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Steve Myers
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FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, September 29, 2006
By Robert Snell
rsnell@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6302
Mayor Don Williamson's full plan to restructure the Flint Police Department:
1. Officers will be unable to work four 10-hour shifts.
2. Officers cannot retire after 18 years with a full pension.
3. All officers must take tests for promotions.
4. Half of all sergeants, lieutenants and captains will be put back on patrol.
5. Every officer will change positions every six months.
6. Patrol cars cannot be parked within 1,000 feet of each other - unless officers are responding to a 911 call or complaint - outside restaurants, body shops, pawn shops, coffee shops, gas stations, businesses or homes. Police vehicles cannot be used for any personal business.
7. He will recall all officers working with the Genesee County Sheriff Department's POSSE drug team and the state police-run Flint Area Narcotics Group.
8. Officers cannot take home marked police vehicles. All marked cars must stay within city limits unless there is prior approval.
9. After each shift, officers must fill their patrol car's gas tank and check the oil. They also must log mileage and how much gas was used during a shift.
10. All sergeants, lieutenants and captains will field 911 calls.
11. Williamson will fire any officer associating with people convicted of violent crimes against women or children.
12. Moonlighting officers must obtain prior written approval.
13. Officers are prohibited from conducting personal business while on duty in a police car.
14. Officers will patrol by themselves instead of with a partner.
15. Officers can drive home unmarked cars, but the officers must be wearing a uniform while driving the cars.
16. All officers must wear a uniform, except narcotics officers, and drive marked cars.
17. The city is eliminating police dogs.
18. There will be a new shift from 7:30 p.m.-4 a.m.
19. The city will conduct a performance-evaluation audit of every officer.
20. Mandatory shift rotations.
21. All police cars will have a satellite-tracking system to ensure 911 calls and complaints are answered promptly.
22. The city will monitor response times.
23. The city will audit the time spent responding to calls to ensure officers are not wasting time.
24. Officers who spend more than five minutes not responding to a complaint must complete a report explaining why.
25. The city will scrutinize officer inactivity.
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-39/115954159838090.xml&coll=5 |
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Steve Myers |
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:35 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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WOAH!!!!! WOAH!!!! I almost don't believe it! I'm ALL FOR MOST of what he is doing there. It's about @#$% TIME! This is what we voted him in FOR!!!! I'll comment later on the line by line dissagreements. But, overall this is so long past due it isn't funny!!! Whew, Maybe now I won't run for Mayor! If he implements this He will be unbeatable. The only thing is that he could ahve done this already! He could have by GOOD LEADERSHIP implemented most of this and been a hero! There are some problems with this plan. However, OVERALL, It's not all that bad!
Geese talk about knocking most of the wind out of my sails.
Now to critize this administration will almost be nit picking.
Most of this is actually filled with good ideas! He has been listening to me at Council Meetings. I'm going to have to sit back and absorb this some more. I just can't believe this administration thought this stuff up on thier own. THey had to be listening. |
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:06 pm |
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Biggie9
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Ted Jankowski schreef:
WOAH!!!!! WOAH!!!! I almost don't believe it! I'm ALL FOR MOST of what he is doing there. It's about @#$% TIME! This is what we voted him in FOR!!!! I'll comment later on the line by line dissagreements. But, overall this is so long past due it isn't funny!!! Whew, Maybe now I won't run for Mayor! If he implements this He will be unbeatable. The only thing is that he could ahve done this already! He could have by GOOD LEADERSHIP implemented most of this and been a hero! There are some problems with this plan. However, OVERALL, It's not all that bad!
Geese talk about knocking most of the wind out of my sails.
Now to critize this administration will almost be nit picking.
Most of this is actually filled with good ideas! He has been listening to me at Council Meetings. I'm going to have to sit back and absorb this some more. I just can't believe this administration thought this stuff up on thier own. THey had to be listening.
Ted,
YOUR Christmas has come early.
Now sit back and enjoy the fact that at least someone has the same perspective on problems and issues you have been expounding on.
Now take a deep breath and enjoy it. Good...let it go now, because its now time to monitor the IMPLEMENTATION. The devil is in the details and the execution.
Lets see just what develops now between the donald and the Police Union, council, other leaders etc.
Should be an interesting fall & winter around here. The big bully is back on the prowl! |
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Biggie |
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 9:59 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 11:21 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Apparently with this plan we will be losing half our detectives. This means we will investigate crimes even less. I would be very upset about this except that it doesn't seem like we were investigating crimes anyways. In addition, even if we do investigate misdemeanor complaints and a warrant is issued it doesn't sound like we have the ability to put those people in jail.
