Date: May 24, 2007 2:54:18 PM EDT
To: "Awad, Anne", "Brewer, Alisa"
Cc: "Shaffer, Larry"
Subject: FW: [AmhTownMtg] NoHo adds while Amherst subtracts
-----Original Message-----
From: Dick Mudgett
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 12:59 PM
To: amhersttownmeeting@yahoogroups.com; Wentworth, Mary
Cc: amhersttownmeeting@yahoogroups.com; Nick Grabbe, Larry Shaffer; Select Board; Finance Committe; Finance Department
Subject: Re: [AmhTownMtg] NoHo adds while Amherst subtracts
Dear et al.
After last nights debacle on public safety, I wonder if the chief will be open to suggestions for program or system chages that will stress his men further and add to his budget without additional financial support which town meeting wasn't willing to consider in its defeat of two motions that would have retained two of his current police staff. Many comments, not all, made on this thread seem to be a dream to micro-manage public safety through "suggestions" that affect ability to respond and with implicit cost increases that town meeting would clearly be unwilling to consider. If you think some of these notions are really worthwhile, why don't those of you proposing them make an appointment with Chief Scherpa and explain to him how he can do all these things with a reduced staff and financial support. I'm sure he'd be glad to discuss these things with anyone with a good proposal including the necessary staff and funding. All of the negatives brought up at the meeting may or may not be true, but expecting these defects to change without additional support is unreasonable.I remember the time I unintentionally set off my ADP alarm and forgot how to turn it back off. A police officer was at my door within 3 minutes, a very short response time for which many seniors and non-seniors have reason to be thankful. If you'd like a new chief, keep trying to micromanage the department, arguably the best damn force in the region with a student population that imposes a heavy off-campus burden on the town and its 98 or whatever number of restaurants, bars, bistros and shops without producing any significant revenue to the town though its minimal commercial tax contributions.
The state, with its 5% meals tax, gets more money from the students than we do all of their purchases, to a great extent because commercial property is taxed on a capitalized net return of building owners rather than true market value. And if anyone thinks a 1.5% meal tax "bone" would, if passed, make a difference in town financing, you may have my nomination for pollyanna of the year.
Do you think Bush is keeping us safe from terrorism? If so, let's eliminate any work by the police in following up on potential threats to the region and the community. After all, who would dare to upset Amherst's apparent invulnerability?
Since I voted for both higher amounts, I can't move for reconsideration. Would anyone on this listserve be willing to make such a motion? If so, good luck, and count on my vote again.
Dick Mudgett, Preceinct 6
Quoting Mary L Wentworth
Thank you, Gerry, for opening up this conversation about alcohol use
and its effects on our town. I would add that it is not only those
neighborhoods that you mention that are impacted. They are on the route
back to the campus. But many drinkers do not immediately head there.
They come down into the parking garage area, Lessey Street, and
Sweetser Park. What kind of an example does this whole scene provide
for younger teens at the high school? Is this a situation made to order
for those selling illegal drugs?
I would like to see the SB hold a hearing on this topic. Would that be
possible?
Mary
On Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 05:36 AM, Gerry Weiss wrote:
A few more thoughts: back to the State. It seems to me that there should
be a policy that the state will provide towns with funds for police/some
number of students, like one officer/3 or 4000 students. Someone last
night pointed out that UMass is adding some number of students (1500?)
over the next few years. That impacts the town, especially the police and the neighbors.
I also think we do need a wider conversation about alcohol. Drinking is
good for some merchants in town. Does it pay its way? What is the
economic impact on the town of a dry campus? The social impact of
hundreds of drunk and semi-drunk students returning to their dorms at 2
AM via Lincoln, Fearing, etc? What would the impact be of UMass becoming
wet again? The social impact? What would the impact be of closing bars
at 12 instead of 1?
Gerry
Phil Jackson wrote:
I think that there are at least three real determining factors in the discussion:
1. Benchmarks for size of police-to-total population. What are the
recommended guidelines for the number of resources?
2. Statistics on the type/frequency of police responses combined with
some trend analysis. In order to respond to, investigate, process,
etc., how many resources are required to address the communities needs?
3. The impact of the colleges, but most particularly UMass, on the
APD. How much does the demand increase during the school year and what
compromises in other capabilities does this increased burden create to
our resources who serve the total town?
Again: UMass' police is its department. It is policing a physical
space far smaller than the 29-square miles of Amherst. They are only
responding to UMass' needs. Our dispatch center does not dispatch
them. They do not respond to a medical emergency on Bay Road, for
example, as first responders (as the APD do); they do not direct
traffic for a construction project on Main Street. And the list goes on.
