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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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After all of the politicians left Haskell yesterday, the meeting sponsored by the Downtown Weed and Seed turned very interesting. In fact this was about one of the best meetings I have attended in years.
Most exciting was the presentation by Wayne County Lead Prosecutor and specialist in Mortgage Fraud Abed Hammoud. wayne county has been prosecuting such cases since 2005 and work with the US Attorney's office on many cases. With 650 open complaints, this division has prosecuted 120 cases as of january 2011. He laughing says his bosses don't like him to talk about the one case he lost that broke his 100% successful conviction rste.
Hammoud often surprises these con men with his ability to follow the money. He earned engineering degrees in France and got his MBA and JD degree from Wayne State.
It is too bad the Genesee County Prosecutors office did not have someone meet with Hammoud as he made a fascinating presentation about the various types of fraud cases he had prosecuted and the most memorable con men he sent to prison.It is also a shame more of the decison makers and community were not at the meeting.
The presenters were knowledgeable on all of the issues. They explored Flint yesterday and met with individuals with knowledge about Flint vacant properties.Tomorrow promises to be another worthwhile day. The only regret I have is that none of the governmental decision makers were present. All of the recommendations that come of the meeting will be a hard sell to those with the power to implement policy and ordinsnces because these leaders were not part of the process. |
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Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Arson investigators from Flint and the State Police spoke today. Many in the rash of arsons that occurred after the layoff of firefighter are believer to be for insurance purposes. The national rate of arson convictiions for arson crimes is only around 4% because witnesses often fear the arsonists.
There is a strategy used by the State Police Arson Squad that helped reduce fires in Saginaw. Arsons are tracked and when an arson hot spot is identified then it is targeted and all homes slated for demo in that area are done at one time.
Also groups of young people are stopped and their information is gathered. Often they are from another side of town and have no logical reason to be in the target area.
The Arson squad can tell the difference between a arson of opportunity and that committed by a serial arsonist. The State unit is down from 24 to 6 and 2 are retiring. They must cover all 83 counties. |
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Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:08 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| There was statements to the effect that the county aometimes takes an adversarial position towards the City of Flint. The cut inn the money to the Land Bank for the summer clean ups may be a result of that adversarial nature. |
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Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:11 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Part of the slack may be taken up by the New Paths program which intends to run a program with 112 persons with convictions as a re entry program.
Possible Genesee County Land Bank funding cut would wipe out half of weed and trash workers this summer
Published: Wednesday, March 09, 2011, 1:42 PM
By Ron Fonger | Flint Journal
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- The county Land Bank will slash nearly half the workers it budgeted to cut grass and clear trash on vacant properties this summer if the county Board of Commissioners carries through with new plans to cut $400,000 in funding to the agency.
Land Bank Executive Director Doug Weiland said today that neighbors will see the fallout from April until September -- taller weeds and grass and fewer hands to clean up debris and garbage.
"I am going to be struggling because we won't have an adequate number" of workers, Weiland said. "People will notice it. No doubt about that."
The Land Bank maintains about 6,800 properties in the county, most in the city of Flint.
Weiland said he planned on a grass-cutting and trash-collecting crew of 62 this summer but will end up with about 35 if the $400,000 is held back.
County commissioners got the ball rolling on doing just that in a committee meeting today, setting the stage for a final decision March 23. Board members agreed to give the Land Bank a notice of the termination of an informal contract that sends about $400,000 quarterly said to the agency.
The payments come from the county's Land Reutilization Fund, which is a part of the budget of county Treasurer Deb Cherry. Commissioners cut another quarterly payment to the Land Bank last year and used the money instead to help balance the county budget.
Cherry said today that she wants to talk further to commissioners about reducing the amount of the cut to the Land Bank, and Commissioner Omar Sims, D-Flint, voted against the move.
"I don't want this first step to be a mis-step ...," said Sims, who also a member of the Land Bank Authority Board of Directors. "I see the Land Bank making a difference."
County board Chairman Jamie Curtis said money that would have gone to the Land Bank might help the county avoid further employee layoffs in the current fiscal year. Commissioners recently told some department heads they may need to lay off six more employees just to keep this year's budget in balance by the end of this month.