"If he thinks people aren't happy now about their service, wait until half of the investigators are put back on the road," Hetherington (president of the Flint Police Sergeants Association) said.
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-39/115961702880450.xml&coll=5&thispage=2
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 3:12 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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| See there is one of the things that if The Mayor provides LEADERSHIP could turn out to be one the biggest win and make him virtually unbeatable. If he puts these officers on the street. Then they proceed to do the job they were hired to do. Take care of Crime Immediately! Begin investigation immediately! They take action immediately!! This would be a big benefit to the people. however, the way he came out with this plan appears to be more of a "Get Even" proposal than a crime fighting solution. All the information I've sent the Mayor and Council is from internal documents that they had already read and or had access to. Some of the information was two years old! From when the Mayor first took over. He could have implemented so much of this stuff already. Only doing it by bringing people in and convincing them of the need first. Getting them on board with the plan! The way it was presented now. Totally baffles common sense. Ultimatum, Mandates, Making officers work under unsafe conditions, etc. Many good ideas, I'm just hoping he implements this right! It could be a big win for the CITIZENS. |
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:37 pm |
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rapunzel
Guest
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49 more officers on the street...Does this mean we need to Buy more vehicles???
why? who would benefit from this? Follow the money? if not from the williamson dealership..where is the kickback?
There is no room in the county jail for current criminals. MANY ARE CAUGHT AND RELEASED. If the City jail is reopened they can only be held there for 48 hours. In this case that could cause serious overcrowding which would put us over state guidelines. If that happens we will be held to keep the numbers much lower...see hundreds released!!! The county jail was built for 38o some not 700. State guidelines will put us back at 500 some.
Catching criminals to let them go will do nothing but encourage them to bigger crimes.
Will these street patrols take fingerprints from stolen property, investigate??
Will they care to follow through?
Yep, we need a shake up from business as usual. Will they do detective work? Where will we put those caught?
Solutions? |
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:02 pm |
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rapunzel
Guest
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49 more officers on the street...Does this mean we need to Buy more vehicles???
why? who would benefit from this? Follow the money? if not from the williamson dealership..where is the kickback?
There is no room in the county jail for current criminals. MANY ARE CAUGHT AND RELEASED. If the City jail is reopened they can only be held there for 48 hours. In this case that could cause serious overcrowding which would put us over state guidelines. If that happens we will be held to keep the numbers much lower...see hundreds released!!! The county jail was built for 38o some not 700. State guidelines will put us back at 500 some.
Catching criminals to let them go will do nothing but encourage them to bigger crimes.
Will these street patrols take fingerprints from stolen property, investigate??
Will they care to follow through?
Yep, we need a shake up from business as usual. Will they do detective work? Where will we put those caught?
Solutions? |
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:03 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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Where you been hiding?
Vehicles from Suski again??? Without going through the Bid Process AGAIN.. Being told we are getting the lowest price AGAIN without any proof!
Jail Space! Exactly! That is true. over crowded to begin with. It was never designed for the number it has now? Write your congressman, Write the Mayor, Write everyone!! Here is an example http://www.cityofflint.net/letter_to_president.htm
quote:
Catching criminals to let them go will do nothing but encourage them to bigger crimes.
Couldn't have said that better myself!
Follow through! Exactly, How about even begin? this is what I'm talking about when I talk about the Mayor's leadership. This is where it could be a BIG win for Him and the poeple.
Getting money for a new city jail should come from our state and federal government. Grants??? NO WAY!! this should come to us becuase we NEED IT DESPERATELY!!! |
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:13 pm |
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rapunzel
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We voted for community police officers. My local officers know the community. I do not wish them switched in 6 months to a different area.
This could be a violation of millage funds. Not that we did not expect this after the millage was passed.
