or not is not the issue. Something has to be done. Not sure if I like the idea of a crusier with only one police officer in it and afraid he will not get that involved on his own.
Down here in Florida we have a program called COPS-Citizens on Patrol. I know, sounds like the movie Police Academy but it seems to work. Two volunteers cruise the community and report any questionable activity. The cruisers are old out of date units with all emergency equipment still attached. Seems to work here.
It goes back to one simple thing, "Respect your fellow human being." I'm starting to think Flint has no human beings and is inhabited with animals.
I hope it works.
Richard |
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Sat Sep 09, 2006 10:18 am |
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Adam
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Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:35 pm |
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pissedlivinginflint
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Here we go 50 more cops sorry Don we know that will not work. 50 cops patroling alone from 7pm to 4 am, i want every one to remember that the first rule all cops follow is to make it home alive. We will not see a drop in crime any time soon if ever. I take that back many crimes will drop in flint
like those dangrous seat belt violators, or maby thay will get lucky and catch some drunk drivers ( and even if the drunk is rich ,a cop or a politician i hope they will treat them like any other drunk driver should) but they will not go agenst the drug dealers or gang members. hell they dont even stop curfue or noise violaters, unless they dont show cops the respect that cops THINK they deserve. no i dont see the flint goverment or Don doing anything to help we the hard working people of flint. After all they havent done anything as long as i have lived here. thats why i carry a leagal firearm to protct my famly and myself becouse the cops cant and wont..
I hope you all be safe |
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Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:25 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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Three ideas and three problems with those ideas.
More Police on Patrol. We already have more than enough officers to handle the crime in Flint if someone would just provide some leadership! Officers refusing to respond to calls because they are out with their buddies when they are supposed to be on the clock! Even when they Catch the criminals in the act they still refuse to arrest them? How is having more of these type of officers going to make a difference? IT WON'T!
Opening the jail, Good Idea but still just a band aid! With the county jail and City jail both open the city will fill up quickly also. Then What? We will be right back to where we started. It will make a quick dent. Then we'll be back to where we started. We need a more permanent solution.
Purchasing more Chevy Tahoes. This one really confuses me. Every crash test available shows that the Tahoes are significantly less safe than Impalas. Maintenance costs are also significantly higher. Tahoes also cost more to operate on a daily basis. Am I missing something here? Do we have so much money downtown that we would waste it so foolishly? Also, Do we really hate our officers so much that we would want them to drive vehicles that more likely to cause serious injury to officers in minor accidents and are even more fatal in major accidents, that we would make them drive these vehicles instead of purchasing safer vehicles and more cost effective vehicles? No wonder they spend so much time sitting in parking lots. |
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Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:11 pm |
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pissedlivinginflint
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| Ted has explained it far better then my rantings . Ted for Mayor sounds good. |
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Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:34 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:02 am |
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Richard
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He has too much common sense, can't have that if you are a politician. Give it a shot anyways Ted-Go for It!
Richard  |
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Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:15 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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I'm waiting to see how well My show goes over. I need to see how my ideas are accepted or if they are rejected.
http://www.cityofflint.net/usmc_leadership.htm I know these are outrageous ideas in Flint. But I truly believe this type of LEADERSHIP is what Flint needs.
I still believe Flint needs a Larger Jail or a better way to punish crime before we need can hire or even reduce the amount of Manpower we have in the Police Dept.
Currently over 5000 complaints/Investigations in the Detectives Bureau, 3000 of those have identified suspects that cannot be arrested because there is no place to put them. Flint has the highest level of un-served or un-enforced warrants for arrest well over 13,000 YES 13,000 (I’m waiting on my FOIA request to prove what I’ve been told by the court! Flint needs more than just the city jail opened, and 50 more officers with no way to arrest criminals isn’t even a viable short time solution. The County within the last month is already letting out criminals early.
Monday I will post my letter to the President, Mayor, Governor, and all the rest of Flint’s elected officials. So that others can see it. Right now, Our Mayor should be calling for the people of Flint to write and Call their representatives in Government and demanding help with this crime issue. Unless the Don really wants to do something. He’d have to go broke fixing the problem. Because Flint doesn’t have the type of Money and resources it would take to accomplish the task.