Weiland said in addition to cutting work crews back, the Land Bank would be forced to cut its contract to provide funding to the county's MSU Extension Office if commissioners go through with their planned cut to his agency.
A $150,000 deal involving the Land Bank, county Community Action Resource Department and Career Alliance Inc., helped save the county MSU Extension program last year after commissioners cut funding to the agency and closed its office on Pasadena Avenue.
The MSU office has since relocated to the CARD office building in downtown Flint. |
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Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:23 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Residents walk away from conference with crime prevention plan to start in one Flint neighborhood
Published: Thursday, March 10, 2011, 9:16 PM Updated: Thursday, March 10, 2011, 10:41 PM
By Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal
FLINT, Michigan — Participants in a conference held this week on crime prevention related to environment and vacant property walked away with a plan of action for the city, said organizer John McGarry.
The plan will start with neighborhoods surrounding Haskell Community Center and Bassett Park, said McGarry, who is site director for Flint Downtown District Weed and Seed.
"We came up with kind of a plan to try to put the principles of (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) into action," he said.
McGarry said between 25 and 40 people attended each session of the two-day, U.S. Justice Department-funded conference held Wednesday and Thursday.
Trainers from the National Crime Prevention Center spoke on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, a concept that deals with access control, surveillance and maintenance surrounding vacant property.
"We have a lot of tips from them and we hope to get the momentum going," said McGarry.
He said the effort will use the Haskell Community Center, which houses a police mini-station and Boys and Girls Club programming, as a launch pad for efforts that will include cooperative cleanups at area vacant homes.
"That's type of thing we want build on and make the focal point for neighborhood revitalization," McGarry said.
Securing windows using art-covered boards painted by children at the Boys and Girls Club is one of the ideas that came out of talks Thursday.
"That's just one idea," McGarry said. "That immediately sends a message to people who are possibly interested in vandalizing the prop even further that this house is big payed attention to."
Seeking legislation that would be tougher on absentee property owners was another topic
of the conference, along with Flint's struggles with arson.
"Apparently there's more of a fear of retribution for reporting arson than there is of reporting suspected murders," said McGarry. "We need to get more organized citizen involvement in the neighborhoods."
McGarry said the Washington-based trainers and experts who were at the conference will follow up with residents on progress and that participants hope to the spread the efforts throughout the city.
Related topics: Flint crime |
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Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:47 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Police investigate suspicious death in Grand Blanc; Two men found in woman's car being questioned
Published: Thursday, March 10, 2011, 4:54 PM Updated: Thursday, March 10, 2011, 6:14 PM
By Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal
GRAND BLANC, Michigan -- Police are investigating the suspicious death of a 47-year-old found in her apartment this morning.
View full size(Matt Dixon | The Flint Journal)After working at the scene most of the day, investigators finish looking into a suspicious death that was reported around 11 a.m. Thursday at Grand Oaks Apartments in Grand Blanc.
Grand Blanc Police Chief Steven Solomon said officers were dispatched to Grand Oaks apartments near East Reid and South Saginaw Roads at 11:19 a.m.
"Officers were dispatched to a medical call where a family member had come over and found her apparently not breathing," said Solomon.
"Upon arrival, based on their observations, they called a detective."
Solomon wouldn't yet reveal what about the woman's death was suspicious, but state crime lab investigators arrived at the scene at about 1:30 p.m.
Two men are being questioned by police after being found in the woman's car in Flint, Solomon said.
He said the Genesee Auto Theft Investigation Network was notified when it was discovered that the woman's vehicle was not outside the apartment.
Area police began searching for the vehicle and found it on Pasadena and King Avenues in Flint.
The two men inside the vehicle were taken to Grand Blanc Police headquarters for questioning, Solomon said.
"We do not know any involvement at this time other than they were in her vehicle," he said.
What apparently caused the woman's death likely won't be revealed until tomorrow after review by a medical examiner, Soloman said.
He said the woman lived alone. |
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Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:56 am |
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