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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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Certain council members are adamant about the people being allowed to speak with their votes for or against funding the jail with a new 2 mill tax.
They should be so adamant with respect to the budget, and put the ombudsman issue back on the ballot. Save that money, put it back into policing.
The neighborhood police tax is being replaced by a 2 mill tax to fund just police. Supposedly that neighborhood police funded 16 officers. And without funding the 2-mill "police tax" we're being threatened 16 officers will lose their jobs. Since we no longer have neighborhood police the mini-stations should be closed. Use the money saved to put back into police funding. |
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Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:53 pm |
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munnbreslin
F L I N T O I D
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| Couldnt agree more about the ombudsman issue. Pour that money into our police department, we need it. Also, we need support for this jail millage. Vote yes in May! |
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Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:10 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Given the level of trust I have in the current administration, I'm very dubious of any millage. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:25 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I supported the Ombudsman office until I received and my friend received some absolutely ludicrous responses. The North end mini-station was violating the campaign finance laws by allowing individuals to campaign there.
The Ombudsman response was no violation because the bylaws stated complaints had to to the board. State law would supercede this groups bylaws any day. Anita did not have the intelligence to see that. This is a governmental building and paid for with taxpayer dollars. The law says that the resources of the government cannot be used for political purposes. This issue had been addressed repeatedly.
The Ombudsmans office then went to the meeting and warned the group. They allegedly admitted they had soft pedaled the investigation.
The office has become too political. Ombudsman have been selected because of race and gender and not quakifications.. It is now time to eliminate this office. |
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Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:23 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee County tries to combat jail overcrowding issuesUpdated at 06:36 PM today
Bill Harris
More: Bio, E-mail, News Team
GENESEE COUNTY (WJRT) -- (02/07/11)--According to Michigan's Motor Vehicle Code, a first offense for a DWLS (Driving While License Suspended) is a misdemeanor and is an arrestable offense, punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.
They key word is arrestable. You can go to jail for driving while suspended. In fact, going to jail is the rule not the exception in many parts of Michigan if you're caught driving with multiple suspensions.
But in Genesee County, because of jail overcrowding, it's the exception, not the rule.
Two State Police troopers were on patrol one recent night as part of a squad assigned the city of Flint.
"You normally don't carry shotgun shells in your pockets when you're going into the store," said Sgt. Todd Mapes.
What happened next is something that happens routinely in Flint. Rather than being taken to jail, which almost certainly would have happened in any of the surrounding counties, the suspect is given a date to appear in court and let go.
"Guy had a couple of warrants for his arrest but the warrants he had are misdemeanors and we can't lodge them in the jail," Mapes said.
"So basically, we have to advise them and release them. And we hate to do that, especially considering the circumstances with him having some shotgun shells and probably up to no good."
His release is the result of a problem that has plagued Genesee County law enforcement for years: jail overcrowding.
"It's an everyday problem since I've been the sheriff for 12 years," said Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell. "Every single day we face the overcrowding issue."
The new Genesee County Jail opened in 1989. It was built to house 387 inmates. On the day we interviewed Pickell, the jail population totaled 640.
"We take all of the violent offenses," he said. "Drunk drivers, domestic violence, fresh B&Es, burglaries and other crimes of a nature of a felony. We don't take most misdemeanors.
"The guy with a shotgun is a typical example that if we had some space to put him in the jail, he wouldn't be back on the street, you know?" Mapes said.
The inability to lodge prisoners in the Genesee County Jail is not unique to Flint. It is a countywide problem. And there is a frustration factor.
"We hear it all the time," Pickell said. "And it's frustrating to me as well. But we can only deal with what we have."
After years of dealing with the jail overcrowding problem, there is now a glimmer of hope. ABC12 news has learned of a State Police proposal modeled after a similar and successful zero-tolerance plan currently in place in Saginaw County.
"But there was one big difference between Saginaw County and Genesee County and that's the Saginaw County Jail," said Capt Dan Atkinson.
"Captain Gotsweiler kept that jail open to where we had an offense, we could always lodge within the Saginaw County jail. Since that time, the crime has gone down drastically, particularly, in the city of Saginaw."
