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Friday, September 29, 2006

Will It Work



In light of the high crime, in the city of Memphis. We are at the point of almost desperation in coming up with a crime deterent. I usually agree with the policies of Mayor Herenton. I'm sorry, but not this time. I don't subscribe to the general idea. When all else fails, raise the taxes. That will get their attention. That's partly true, but it's not the solution. I'm not a blind Mayor Herenton supporter. Who just automatically agrees with everything he says. Mayor Herenton isn't just becoming aware of the crime problem. He lives in the city, like everyone else. Being sarcastic and over dramatic. Making snide remarks and taking stabs at the Mayor. Won't accomplish anything. But drive an even bigger wedge, between police and the citizens. Like it already has. Always remember " A littany of complaints, is not a solution". A lot of our crime is due, to lack of citizen involvement. He just went public with his suggestions for a solution. At this point it's only a proposal. If you don't like it, tell your city councilperson. They have to vote for the mayor's plan. I don't agree with raising taxes. They're already high enough. We need to capture some of the revenue, that leaves the city daily. I don't want to relax the residency requirement. It's already of little effect. I agree with community policing. That's an idea that's long overdue. Everybody promises to do it, but nobody has done it yet. And increasing the "Blue Crush" initiative. In my opinion, is a very good idea. As long as we have citizens with the "it's not me" attitude. Crime is going to flourish. We don't need 500 more police officers. That just sounds good. Even if they hired them. They still couldn't be everywhere at once.We just need to better utilize the ones we have. Make sure they're in the right place, and doing the right thing. With the citizens help of course.

16 comments:

  1. Bishop,

    I agree let's start somewhere, but not with taxes. I'm a conservative by definition. I always want to make the best, of what we have first.I will hold fast to the opinion. It starts with the citizens first. Until we change our mind about crime. The numbers will continue to rise. In the upcoming Mayors election. Carol Chumney won't be a serious challenge. She'll mainly get those voters who signed the recall.

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  2. Anonymous12:03 PM

    The City residency requirement is stupid. No other major PD in the country requires that their officers live within the City limits. As long as they can get to work I do not care where they live. Being unemployed and living in the city limits does not automatically make you a good candidate for a cop.

    As to additional cops - the MPD answered over 800,000 calls last year with only about 1,000 actual patrol officers on the street - the rest are in vice, detectives or traffic or upper management. Do the math people - we do need more patrol officers if we only have 1,000 officers answering 800,000 calls - divide that by 365 days and three 8 hour shifts.

    The MPD needs to promote more supervisors too so they can address the issue of cops if they are truly not working - and get them off the cell phones, too!!

    And if paying an extra hundred bucks a year in taxes will lower the crime problem them I am all for it.

    And to whoever said the precinct people need to quit telling folks to call 545-COPS - the precinct can not dispatch officers and that is why they tell you to call the COPS number - the dispatchers have a system for dispatching the police that can't be done by the desk officer.

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  3. Anonymous1:50 PM

    More police definitely wouldn't hurt.I want my neighborhood back.

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  4. That's a very interesting analogy. You sound like a policeman, or police representative. It took a minute, but I think I figured it out. Based on 800,000 calls, and 1000 officers. That's 15.38 calls a week. Out of a 40 hr. workweek, that's more than enough time.Unless they're spending far too much time with paperwork. If so, maybe we should look at that instead.

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  5. Common, there are other practical factors to consider in a dispatch operation that don't show up in the numbers. There are too many variables to take into account when you're talking about a police dispatch operation to summarize the problem, and its solution, with averages.

    Of course, my answer to the problem is no better. I think the answer to the crime problem is jobs and education.

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  6. The following article
    Let's take back schools from non-students is a start.


    Mayor Herenton is on the right path about placing 150 police officer in the schools.

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  7. Autoegocrat,

    I took that factor into consideration. Along with what I have observed. As well as what I have experienced myself. That formula still just doesn't compute. I think the city should be run like cops, on television. Police need to be in the field, not the courts. Spending four hours explaining, a fifteen minute bust.

    Your solution would work in a perfect world. But sadly enough, the world isn't perfect. We don't have perfect people, or even those that want to do right. Everybody doesn't want to be educated or have a job. There are those who would prefer to wait for you, to go to work. Break in your house and steal from you. As long as there are honest people. There will be crooks. Before you ask who decides. The answers are in the bible.

