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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Public safety panel: New technology, community support keys to making Flint safer
By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
on February 12, 2013 at 9:29 PM, updated February 12, 2013 at 9:50 PM
Retired Lansing police Chief Jerry Boles speaks to the audience at a panel discussion on "Making Flint a Safer City" at the Flint Public Library on Tuesday evening. Other panelists included (left to right) moderator and Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Whitman; Flint police Chief Alvern Lock; Pastor Latrelle Holmes, of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint; and Matthew Schlinker, former Flint city councilman and a neighborhood crime watch member.Kristin Longley | MLive.com
FLINT, MI -- The public safety panelists agreed: When it comes to crime in the city of Flint, community participation is key to solving crimes and reducing violence.
"(Police) can only be so effective without community involvement," said Jerry Boles, a retired Lansing police chief. "Without community support… without people coming forward and giving police officers and investigators information they can act on, it's very difficult to follow up on some of these crimes."
Still, the layoffs of Flint police officers was also listed as one of the area's public safety obstacles by five panelists gathered tonight, Feb. 12, for a discussion on "Making Flint a Safer City" at the Flint Public Library.
The panel started off by discussing Flint's challenges, which also included a lack of new technology and neighborhood blight, before talking about the ways the city, community organizations and neighborhood groups are working to resolve them.
Flint police Chief Alvern Lock noted that emergency response times are improving and that 10 police officers will be hired this year because of a new police and fire millage passed by the voters in November -- but the department is still understaffed.
As part of the city's public safety plan, there is supposed to be two patrol cars of four officers answering calls in each quadrant of the city, as well as one "roaming car" with one officer who can do more proactive policing, Lock said.
"The problem with the plan is, you have to have the bodies to carry out those plans," he said. "That’s where the plan falls apart. You might say, 'Why do you have a plan and not enough bodies?' Well, without a plan you don’t know where you need to go."
Boles, who is a consultant for the Flint police department through Michigan State University's School of Criminal Justice, said a technical assistance team is helping Flint police make the most efficient use of the cash-strapped city's resources since 60 officers have been laid off in recent years.
Flint is under a state-declared "financial emergency" because of a structural deficit and mounting legacy costs, among other financial issues.
Boles said the city's remaining police officers were only spending an average of 2.5 minutes per hour on the job doing what he called "proactive police work," rather than just responding to calls for service or filling out reports, according to a study completed in 2011.
He said the city's public safety plan is helping to resolve that by moving officers from eight-hour shifts to twelve-hour shifts, which puts more officers on the streets at any given time.
"We’ve got to give them more time to work in the neighborhoods in a proactive way," he said.
The police department is also in line to get some new technology this month, possibly as soon as Feb. 18, that will help police officers on patrol be able to send and receive information on the job more efficiently, Lock said.
Flint resident Matthew Schlinker, a former Flint city councilman and current member of his neighborhood crime watch, said other residents can get involved by using email or other methods to be the eyes and ears of their area.
"Good volunteer efforts where people know what they're doing and know the city are really valuable," he said.
Panelist Latrelle Holmes, pastor of Greater Galilee Baptist Church, said partnerships with community organizations are also key. Holmes is an executive with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Flint, which provides mentors for many at-risk Flint youth.
"I would hope that all of us would agree the very first strategy we should be focusing on is preventing (youth) from becoming involved with the system in the first place," he said.
Panelists also took questions from the audience, including a question on how many officers could be hired over the next five years.
A plan from the emergency financial manager office regarding the police and fire millage called for 10 police officers to be hired over the next two years then, depending on revenue projections, there could be layoffs in the police or fire departments in 2015.
Lock said tonight that he didn't want to put a number on it.
"Part of that relates to how many retirements we have and how much money projected into the budget," he said. "I would like to hire officers -- more officers -- I’ll tell you that." |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:56 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Nothing new was discussed. The panel really only reiterated the same rhetoric that has been out there for up to three years.
How can you have a plan if you do not have enough people to implement the plan and you don't know how many officers you will have after the Safer grant for the fire department expires in 2014. Lock emphasized that as the Public Safety Official he also monitors the Fire Department. He maintained the Department must keep at least the 85 fire officials they currently have in order the fight the volume of fires Flint experiences.
Ir is easy for people who don't live in a neighborhood that has an active gang presence to tell the residents to snitch them out. They don't live with the fear. Lock lives in Grand Blanc and Boles is from Lansing. I am sure Whitman doesn't live in Flint either. That is probably why so many mini-stations are unmanned most of the time. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:19 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Boles struck me as an apologist for Lock as he continued to emphasize how many problems Lock was dealing with because of the financial crisis and the layoffs of officers. In my opinion Whitman and Boles both tried to portray Lock as a good chief facing many obstacles.
