Last night, as promised I did some research. I found out how my town is run and who all the elected officials are. I also found out what the National Motorists Association is. The NMA is awesome. They advocate for people like me, who feel pestered by ticket-giving police departments. They publish a pamphlet on how to fight speeding tickets. If you are a member of the NMA and fight your ticket in court, they'll reimburse you your losses even if the ticket is not dropped. They really want people to fight for their motorists rights. They even keep a national register of speed traps! I think they may be a valuable resource to me in the coming months.
Today I spoke with Gena, the assistant "city*" manager of the town which commands a predatory police force. She was receptive to my complaints but it doesn't seem as though completely dismantling the police department is going to be an option. I had begun to reach that conclusion last night during some online research. Unfortunately there is some real crime in this small town.
I am still optimistic that I can do something about the "patrol division" of the town's police force. For a town with just over 16,000 people, 27 patrol officers seems like a bit much. As I pointed out yesterday, we also have the county and state police to "patrol" our roads. In fact, Robertson county's biggest expenditure is the Sheriff's budget which amounts to $9,654,104.
And, while I was able to find the budget for my county online, I was unable to find the budget for my town. Today when I spoke to Gena she informed me that I could obtain a copy at the "city" hall. I'll be picking up one of those on my way to the gym. I'll also be attending the next town meeting which consists of the mayor, 6 alderman, and the "city" managers. It's on January 15th at 730. I let Gena know that I'd be there.
I'd also like to know about the crime statistics in this town, as apparently this justifies the need for the local police department. As the assistant "city" manager stated, "we've got a small city with big city crime". In fact, since 1994 this small town has been applying for federal monies to bolster their police force by way of a "Justice Assistance Grant".
I've decided that before I approach the local newspapers or television I need to do as much research as possible. I also want to give the "city" a chance to do something about this problem before I go into full attack mode. I don't need anymore enemies at this point.
*Locals refer to the town as a "city". I think this is ridiculous. There aren't even 20,000 people living in it!
Today I spoke with Gena, the assistant "city*" manager of the town which commands a predatory police force. She was receptive to my complaints but it doesn't seem as though completely dismantling the police department is going to be an option. I had begun to reach that conclusion last night during some online research. Unfortunately there is some real crime in this small town.
I am still optimistic that I can do something about the "patrol division" of the town's police force. For a town with just over 16,000 people, 27 patrol officers seems like a bit much. As I pointed out yesterday, we also have the county and state police to "patrol" our roads. In fact, Robertson county's biggest expenditure is the Sheriff's budget which amounts to $9,654,104.
And, while I was able to find the budget for my county online, I was unable to find the budget for my town. Today when I spoke to Gena she informed me that I could obtain a copy at the "city" hall. I'll be picking up one of those on my way to the gym. I'll also be attending the next town meeting which consists of the mayor, 6 alderman, and the "city" managers. It's on January 15th at 730. I let Gena know that I'd be there.
I'd also like to know about the crime statistics in this town, as apparently this justifies the need for the local police department. As the assistant "city" manager stated, "we've got a small city with big city crime". In fact, since 1994 this small town has been applying for federal monies to bolster their police force by way of a "Justice Assistance Grant".
I've decided that before I approach the local newspapers or television I need to do as much research as possible. I also want to give the "city" a chance to do something about this problem before I go into full attack mode. I don't need anymore enemies at this point.
*Locals refer to the town as a "city". I think this is ridiculous. There aren't even 20,000 people living in it!
1. Are there 27 patrol officers TOTAL employed or 27 patrol officers at one TIME on the streets?
ReplyDelete2. Are the sheriffs sole job to patrol as well? Here, they are a big presence in the courthouse on "security detail" (and I can't complain, I was trying to break up a fight that was escalating and it took three sheriffs to calm the woman down).
3. Look at this from the other prospective as well. Sometimes you think all that police are doing are stalking you on the road...but does less patrol officers mean less first responders to people stuck in ditches in the winter? Less responders to an old woman living alone who hears a noise? Less responders to a CYF worker removing a child alone?
I do NOT advocate being pulled over excessively. And I've met plenty of police I didn't want ever employed at all. But there are other times that I wondered what I would have done if they weren't there/or weren't available.
Continue the fight to ensure you are treated fairly and have a voice in your town.
Hey Tiger, I'm with Squeaksy. I think you might need to slow down a bit. Now you haven't given a lot of specifics or details here for me to get a full understanding of the injustices you've suffered. However, I believe that most first responders (like most people in general) are good folks. You might be better served by addressing the specific incidents or people in these experiences as opposed to trying to take down an entire organization.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you do, please act with a calm head and a well thought out plan. Burning bridges and/or going off half cocked rarely brings good results. I'm just thinking of your long term best interests.