"If we didn't have the jail space here, what would be happening here would be what's happening in Flint," said Saginaw County Prosecutor Mike Thomas.
"You're having a crime situation where you have the highest homicide total in the same number of years that we've had the lowest homicide totals. You're having a target rich environment and you don't have enough police resources down there and you need to have more space in your jail."
In the almost 40 years Genesee County has had a jail overcrowding problem, there have been two constants: the Flint city lockup and the overcrowding at the Genesee County Jail.
The year 2011 may bring new hope to the problem thanks to the Midland County Jail.
"When we built and designed this jail, we built it with and designed it with the thought we could rent beds help offset the cost to the citizens of Midland County," said Sheriff Jerry Nielsen.
The Michigan State Police overcrowding initiative should not be confused with the ongoing efforts in Flint to reopen the city lockup. But Atkinson says if he can get the funding, the city jail could be added to the mix.
The reopening of the Flint city lockup could come as the result of a millage request.
How would the State Police plan be funded? There has been no mention of millages or taxes. Federal dollars are a possibility. And thinking outside the box, Atkinson is also considering private funding.
(Copyright ©2011 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) |
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Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:33 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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I don't understand why we even have narcotics units since there's no room to put the thousands of drug addicts in Flint/Genesee County anyways?
For being in such a near anarchist city it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem that every other driver in Flint probably doesn't have a license. |
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Tue Feb 08, 2011 3:29 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Bill Harris
More: Bio, E-mail, News Team
GENESEE COUNTY (WJRT) -- (02/08/11) -- A study released just a few months ago by the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan says Michigan is one of the most violent states in the Great Lakes region.
It goes on to say only 21 percent of convicted felons were sent to prison in 2009. The national average was over 40 percent.
The issue is similar in Genesee County, where, because of jail overcrowding, people who should arrested and sent to jail are issued a ticket to appear in court and released back on the street. Man of those people (the numbers are in the thousands) then fail to show up for court only to be arrested again and again, resulting in no accountability for their actions.
"The driver, right now, we've run him. He's got 10 warrants for his arrest that the county can't lodge. Another guy's got five warrants. So we're up to 18 warrants on three different people that we can't put in jail," said State Trooper David Stokes.
Story: Genesee County tries to combat jail overcrowding issues
It's but one example of what police say is a typical night on the streets of Flint and Genesee County, best described by Flint City Council President Jackie Poplar, who witnessed this state police traffic stop. "There's something wrong with the system," Poplar said.
Another traffic stop on Flint's north side involved five suspects, a total of 30 warrants and, because of jail overcrowding, all five were let go. Michigan State Police Captain Dan Atkinson the problem continues to grow. "It's led to a situation in Genesee County where you have thousands and thousands of persons with outstanding warrants that are roaming the streets," he said, "that the criminal element knows there, that unless it's an extremely serious offense, that they're not going to jail."
"They know that they're not going to jail for many of these offenses unless they're serious felonies and, you know, subsequently they get 10, 12 suspended tickets, and they may have half a dozen warrants," State Police Sgt. Todd Mapes pointed out.
"He has 10 traffic warrants, all out of various jurisdictions in Genesee County: Flint PD, Flint Township, one out of Mount Morris, all of which we can't lodge on," Trooper Brad Ross said.
"And there's nothing we can do about it," said Mapes.
But there are new signs that may signal an end to that police-criminal stalemate in Genesee County. We are learning new details of a state police proposal to help ease the jail overcrowding issue. "We've got a brand-new jail up in Midland County that the sheriff there is willing to house the prisoners from Genesee County at a very reasonable rate for us," Atkinson said.
"If someone's incarcerated, we come pick them up, and we can hold them here at the Midland County Jail. They can actually be arraigned here, without any trip at all to Genesee County. That's a cost-saving factor because of the technology that we have," Midland County Sheriff Jerry Nielsen said.