Then why is the Chief facing multiple lawsuits that name him specifically as a party to the actions? Firefighter Shawn Borowitcz has a lawsuit pending. Local attorney Tom Pabst is his attorney and Pabst also represents 15 white police officers alleging reverse discrimination and favoritism in the selection of the replacement Sgts.
The police are also suing to reverse the dragonian pay cuts as they were in 312 arbitration at the time. The police also want to eliminate the 12 hour shifts that Boles and Lock believe are so important. Lock was furious at a question regarding police morale and the 12 hour shifts. He insisted the officers loved these shifts and would fight to keep them. Someone is not telling the truth.
I understand the police union and some of the black officers are looking for legal representation on the basis that the Chief made promotions and assigments based on favoritism and not established personnel policies and the Collective Bargaining Agreement. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:31 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I am not sure what the organizers of this event and the Blue Badge event thought they were accomplishing, but I am certain they failed in most of the north end. I saw numerous people taking notes and at some point I saw some stop writing and start shaking their heads.
Within hours of the event people in the north end were laughing. Since then I have heard mostly disbelief that the organizers thought they had a well thought out public relations move.
There will be no real changes in the gang activity until a real investment is made in the education and employment opportunities for all of Flint's residents. Some of the gang members are already upwardly mobile. They fit in anywhere and they are not the "baggy pants gang bangers" some like to refer to.
I realized years ago that many were underestimating former prison inmates and gang members. I spent many years studying the Kabbalah,the esoteric beliefs,the celtic culture and other older religions. The gang culture and grafitti is filled with hidden meaning and real education. Probably because they had the free time in prison to read and study.
The really organized gangs are run like Fortune 500 organizations with a charter,rules, bylaws and more. Under our present police organization, I don't see a police presence with the capability to attack the head. Because of that inability, they keep arresting the bottom and there will continue to be bodies to fill that void. If our administration continues to treat all gangs as unorganized youth cliques, they will never impact the true causes of violence in Flint. |
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Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:59 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Pastor Latreille Holmes had member of his church as well as people involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters in the audience. And some of the questions were obviosly a ploy to ensure Big Brothers/Big Sisters looked good. to the community. Holmes spoke at length as he extolled the virtues of the organization and their alleged success. I was not alone in my skepticism that none of the Big Brother/Big Sister youth participants never got involved in the Criminal Justice system. Was this the program or did it involve the selection process? Only involved parents would request help and wait the years it sometimes takes to enter the program.
I found myself tuning him out as he kept on talking. This program is too small to help a great number of youth and there needs to be more.The moderator,Trooper Sarah Whitman, just let him talk with no time limit and then acknowledged the State police were partnering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
This is an organization that sat on the board of the North Central Weed and Seed and voted to give themselves funds. Their representative also initially refused to allow Mayor's Aide Wendy Braun to represent the Mayor on the Weed and Seed, although she had the signed letter from Williamson.
I was kicked out a meeting of the North Central Weed and Seed when the federal officials came in to change the leadership and address serious abuses of policy. They wanted a closed hearing. So I stayed outside the locked door and picked up the inside story regarding the Director and other issues from others similarly locked out. |
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Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:20 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Matt Schlinker was representing the Crime Watch for the College Cultural neighborhood. This group has bragged they encompass over 1000 homes and yet Schlinker thinks technology and camera systems are the wave of the future for crime watches.
Schlinker addressed the problemof having a coordinator full time to schedule and manage the crime watch duties on an area so large. They use computers and smart phones to tell one another when they are going out to patrol, where they are patrolling and what vehicle they are driving. They have 35 residents with home outdoor cameras that are shared access within the group. They have allegedly initiated four arrests.
Four arrests hardly addresses the random B&E's this area has experienced. The Flint Police had special task forces that caught more than one group of kids and others that were doing the B&E's.
The real issue is how does this group translate to the rest of the City. I am told that while there are issues in this area, they have no real organized criminal element present in their watch area. Otherwise they would present a very different picture.
I cannot visualize a neighborhood comprised of the poor and elderly being able to develop the level of technology promoted by Schlinker. Nor do I recognize this group as being wildly successful. I do applaud their capture of the commercial bandit however.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:28 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:39 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Rite aide on Court and Dort was just robbed by a youth. He escaped in the Meade/Windemeare area. k9 unit found his outer clothing but no sight of the suspect.