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  8. Blinders Off,

    That's an excellent article. Thanks for posting the link.

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  9. Anonymous3:30 PM

    What's being overlooked here, is the unknown fact. That quotas have the police departments hands tied. They have the personnel already. They are just not being used properly. I was talking to an officer the other day. Who said when they gave the last sergeants exam. They had to go all the way down to #28, to get a female black candidate. Look at all those people in between.I'm sorry, please forgive me. If I sound chauvanistic, too bad. We don't need a 110 lb. frail woman, to try and restrain a 250 lb. angry man. We need people who can do the job. That's what is wrong here. The police force is loaded up with useless people. Who can't fill the position. Then we alter the job description, and want to hire more people. To do the job they were hired for, in the first place.

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  10. Anonymous2:02 AM

    Crime is the result of hopelessness, joblessness, ignorance, and despair.

    By obtaining more police, one will only be putting a bandaid on a flesh wound. Instead of treating diseas, let's rid the community of it.

    1st, we give the youth more afterschool and weekend activities. Memphis needs several male rites of passage programs that teaches young males how to be responsible, caring, and respectful young men. It will also teach them about their history and a value system that they will implement daily. We need more Black men to go into the 'hood and assist the single mothers raise their male child.

    2nd, there is a need for those on the outside looking in to stop judging those individuals who are in the 'hood. There are a lot of Suburban youth who are into criminal behavior as well. If u look at the national news lately, those are not black children who are going into schools killing others. America is a crimogenic society. Crime is America's national pasttime. This is not a local problem nor is it a Black problem.

    3rd, There must be a redistribution of the wealth of Memphis. Nobody what anyone says in this blog, one cannot make it and successfully raise children off of $8/hr. Even if u work two jobs, who would watch your children? Memphis' wealth is indiscriminately control by the white elite (not the Black politicians).

    4th, The education system needs an overhaul. It doesn't work. This is not to say that there are not dedicated teachers, but their hands are tied with so much BS redtape that they can't be effective. The educational system represents an old 19th century manual labor model. One of the reason that youth get into so much trouble is that they are bored. An idle mind is a devil's workshop. I also agree that discipline & spirituality must be put back in place.

    5th, We need an all male school where Black men teach the young males. The Black community did not have this problem before intergration (and NO I am not for segregation). Only men can teach a boy how to be a man.

    6th, WE NEED TO MAKE MORE BLACK PREACHERS ACCOUNTABLE OR BOYCOTT THEIR CHURCH. Never in the history of this country has there been more churches in the inner city yet there is more crime. Give me that Old Time Religion where pastors knew everyone within a 10 mile radius of his church and where the church fed the needs of the people. No where in the Bible did Jesus told people to come to the building where he was, he went to the people (where they were).

    7th, There needs to more parental classes that teach young moms and dads how to be fathers. Most of us grow up not knowing how to become a successful parent. We just do what our parents did (right or wrong). There should be a concerted effort between community leaders, churhces and schools to pull this off.

    8th, Juvenile offenders need rehabilation workshops where they unlearn bad habits and mindset and learn good habits, values, and mindset. They must complete their education (HS diploma). Most young offenders don't finish school. Also, instead of just locking them up make them accountable to the community that they terrorize........community cleanup, cut yards for the elderly, free labor for whatever the community needs. Also, they must get a trade and/or get a higher degree (college - 4 yr or 2 yr). Most young people who are locked up are in for drug selling or theft. They should not have to suffer the rest of their life for these particular crimes.

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  11. Anonymous 2:02,

    Crime is the result of immorality. Not all those reasons you gave. People in Memphis on welfare. Live better than some of the working poor elsewhere. People in Memphis need to wake up and smell the cofee. Stop making excuses for the incorigables.

    1. The children need to do well in school. That needs to be their main priority. All these afterschool programs take them out of the books.

    2. That is true but what does that have to do with anything.

    3. Redistrubution of the wealth comes as a result of education and effort.

    4. What worked for your mother and grandmother will work for you. That's part of the problem. All of this revamping.

    5. I agree to a point. But that's mainly part of the problem. We don't need to put a color on this issue.

    6. The people that we need to reach don't listen to the preachers.

    7.There are parental classes already in place. The people that need them won't attend.

    8. Juvenile offenders need jail. Not some glorified Boys Club.

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