Here is my assumption. If the federal Government can build two bridges: $229 million for the Gravina Island Bridge, connecting Gravina Island (pop. 50) to the town of Ketchikan (that’s four and a half million dollars per person why not just give them a million to move off the island); and $223 million for the Knik Arm Bridge, renamed Don Young’s Way after House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young. Why can we not get help from the Federal Government to build a jail and house these career criminals we have in Flint?
Flint has 2nd generation criminals. These are criminals that were taught by their life givers, that the criminal system in Flint slaps them on the wrist as long as they don’t go too far! How far is too far? As long as they don’t kill someone they will be fine. I have example after example of this.
This is just a few highlights from letter. Just a few ideas to ponder! |
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Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:54 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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| If we needed more Police Officers to reduce Crime. How did Chief barksdale do it for years? His record shows Crime was going down signifacantly for almost TEN YEARS? And it was under his watch that he actally LOST officers! The Mayor Oops I mean Chief Williamson has had the luxury of a FULL STAFF. Hmmm I wonder why this NEW police force isn't doing as well? Could it be Leadership? Hmmm Could it be that Flint has so many officers that we can afford to have 7 police cars and 12 officers at a housing comission meeting. I also noticed that he finally got wise and lowered the number of officers needed at City Council Meetings from 3 and 4 down to 2. That was a good idea. Since most crime happens between the hours of 3PM and 3AM. It makes sense to have as many officers n the street at that time. rather than have them at city meetings. 12 at the housing commission.. that blows me away. What an obvious misuse of manpower! I shouldn't have to repeat it! I shouldn't even have to defend it! how many does the Mayor have attending them now? We have one officer that runs correspndance to lansing every day. I'm wondering about the correspondance to HUD also. Or since I've brought this to light. Has he gotten wise as he did with the council meetings. Changed his policy? |
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Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:14 pm |
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Biggie9
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the start of the donald's private army?
if he shows up at city hall in a gaudy military uniform with gold eppaulettes and feathers in his bicorne, worn "en bataille", then we'll know for sure.
BTW, if they ride solo, you can bet they will need a good commo net, so that 3-4 of them show up to back each other up at any situations. And with no health benefits or insurances, are any of them really going to be ready to throw down with any perps? They'll either ignore them [same as what we get now] Or they'll shoot first and ask questions later.
vive l'empereur donald!! |
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Biggie |
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Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:40 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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I’m afraid! I'm afraid if Flint keeps hiring more officers Crime will continue to go up! HUH? What are you talking about Ted? Well Let's look at Flint's historical records.
In 2003 when Flint had LESS officers Crime was going down. Then the Don came along in 2004. Hired more officers (according to the budget) and crime jumped up 17 percent for the first time in TEN YEARS. Then he hires even more officers in 2005 and again Crime goes up even More! Now we are almost back to 2001 levels in crime. Why to go DON! Great Leadership and Team Work.
How much more can Crime go up as we continue to hire even more officers?
How Come Chief Barksdale was able to bring crime down an average of 10 percent per year with even less officers than we have now? Hmmm With a city that is now at approximately 118,000 citizens, Not only is the ratio of officers to citizens growing, but now The mayor wants to hire even more officers. And purchase even more, more dangerous vehicles for them to drive around with?
Once Flint reaches 309 officers from it's current level of 259. Let's see, we have what? 50 Tahoes now? He wants to purchase another 40 tahoes?? how many impalas do we have? how many Crown Vics do we still have? If we have three shifts? How many vehicles can officers need per shift? 300/ 3 is 100 at the most? The math just isn't adding up!
And Flint still refuses to look at ways to really cut maintenance costs. For those that are curious. The city of Troy is saving Big bucks in their maintenance. And it's already been suggested to the mayor. Yet we don't do it! Less preventive maintenance costs, better longevity of vehicles, fewer major repairs. Yeah but I don't know what I'm talking about. I suggested it years ago and they still haven't done it. Shoot, The city of Troy uses it for the city's entire fleet. And they are saving BIG bucks! But, Flint won't even consider it.
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Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:03 am |
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John Wilson
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Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:25 am |
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Ted Jankowski
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I'll try to rear it tonight. Looks interesting.
Thanks |
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Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:36 am |
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