RAP |
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:14 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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Hey did you check nubers for what they accomplished in 2005? 22,000 incidents? Wow talk about overworking them! Hmmm
40 x 260 working days in a year. 10400 Hmmmm
So if we had them take care of 3 per day that would be. 3 x 40 x 260 = 31,200. Hmmmm I see they really being effective! Why don't I see them in the Community? Granted I work during the day. But, don't they work weekends? |
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Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:35 pm |
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rational thinker
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| Let me say this it seems to me the mayor isn't thinking about the lives of other citizens in this community, what are you thinking by taking away the police dogs that is the most insane idea I have heard of yet these dogs are trained for a reason and that is to help us and bennifit from that these dogs have saved some of police officers lives and they help to find drugs and missing children why would you want to take that away Flint spent money on these animals and you just want to throw it away you say sell them but some of these are only one man owners (purpose for training) hello wake up williamson and also onw man cars are you trying to get our officers killed flint is not a pretty site as it is why not put your mind in the right place and start by fixing the schools and parks for are children worry about that instead of trying to make are police officers more indanger than what they already have to deal with they have familys also. |
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Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:24 am |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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| Well then, Join me in writing our elected officials. We have a lunitic at the whelm here in Flint and someone has got to step in! Since he has been Mayor public safety has suffered. He is abusing his authority and no one seems willing to stop him! |
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Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:48 pm |
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mark
Guest
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A fine Flint mess
Bigger, better police force city's need, not this fight
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Mishandling of a proposed police reorganization by Flint's mayor, bullheadedness on the part of a police union and unhelpful politics from the City Council and others has created a spectacle rather than a solution for cutting city crime.
While Mayor Don Williamson has a legitimate goal in seeking better police response to residents' calls, he was wrong to announce a department overhaul that lacked sufficient collaboration and was bound to create a public fight. Had the police chief and other command officers been more involved - and out front - the reorganization plan would have avoided some impracticalities for a dangerous city - such as the mayor's intention to eliminate two-officer cars entirely.
Yet, some of Williamson's 25-point proposal has merit. Putting satellite-tracking devices in all police cars is done in many communities to improve management and safety. Assigning more officers to patrol and getting rid of at least some of the city's police dogs also seem reasonable, though these and other ideas could have been sold better than Williamson managed.
In the police ranks, which for the most part are filled with quality officers, there unfortunately are too many examples of a strident union culture that can result in employee interests coming ahead of the public's. The Flint Police Officers Association's vote of no-confidence in acting Chief Gary Hagler gained the cops nothing, yet worsened management-labor relations and, of course, made Flint look bad.
The council's various comments in support of the police and against Williamson have a variety of motivations. Some stem from honest concerns, but others serve political interests.
Flint, for the sake of its future, must reduce crime and part of the answer is a bigger and more effective police force. How we achieve this goal by getting past this mess, which now includes a court fight between the administration and police union, is not at all clear.
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Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:20 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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It sure is a good thing this article was under the Editors Opinions. Let me correct the story! It should have, (in order to be accurate).
A fine Flint mess
Bigger, better police force city's need, not this fight
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Mishandling of a proposed police reorganization by Flint's mayor has created a spectacle rather than a solution for cutting city crime.
While Mayor Don Williamson has should have a legitimate goal in seeking better police response to residents' calls, he was wrong to announce a department overhaul that lacked sufficient collaboration, and commonsense. This was bound to create a public fight. Had the police chief and other command officers been more involved - and out front - the reorganization plan would have avoided some impracticalities for a dangerous city - such as the mayor's intention to eliminate two-officer cars entirely or using officers for political retribution instead of responding to calls.
Yet, some of Williamson's 25-point proposal has merit. Putting satellite-tracking devices in all police cars is done in many communities to improve management and safety. Assigning more officers to patrol. Then there is the getting rid of the city's police dogs also seems a bit UNreasonable. Though these and other ideas could have been included, such as moving more officers off the overmanned Day shifts and put where they are needed on nights, and on the weekends when they are needed. Had the Mayor listened to Citizens, City Officials and the Police Department itself, then used those ideas as guideline then sold it back to them.
(Next paragraph removed because of the ignorance of the editors in the first place. their presupposition shows their complete lack of understanding of what Power this Union has and what power Management has)
The council's various comments in support of the police and against Williamson have a variety of motivations. Some stem from honest concerns, but others serve political interests. That we don't have any example of but want to mention here so that the mayor doesn't think we are against him. We are laying some of the Blame on council so we have to make something up for them to take the Blame for!
Flint, for the sake of its future, must reduce crime. We sit around all day dreaming up ways to increase the citizens taxes and receive less for what they pay. We have a bigger police department than we had in 2003 when crime was at its lowest under the leadership of chief Barksdale. And even though the evidence shows that when this Mayor hires more officers crime goes up. We think part of the answer is a bigger and more effective police force. Doesn't matter that officers cannot arrest anyone now because there isn't enough room in the Jail. How we achieve this goal by getting past this mess, which now includes a court fight between the administration and police union, is not at all clear. But please, just say no to drugs, even though we seem to be on them ourselves. |
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Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:07 pm |
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