OPEN JAIL,HIRE POLICE OR....WHAT?

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
7/8/09
BY Terry Bankert

WHAT IS SOUND PUBLIC SAFTEY POLICY IN FLINT, MORE COPS, OPEN THE CITY JAIL OR SOMETHING ELSE?

1.5 MIN VIDEO ON TOPIC
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1772815

SOME POINT OUT Rudy Giuliani put a "cop on every corner" in New York City. Crime dropped 100%. Its been proven over and over again. Police presence deters crime. The lack of police presence allows crime to occur. And when there is no response, or very slow response, that criminal activity spreads and multiplies.

FLINT POLICE CHIEF ADVOCATES OPENING CITY JAIL AFTER COUNCILPERSON NEELY RAISES ISSUE- GOT $500,00?

Flint's police chief went on record Tuesday in supporting an idea to open the city lockup, but said the question now is where to find the $500,000 to make it happen.

ALEX HARRIS SAID:Though I'm greatly skeptical about the feasibility of Sheldon Neely's proposed 3-day a week jail operation, I do believe far too great a cutback has taken place with public safety as Brown & Co. seek to balance the books in the near-term.
Since crime is at the top of Flint's problems, perception wise, it is, in my opinion, an unwise gamble that brings grave consequences for the city going forward. I concur with the comments of most in the forum, wayne & calclips provided first-rate examples of a New York model presented by their former Mayor who brought crime under control in a rebirth after the inept Dinkens administration.

I have always maintained that public safety should be given the highest priority & everything else is of lesser import

30% OF THE CITY OF FLINT POLICE FORCE IS LAID OFF?COUNCILPERSON NEELEY ASKED FOR A SUMMER OPENING

The chief went public with his position after a Flint councilman asked for a temporary reopening of the city jail over the typically violent summer months. Neeley said Flint has a "rampant" increase in violent and nuisance crimes.

THE JAIL IS A 72 HOUR HOLDING CELL, IT COST A MILLION A YEAR TO KEEP OPEN

The lockup that we're talking about is on the second floor at the police department. Essentially it is a 72-hour holding cell.

NEELEY OPENING THE JAIL WILL HELP STOP HOMICIDES

The most recent person to call for its reopening is Flint City Councilman Sheldon Neeley.Reacting to two fatal shootings over the weekend, Neeley called on the current administration to move all available resources to get the city lockup opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from now through September.

IS COUNCIL PERSON NEELEY GRANDSTANDING? FLINT HAS A DECLINING POPULATION, SHOULD THIS BE REFLECTED IN A REDUCED STAFFING LEWVEL OF POLICE AND FIRE AND NOT OPENING THE CITY JAIL?

Is Neeley is grandstanding. The city is broke. The city should first live withing its budget. They need to lay off firemen and police to reflect the population declines. The police need to be reorganized to reflect a much smaller organization. The union contract is unrealistic given the finances of the City of Flint. Does Neeley think money grows on trees.
ASOME SAY Flint police cannot use modern tools because they cannot afford them. They used to have a K-9 unit that was almost completely self funding.

WOULD FLINT BE SAFER BY HIRING MORE POLICE OFFICERS.THE COPS GRANT
MONEY REFERENCED WOULD BE BETTER SPENT PUTTING OFFICERS ON THE STREET NOT A FEEL GOOD OPENING OF THE CITY LOCK UP.

POLICE CHIEF SAYS HE WILL NEED COUNCIL SUPPORT TO MOVE FUNDS.
THERE ARE NO STUDIES ON WHETHER THE JAIL OPENING WOULD BE A DETERRENT
THE JAIL WOULD C.OST $600,00 FOR THREE MONTHS

COULD THE CITY USE A GRANT BUT THE CHIEF IS NOT CONVINCED OPENING THE JAIL CAN STOP VIOLENT CRIME.

CALCLIPS SAID:

FLINT IS THE POSTER CHILD FOR THE "broken windows" theory of crime causation. In a nutshell it states that a building with broken windows will invite others to break more windows because it presents the appearance that nobody cares. This, in turn, yields more opportunistic crime.

WILL FIXING UP NEIGHBORHOODS REDUCE CRIME?Broken down neighborhoods breed crime not because the people that inhabit them are necessairly bad, but because the opportunity for crime presents itself more readily than it does in the nicer areas.

HOW DO WE SLOW/STOP FLINT DRUG PROBLEM?Pile on top of this rampant drug problems and you've got a city with problems that just police won't solve.

WE ARE A POLITICAL AND RACIALLY POLARIZED COMMUNITY HOW CAN WE ALL PULL TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS A BETTER COMMUNITY.

Posted here byTerry Bankert
http://www.flintfamilylaw.com/

-Seehttp://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6903257-http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/07/officials_looking_at_feasibili.html

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