Riot Update ...
Riot Update ....
riot girl wings rocks at opponents !
Update - No Update !
Actually, there are things happening, but as you might have already figured out, if I told you, I'd have to kill you (or at least flog you with a wet noodle) ! ...
Truthfully, the way I understand it, a full fledged, comprehensive program, to address all the issues that led to the teenage riot are being planned and initiated, and the powers that be want some time to get everything underway. So, I'm standing down, for now!
My blog posting of the Dec. 15th riot ( you say potato, I say pototo, the cops say disturbance!) went viral on this blog and drew many thousands of views and 73 comments and counting, a record for this blog, and maybe any local blog!
I'm still on blog vacation until the new year, but many of you have been asking for a riot update, so there you go...
Tim
riot girl wings rocks at opponents !
Update - No Update !
Actually, there are things happening, but as you might have already figured out, if I told you, I'd have to kill you (or at least flog you with a wet noodle) ! ...
Truthfully, the way I understand it, a full fledged, comprehensive program, to address all the issues that led to the teenage riot are being planned and initiated, and the powers that be want some time to get everything underway. So, I'm standing down, for now!
My blog posting of the Dec. 15th riot ( you say potato, I say pototo, the cops say disturbance!) went viral on this blog and drew many thousands of views and 73 comments and counting, a record for this blog, and maybe any local blog!
I'm still on blog vacation until the new year, but many of you have been asking for a riot update, so there you go...
Tim
So Tim, is the root problem of 80% of our cops living outside Fort Lauderdale and taking their personal squad cars home to other cities suburbs over night with unlimited free gas in the tanks for these commuter cops going to be addressed? Anything short of dealing with this root cause will have no effect in the long term. I hope the commissioners and the mayor have the courage to stand up to the police union bosses and the 20% of the force that actually live in Fort Lauderdale and are eligible to vote.
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Charles, I so agree! We had a major drug operation at an apartment complex. Called Street Crime Unit numerous times to investigate, but they could find problem. One day a private investigator who owns a old unmarked Sheriff's car moved into the building. Within a day of that car parking in the lot all drug activity stopped!
Police cars are valuable tools. It worked for us!
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Do 20% of the 500+ live in FLL? I was told there are about 55 (in the police dept.) who live/vote in FLL. This conditions in city neighborhoods did not deteriorate overnight, and there is no 'one time fix'. Are curfews a solution?With elections in the next few weeks, I fear some efforts made to appease voters, and then laissez faire for the next 3 years. See the recent article on unruliness in Miami Lakes and curfews.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/29/2566223/miami-lakes-to-enforce-curfew.html
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This would be a perfect Restart to the Community Policing we had in the Past I am hoping the Elected Officials realize this issue requires a longer term fix like Community Policing and not just have some six month Plan.
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As soon as we see community policing; The police "pick" their new assignments. We must start over again from square one! I took time out to write a guide for all the new officers in my neighborhood.
Would really like to have a draft i.e. NFL of our neighborhood officers. Image us citizens of Fort Lauderdale picking our own officers.
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Ray, you never supported community policing. Why are you making such a statement? You remember our meetings.
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I think what we are seeing in comments is an 'open mindedness' to alternatives and solutions that were diametrically opposed in the past. Why? Broward and FLL property values are almost rock bottom and SOME back to mid-late 1990's values, the influx of new people into the state and relocating within the state to S FLA/Broward/FLL has slowed, and there are some elementary issues in the city that must be dealt with after having overlooked them for so long during the 'boom times'. Its easy to govern when the economy is growing and there is plenty of money to fund projects, pet and otherwise. The city commission must prioritize and make some tough choices. If petty crime and perceived lawlessness becomes the norm, the damage will be exponential, not cumulative. That is why there may be some openmindedness and change of attitude by citizens who previously would not have considered alternatives.
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Flog me with a wet noodle? .... how dare you threaten me with a good time !
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Charles is so wrong.... We don't live in a comunnist country where well tell people where they have to live based on their profession. I love how his posts are alway anti-police rather then giving a solution to solve the problem. Perhaps the problem may have more to do with the failing justice system and not the police driving their take home cars home. If you take away all the perks away you won't have any qualified police officers working in your community. Police Officers do not want to live where they work because they don't want to see the people they arrest while they are with their families.
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Dear Brian, I am not advocating a residency requirement, I am advocating that we remove the expensive tax payer paid for incentives like free gas and take home personal squad cars that encourage our Fort Lauderdale police officers to live, raise their families, buy homes and spend their pay checks in other cities. This system that has arraigned for 80% of our sqaud cars to be parked overnight in other cities has to stop. The original idea to have personal cars and free gas is from a different time, when gas was cheap, tax assessments were sky rocketing and cops lived in the city in greater numbers. Since none of those things are true anymore, maybe it's time for the Mayor and Commission to change the increasingly expensive policy? And as for your insinuation that we won't be able to field a police force without these counterproductive perks in this economy, I would have to ask you if you even believe that yourself?