The cost-savings caught the attention of Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell. "They will come and pick them up at this jail, drive them up to Midland County, put them in the jail, and when their sentence is served, bring them back. And they'll do that for $31 a day. I can't ... do that. I charge twice as much because my labor costs and other fixed costs are so high. It's about $68 a day here."
"If Genesee County decides to, if they wanted to try to save on transportation costs and utilize the same system for arraignments, they could do that," Nielsen said.
The technology exists that a Genesee County arraignment could take place in Midland County. So what's the problem? Why isn't it happening? "Well, I think, you know, money is the answer. If we come up with the money, I think that Midland County is a very workable solution," Pickell said.
So Atkinson and the state police are thinking outside the box for funding. "We've met with Representative Kildee's office. We're going to talk to Senator Stabenow, look for federal dollars. But I think we also need to look to foundations. We need to talk to the Mott Foundation to see if they would be able to assist with this initiative," Atkinson said.
If this plan were to happen, will the streets of Genesee County and the city of Flint be safer?
"I believe they will," Pickell said.
"I don't think we have any options," said Atkinson. "The past year's statistics in Flint with crime, we don't have an option here."
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(Copyright ©2011 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) |
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Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:31 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The move for more cameras in Flint to fight crime has been a battle for about 3 years. Neighborhoods want them. The police argue over whether cheaper cameras will do as well as the high tech versions touted by the Williamson administration. Can cameras replace police? Who will pay for them and who will monitor them?
Video surveillance used more by small towns
By Judy Keen, USA TODAYUpdated 1d 11h ago |
77 | 3ShareReprints & PermissionsSurveillance video cameras are sprouting in midsized communities across the USA as police borrow the crime-fighting tool from big metro areas.
By Mark Kegans for USA TODAY
McKee Coins, a store in Ottumwa, Iowa, agreed to let the city install cameras on its building.
EnlargeClose
By Mark Kegans for USA TODAY
Saginaw, Mich. (population 55,238), last year installed 17 video cameras at a water/skate park and plans to add more by June in other parts of the city, says Mayor Greg Branch. "Crime for us is trending downward, but we still have a lot more crime than we want," he says. Another factor: Cameras are cheaper than hiring more cops.
"Every city is facing budget pressures," Branch says. "We can't put more police on the street." A $300,000 federal grant will pay for the new cameras.[/b]
IOWA: Video surveillance's pros, cons weighed in small town
Big cities such as New York, Washington and Chicago use cameras to monitor high-crime and busy areas, and many businesses have them inside and outside. A store security camera captured last month's Tucson shooting that killed six and severely wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Dan Kobil, a constitutional law professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, says courts have ruled that people have no expec-tation of privacy in public settings.
As technology allows more precise and pervasive images to be collected, he says, courts likely will revisit the issue. Although cameras are "an important tool for law enforcement," he says, "I'm disturbed by it ... as someone who values my privacy." Debate over cameras continues. The ACLU of Illinois this week asked the Chicago City Council to halt expansion of its camera program.
Elsewhere:
•Lafayette, Ind. (population 65,704): The city has about 15 cameras and wants at least 30 more, Police Chief Don Roush says. The cameras helped solve a 2008 homicide, he says.
•Williamsport, Pa. (29,304): The city is seeking bids for a camera system. Mayor Gabriel Campana says he wants them in residential areas "where we've had challenges. ... My No. 1 concern is public safety."
•Salisbury, Md. (28,327): Police are advising downtown property owners who want cameras, says Allan Hope of Urban Salisbury, an economic development group. "There is a groundswell" of support, Hope says, and cameras could be in place this summer.
•Vineland, N.J. (59,198): The 23 video surveillance cameras and seven other cameras that scan license plates to identify vehicles involved in crimes were bought with $200,000 in state grants, says Mayor Robert Romano.
"People had the perception that downtown wasn't safe, and perception becomes reality if you don't keep it in check," he says. "This makes people feel safer."
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Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:40 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Video surveillance's pros, cons weighed in small Iowa city
Updated 2/10/2011 3:13 AM ET E-mail | Save | Print
Enlarge By Mark Kegans for USA TODAY
Ottumwa, Iowa, Police Chief Jim Clark says installing cameras on downtown streets will deter potential criminals.
