Editorial

With Writers like this attempting to influence Flint readers and politicians. We will waste even more money and more time without accomplishing anything.

The idea that Flint needs more Police officers is ridiculous. Why? We have crime up the Ying Yang. And you are telling me we don't need more officers. Yes I'm telling you that. Crime has been allowed to thrive in Flint. Look at the total of 30% increase in Crime in Flint in just the Last two years. What has changed? Leadership. There has been a complete lack of leadership in Flint when it comes to the Police Dept.

We need more officers? For what? According the Chief the 40 super cops have been accountable for over 50% of crime enforcement in Flint. taking his interview to heart. We should only need another 40 super cops! making the Police Dept a total of 80 officers. Now of course I'm being sarcastic here. But, doesn't this make anyone think? We spend 10 to 20 percent more on our dept that cities twice our size. We have almost twice as many officers than cities the same size with crime rates that have rewarded them with the honor of being the "Safest Cities in the US." More money and more officers is not going to make a difference. Effective crime fighting and follow-up will. COMPSTAT will! Leadership will! But, just throwing more money and man power isn't going to.

There are too many examples, I can write, that proves too many officers go out of their way to find ways to waste their time. Let me just mention a few here. Two officers wasting over an hour (two cars) BS'ing with the Mechanic that is working on the city vehicles. Three Patrol cars showing up here on the east side for ONE 13 year old throwing rocks at an abandon house. One police officer wasting almost an hour wanting to know if my dogs have their shots and licensees, because a a known thief, crack head and felon complained my dogs won't let him near my house so he can break into it. (So he breaks into the neighbors three weeks later.) ((Then the police do nothing when he breaks into his house and finally show up 6 hours later.))

Why can we get three cop cars to investigate a kid throwing rocks. But only one officer 6 hours after a crime has taken place and then another day before they even begin investigating. Then when they have evidence, they do nothing. Police officer at the station too busy eating Yogurt to even seem to be remotely concerned with a citizens problem. Yes we need 50 more officers eating yogurt, or ten more chasing mechanics around in their police cars. If this dept was running anywhere near adequate, not efficient, just adequate. We may be cutting back on personal. And not just the 12 -16 that have been fired or are on trial for drugs, or extortion, or running gambling, racketeering in the last three years.

Do these people writing these editorials even live here in the city? Do they pay any attention to what goes on in this city or in the Police dept? They make these recommendations based on what? High Crime? Most all of the cities I've read about that have turned crime around, Boston, New York. They didn't add officers. They started fighting crime smarter. They held dept heads accountable for their people. They focused on, I repeat THEY FOCUSED ON crime areas and criminals. They didn't just give lip service. Or announce a fictional "MAJOR REDUCTION" in crime. They attacked crime where it was at. Hounded the pawn shops. Follow up with the citizens. They did the things that Flint refuses to do. Let's demand some real accountability, before talking about raising taxes? You bring crime down. My Insurance rates will drop, and my property value will rise. When the Property value rises. You will then get more tax dollars. based on rising property value. Not because of failure to control crime.

Oh and the Flint Editorial Board. Try living here for a while before making these outrageous editorials. Don't be in such a hurry to waste more of MY money on programs that already don't work. How about making some logical recommendations. Instead of trying to throw more of my good money after your bad ideas. Especially, after I just received my new property tax increase letting me know I get to pay the City MORE money to live in my house. While it's real property value went down another 5 percent! How about an editorial trying to figure that one out?

Police tax
Give Flint voters a chance to pay for more officers
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Voters' 92 percent support for a Flint police tax renewal last week tells us two things: Residents want to keep all the cops they have and seem quite willing to pay for more.

Of course, there's one way to find out for sure, and that would be to put a police tax request on the August or November ballot, one that would raise sufficient revenue to sharply improve police service.

This need is not even debatable. A more visible police presence is mandatory if Flint is to cut its crime rate, which is a prerequisite for both economic development and neighborhood renewal.

For any number of people residing or doing business in Flint, crime is a constant companion, one that could persuade them to move from the city. Granted, some fears are overstated about many relatively low-crime zones, such as downtown, but it only takes a few burglaries, car break-ins or armed robberies to shatter a sense of security.

Kettering University, for instance, is constantly challenged to attract top scholars while fighting an image that students' property or their temporary homes are vulnerable to the city's criminal class. Miscreants know how often cruisers pass by and adjust their behavior accordingly.

The innocent do the same. When police protection isn't pronounced, when calls for help are responded to slowly or not at all, when the police department appears indifferent - when lack of manpower is the more likely problem - the public retreats in the face of crime, rather than helping the cops combat it.

This has been too prevalent in Flint, as police have complained about the unwillingness of residents to provide leads on lawbreaking. Yet there are indications, due partly to horrendous violence, that apathy may be cracking. Public participation led to the arrest of a trio in the slaying of three elderly people in January, and authorities are encouraging more of the same.

Toward that end, however, it's important for the law-abiding to feel they're on the winning side - that the cops and their allies have the upper hand in this war with society's predators, rather than the other way around. Seeing police on patrol and reacting timely to calls is the only way to prove this, which will require dozens of more officers at a minimum. Additionally, Flint must find a way to reopen its lockup so more of those arrested can be held at least long enough to see a judge. With the perennially crowded Genesee County Jail, that's frequently not possible, which breeds disrespect for the law.

While reducing crime requires more of a response than cops and jails - principally, effective educational, social and religious programs to help restore the family's historically positive role - a larger and more effective Flint police force is essential to any remedy. We think voters would agree, to where they would pass a tax hike to hire more officers if given the opportunity. Mayor Don Williamson and the City Council should provide that this year.