To: amhersttownmeeting@yahoogroups.com
From: Gerry Weiss
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 08:05:49 -0400
Subject: Re: [AmhTownMtg] NoHo adds while Amherst subtracts
Phil,Larry offered one piece of information to suggest that Amherst
was under staffing our Police Dep't. I offered some more pieces of
information. You offered some more. And we've only scratched the
surface of this discussion. How do we count our population when we are
trying to figure out staffing? Do we count the UMPD at all in staffing
numbers? If we count the entire population including on campus
students, and only our town force, then we have 50 for 34,000 or a
staffing of 1.47/1000, which is a horrible number. But is that an
accurate way to calculate this? It seems to me that we should not use
Northampton to compare to which was my original point. If we agree
that we're talking apples and oranges, then shouldn't any mention of
Noho be out of line? And if we put in Noho, then let's look at the
Noho budget - what is the police line? what % is that of town gov't;
what % is that of the entire budget? That's all I'm saying; the
discussion can go on and on and shouldn't stop at how many officers
Noho has. Everything is connected. I was expanding the conversation
away from Larry's headline.I would agree that 2 of the most important
social service agencies in a town are police and schools. Schools are
in the category of prevention (except for those children it doesn't
work for) and police are in response. (yes, they do have programs that
offer prevention as well). Other social services serve as prevention
organizations. I won't get into a conversation about rankings.Gerry
Phil Jackson wrote:>I'm assuming Mr. Kelley is
suggesting that Northampton has a larger force compared to Amherst.>
I'm curious, then, what the point of your (second) comparison is?>
Are your numbers intended to suggest that we, in fact, have a larger
force than Northampton? I don't believe that the town has any official
capacity to direct the activities of the UMass police force or to
dispatch them in response to 911 or non-emergency calls, so to include
them seems a stretch.> >And, are you also suggesting, by way of
comparison, that Amherst and Northampton are similar municipalities
from a police/public safety standpoint with respect to demographics? I
looked hard on YouTube for footage of the young ladies at Smith (or
anyone else for that matter) rioting in celebration, on- or
off-campus. No luck.> >I've heard the assertion from a disparate group
of people that the two most important social services agencies in any
community are the public schools and the police, both of which come
into direct contact daily with the neediest and most disadvantaged in
the community and provide a broad range of services. What thoughts do
you have on the validity of this?
To:amhersttownmeeting@yahoogroups.com
From: Gerry Weiss
Date:Tue, 22 May 2007 14:56:49 -0400
Subject: Re: [AmhTownMtg] NoHo adds while Amherst subtracts
I believe Mr. Kelley was the first to make
the comparison. I was responding to his comparison.
Phil Jackson
wrote:> I'm providing four examples of why Amherst and Northampton may
not be > exactly an apples-to-apples comparison with respect to
policing, as > Mr. Weiss seems to suggest.>> NOTE: Videos contain
adult language and content. Viewer discretion is > advised.)>> 2002:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PcZ0F8GQ8rQ >
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DvtMOosv8xw >
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QXCcAUKt7uQ >
multiple instances of nudity in the first 2 mins)> 2006:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LHHlGa80xuM >
police are NOT Amherst police. Despite the > much-touted mutual aid
agreement, they are NOT additional police > resources.> Also, if you
haven't reviewed the town's crime statistics, you might > want to do
so:>> FY06: >
http://www.amherstpd.org/PDFs/Town%20Report%20PDFs/
FY%202006%20%20townreport.pdf >
http://www.amherstpd.org/sub_services_info_crime_statistics.asp >
The Northampton PD does NOT publish comparable stats on its
website.>>
But, you can look at Springfield's stats for 2003 and 2004, which
use
the same FBI categories as the Amherst stats, for comparative >
purposes. I don't know how many officers they have, but I'm sure
it's
more than Amherst.>> To: amhersttownmeeting@yahoogroups.comFrom >
gerryweiss@comcast.netDate
Tue,
22 May 2007 07:18:11 -0400Subject: Re: [AmhTownMtg] NoHo adds
while
Amherst subtracts>> Population Northampton: 29,000 with 63
officers
= 2.17/1000Population > Amherst, counting all students: 34,000 with
50
APD + 60 UMPD = 110 > officers = 3.24/1000Population Amherst off
campus = 22,000 with 50 > officers = 2.27/1000larry kelley wrote:>
Hamp police at former level> > Monday, May 21, 2007> By FRED
CONTRADA>
fcontrada@repub.com >
Department
is about to reach its highest > > staffing level in a decade after
hiring eight officers.>> The new > recruits will bring the total of
full-time officers and > supervisors > to 63, said Police Chief
Russell P. Sienkiewicz, the > highest number > since the Clinton
administration.>> Along with the hirings, the police > department is
promoting several > employees.>> Effective May 27, Sgt. > Scott A.
Savino will become a lieutenant on the > day shift. On that > same
date, Det. Jody D. Kasper will be promoted to > patrol sergeant, >
acting sergeant Robert J. Powers will be made a > full-time patrol >
sergeant, and Officer Craig R. Kirouac will be > promoted to the >
detective bureau.>> Sienkiewicz said that four recruits will enter
the
police academy in > Lowell for training on June 4. They are
Michael
J. > Briggs, 26, of > Newton; Brian J. D'Amico, 22, of Medway;
Timothy
M. > Miner, 23, of > Charlton; and Enzo A. Yaksic, 24, of Everett.>>
June 4 > will also be the first day of field training for Michael A.
DeCaro, > 23, of Agawam; Justin D. Hooten, 26, of Belchertown;
Andrew
J. > Kohl, > 23, of Easthampton; and Jaroslaw M. Przybyla, 34, of >
Southampton. > They will function as officers until the department
finds > slots for > them at the state-run police academy in
Springfield, > Sienkiewicz > said.>> All the new officers either
have
or are about to earn > bachelor's or > associate's degrees,
according
to Sienkiewicz.>> The > chief said that 147 applicants to the
department took the most > > recent exam in January. The competition
for police officers has grown > > fierce in recent years as states
such as California and Texas have > > been recruiting candidates
from
Massachusetts.>> "It's hard to recruit > and retain people in law
enforcement," > Sienkiewicz said.>> >
--------------------------------->
No comments:
Post a Comment