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY
OTTUMWA, Iowa — As they serve loose-meat sandwiches at Canteen Lunch in the Alley, Debbie Quick and Dixie Buck agree that installing surveillance cameras downtown will help prevent crime and make people feel safer.
"Most businesses are going to appreciate it," says Buck, 64. "If they get a window broken, they'll find out who did it."
Quick, 56, says cameras will help stop harassment of people at the downtown bus shelter. She's not concerned about forfeiting privacy. "If I'm not doing anything wrong, I've got nothing to worry about," she says.
Customer Brett Phippen, isn't so sure. "I'm concerned we'll end up with fewer police patrolling," he says. "It might deter crime, but it might send it somewhere else that doesn't have it."
Phippen, 52, a teacher, does worry about an erosion of his privacy. "My privacy is worth something, but they're going to say you don't have any unless you're in your own house," he says.
Ottumwa, which has about 25,000 residents, is among dozens of smaller U.S. communities emulating big cities by turning to cameras to help monitor their downtowns or high-crime areas.
SURVEILLANCE: Video cameras increasingly used by smaller communities
Police Chief Jim Clark got a $375,000 federal grant to put about 30 cameras downtown and near Quincy Place Mall. The funds also will be used to install computers in squad cars so officers can access the images and respond to trouble. The images also will be wirelessly transmitted to police headquarters and recorded for use as evidence.
Cameras cheaper than cops
The cameras, which won't be used to catch red-light or speed violators, will be in place by June 1, Clark says. "To commit a crime, people have to think they can do it without getting caught. Well, cameras take that away," he says.
Mayor Dale Uehling says no one has complained to him about the cameras, which the City Council approved unanimously. "This is just another tool to help us," he says, and cameras are "a lot less expensive than hiring another police officer."
Ottumwa isn't a hotbed of crime; its two homicides in 2010 both were domestic violence cases. Even so, its 40 officers made 3,925 arrests last year and responded to 57,691 calls. The main problems downtown, Clark says, are vandalism and rowdy conduct by bar patrons. Illegal drugs also are an issue, he says.
Cindy Woodbury, executive director of Main Street Ottumwa, an economic development group, says the cameras will make anyone considering opening a business downtown more confident about safety. About 30% of downtown property, including some historic buildings dating to the early 1900s, is vacant.
"It's part of stabilizing downtown," Woodbury says. If more businesses open, she says, "it increases the likelihood that people will want to live downtown."
Owen McKee is all for the cameras. He owns McKee Coins, a store that has been on Main Street for 30 years. About a month ago, he installed security cameras inside the store to catch shoplifters, and he plans to put more outside.
"It might serve as a deterrent — we don't try to hide them or anything," he says. "You just have to assume that no matter what you do, you're being watched, whether it be by God or man."
McKee, 55, is among many property owners who have agreed to allow the city to install cameras on their buildings. Owners will pick up the modest cost of electricity to operate them.
A hedge against vandalism
Donna Greenley, owner of O'Town Books, also wants a camera outside her store. "I just think we need it," she says. "There are a lot of empty buildings downtown, so it's kind of a breeding ground for not-so-nice things and a lot of vandalism."
Much of the area is quiet and "very scary" after dark, Greenley says. "People don't want to put a business here if goofy people are around creating trouble."
Jacqueline Thompson, 57, a dance instructor and part-time pastor, isn't sure it's possible to woo stores back downtown. She also wonders whether the cameras really will prevent crime and has some qualms about surveillance.
"People that want to steal ... will know where those cameras are, and they'll avoid them," she says. "Do I like cameras all around me? Welcome to the 21st century," she says. "You can't get away from it, unfortunately."
Uehling says the city will track crime statistics and weigh the cameras' effectiveness.
Clark is sure they'll help. "Provided you've got the money, it's a no-brainer to do."
Posted 2/9/2011 9:27 PM ET
Updated 2/10/2011 3:13 AM ET E-mail | Save | Print |
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Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:48 pm |
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