I thought all of the Rite aides had guards! |
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Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:53 am |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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Personally I thought Schlinker's was the most positive of the group.You can't catch everyone. But they have done well. I just wonder if it is because he was a former councilman that they actually get police cooperation. I know just a little further north on the east side. You're basically blown off. The chief hinted that it may be the councils fault that the 911 system isn't in place or is holding it up. guess I need to go to a council meeting and find out for myself.
Personally I felt I was having flash backs to the Williamson days of blaming council for things they have no control over and he was purposely doing. Because many people are dump enough to accept it. |
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Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:14 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
The Rite aide on Court and Dort was just robbed by a youth. He escaped in the Meade/Windemeare area. k9 unit found his outer clothing but no sight of the suspect.
I thought all of the Rite aides had guards!
They're not armed. Plus, they stay outside the store; no way of knowing what's going on inside. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:13 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Council has not had financial control for a long time. They approved every piece of the system as it was presented to them when they did have control. They may not have been happy about returning to the countyy system, but they were adamant the communicayions needed improvement.
There are only 2 IT people left so the emphasis on no IT services belongs only on Brown and Kurtz as they eliminated the rest of the people.
Some people questioned locks credentials, but I have been told they were true. . Just because you have the education and degrees does not mean you can apply it. Otherwisw why did the state insist on bringing in Barnette Jones when it was said they did not trust Lock. his FBI experience is said to have been e long time ago. |
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Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:15 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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i was informed that as of 12:15 pm yesterday, Flint had 2 officers patrolling. Where were the other 18?
Listen to your scanners! flint Police Operations and Flint Police Blotter can help with online scanners. |
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Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:55 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| At 12:10pm today, Friday, there was a City of Flint police vehicle parked at the west end of the Zimmerman "education" center on Corunna Road. Can't speak for the number of officers who might have been connected. |
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Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:35 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| An announcement on Sheldon Neeley's radio program indicated the city can expect only 8 new police officers and not the 10 initially peomised. i am told there was over 60 applications for the jobs and all were certified officers. However these new oficers are said to lack evperience in an urban setting. They are already ceritfied so they only need training i Flint ordinances,etc. |
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Mon Feb 18, 2013 3:05 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint hiring 8 police officers with public safety millage funds
By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
on February 20, 2013 at 5:00 PM, updated February 20, 2013 at 5:01 PM
FLINT, MI -- The city of Flint is bringing on eight officers in its first round of hiring since voters approved a 6-mill public safety tax for police and fire services in November, officials said.
Police Chief Alvern Lock said the new hires will increase the police force by six officers -- short of the 10 additional officers pledged by the emergency financial manager's office -- but said more would be hired.
Lock said he didn't know when another round of hiring might happen.
The eight new officers are expected to be on the job March 3, he said.
"We hired these eight out of the pool of applicants we had and we'll proceed from here," he said. "We'll get there."
Two of the eight officers will backfill vacancies created by two retirements from the force.
Emergency financial manager Ed Kurtz declined to comment today, but Public Information Officer Jason Lorenz said it is still the city's intent to add 10 officers to the police force.
Flint police Officer Kevin Smith, president of the Flint patrol officers union, said he's skeptical the city was only able to hire eight officers out of the recent pool of applicants, and is concerned that the understaffed Flint police department won't get the officers it needs.
"We were counting on using those 10 officers on the street as soon as possible," he said. "They said a net gain of 10 and three months later we're at a net gain of six? We need all the help we can get."
The five-year, 6-mill property tax increase is expected to generate $5.3 million this year, but that amount is expected to decline in future years as property values continue to fall and the population declines.
The public safety departments are currently subsidized by about $5 million in grants, but those are expected to expire over the next several years. The largest of which is a federal SAFER grant that funds 39 firefighters.
Kurtz's office has said it would be "irresponsible" to hire a flood of police and firefighters this year, only to lay them off a few years later as the millage revenue decreases and grants are not renewed.
Instead, his office is using the millage funding to stabilize the police and fire departments over the next several years as grants expire, he has said.
Some Flint City Council members, however, have said that crime is the city's most pressing problem, and getting officers on the streets as soon as possible should be a top priority since voters approved the millage. |
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Wed Feb 20, 2013 5:18 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I am told there were as many as 69 applicants for these 10 positions. Lock knew the numbers at the safety forum, but he chose not to release them. I attended 2 different community meetings in the last week, The meeting in the north end had the residents being more critical than I was.
Citizens expected answers about their public safety future and they got none. Not only were there no answers, the public was not impressed with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters or the College Cultural Center. The North end wants answers about how many officers will be hired and how will the newly hired officers be acclimated into the community as we are being told they lack an urban training. |
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Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:08 pm |
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