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Has a CRA for South Middle River been in the works for awhile?
http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/documents/agenda/2012/010512cc_conf.pdf
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I said it before and I'll say it again. Everyone involved in this riot, disturbance etc, shoul dhave been arrested. I mean you can't compromise public safety for a select few, regardless of who you are or what neighborhood you live in. As far as this officer living in Ft.lau as opposed to some that live outside the City, is mute. So if Officer Joe Smoe lives in Ft.lau makes him a better police officer as say someone that lives else where. Get the best, don't settle for the rest. Also Tim the Visioning Consulants, are going to be asking for the rest of the money to continue the Visioning Project. Are you still inclined to spend the 300plus grand. It light of all that has transpired over the last few months? Are you still supportive as you where before????
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Well Robert, I think it does matter if police officers live in the city. I'm not saying it should be mandatory, I'm saying we should stop incentivizing officers to live in other cities with free take home cars and free gas for commuter cops. I think that when 80% of the cops live outside the city, it promotes an attitude among them that Fort Lauderdale is a nice place to work, but I wouldn't want to live there. I don't know about you Robert, but I don't want to provide free gas and personal take home squad cars at great taxpayer expense. I want cops to live in, buy homes in, raise their families in, and spend their pay checks in Fort Lauderdale. I think having cops live in the city's working class neighborhoods would make a huge difference in the crime rate and resulting property values. We have made ourselves a target by incentivizing the cops to live as far away as they damn well want with free unlimited gas and transportation. Free gas and take home cars should be only for cops who live in the city, end of story. Anyone who argues otherwise is pandering to the police union bosses.
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I personally want the police to have take home cars. If this were a real riot or the tens of thousands of people boozing it up in our city decide to turn on us I'd rather the police that were called in came straight to the problem instead of going to the police car and waiting in line to check out a car.
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I think the 20% that live in the city should have free gas and take home cars, and I seriously doubt any cops left their houses to deal with the riot December 17th. They won't even call it a riot. To them it was a minor disturbance. Right now the cops are more concerned about the crime rate in their home cities, we need to change that. The good news is how often does making an obvious positive change actually save you hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars per year?
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Charles get off it already. Cops who live more than 10 miles out of the City pay for gas and all cops have to provide their own insurance
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Hey Enough, due they actually pay for their gas, or some nominal flat fee?
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With the irregular and elongated geographic shape of Fort Lauderdale is there even a place in Broward County more than 10 miles from the city line. I even believe there is a small plot of land out in Plantation that was previously a sludge field that is technically still part of Fort Lauderdale.
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I did not know Vision study would wrap with the full $300,000.-$400,00. fee to be ponied up. For a report where 5% maximum of citizens were engaged, and prior to an election with 3 year terms? If the current 5 want to truly represent the taxpayers/voters/stakeholders, they would hold the Visioning study until after the March 13 election. If the 4 are re-elected, moving forward will be their choice regardless of the will of the voters. But if anyone else is elected, the Visioning deserves to be re-examined and explored so someone with a three year term can truly engage and benefit from the input of citizens and get and give value for a $400,000.00 consulting fee. Tim has accomplished MORE in the last 5 weeks since candidates declared and filed, and then utilized his forum (blog) to engage and inform and get feedback than ANY consultant to the city of FLL. A Vision study is NOT static - its a moving and evolving 'taking of the pulse' of the city as critical issues arise. The minutes from the last few Vision meetings are now posted
http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/documents/visioning/index.htm
I suggest taking a read of the last 4 meetings.
To contrast these hundreds of thousands of dollars, I was in City Hall last week and was told while waiting for an elevator that only 2 of the 3 were working, that this is a regular occurrence with at least one of the 3 out of commission. i wrote the manager and he promptly responded that the replacement/upgrade to current code was slated for them in an upcoming CIP. $300,00.00 would pay for one of the 3 elevators. City hall is a bricks and mortar 'peoples' asset - we are NOT going to build another one (or afford to) in the next 25 years, so we must maintain and preserve it. Lets please be wise and prudent with how we spend our tax dollars, whether I am elected in March or not.
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I know Earl hates the cops but is Gabriel Crimi related to Frank Crimi? They both live by each other. I'm sure none of you cop haters care but Frank Crimi shot Detective Paul Allen. It would be another slap in the face of law enforcement if Earl talked a Crimi relative into running
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Frank Crimi is bad news!!
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That must mean he will be a sure winner in any election in this city
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