Loading ...A Few More Cops Looks A Lot More Likely
Mayor Bart Peterson’s staff this evening gave a briefing to representatives of the city’s neighborhood groups about what “Hizzoner” plans to detail in his speech tomorrow regarding public safety and city finances.
Although the Mayor’s people kept a lot of information close to their vest they did admit there was a police shortage according to some of the citizens in the room. Take that information and Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell telling me afterwards that there will be things that people can “see” in the Mayor’s proposal leads me to believe more that the Mayor will announce more cops in his plan tomorrow. There’s no word yet on what the exact number would be.
The Mayor may also outline some new sentencing recommendations for judges when it comes to misdemeanor offenses.
I was also told the Mayor’s staff pointed out that homicides were down since last year and there has not been one early release from the jail since August. Homicides are down overall, but Marion County’s dirty little secret about jail overcrowding is that the courts have changed the factors which set the bonds and it is now much easier for offenders to get out of jail because they never get there in the first place. And on any given week there are hundreds of jail beds that sit empty.
The Mayor’s staff did not give out any tax rate information, saying they want to reveal that information tomorrow.
I plan to air the Mayor’s full speech on my Thursday morning radio program.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
And who says blogs don’t have any power?!
Bart lies and he is getting caught in them and trying to spin his web this election year.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
I know its an old tune, but the mayor would be smart to revisit the 2006 contract with the former ipd folks. A fair settlement of that issue would have the same impact of adding 100 more cops over night
June 26th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Years, that is, of us having to listen to Bart’s empty promises. If he does propose more officers tomorrow, credit should go to Greg Ballard for putting the heat on him about the issue for the past few weeks. Nice to see the Mayor finally be responsive to something…
http://www.ballardformayor.com
June 27th, 2007 at 6:20 am
The Mayor ALWAYS is very selective of just exactly where he will hold these “made for the media” announcements. As was the case in his last conference, he continues to woo the pissed off voters on the deteriorating eastside. No coincidence that this dog and pony show is being held at the Boner Community Center smack dab where $10 million is being spect on sidewalks, curbs and trees in the midst of ever increasing crime and dispair. IMPD refers to this area as The Swamp.
Nothing, absolutely nothing will change regardless of the diatribe the Mayor will spew out. It’s another fluff photo-op with O’Conner running the show.
You would think that after years of his BS ” grand scheme announcements” people would wise up.
If anyone seriously thinks that there will be any changes please pass the pipe over to me.
June 27th, 2007 at 7:06 am
Don’t be deceived if there’s an announcement that Bart will add more cops. Does anyone honestly think that more cops would’ve prevented the double shooting this morning at Post and Pendleton?
Not a chance in hell. It might improve the odds of catching the supects, but it won’t stop the crime.
If that announcment is made - to increase the number of police - it’ll be on the back of increased income and property taxes which will in turn take more money from the folks who resort to crime in the first place. The end result is that we’ll likely have more crime as families on the bottom end of the middle class are pushed into lower class status.
Does anyone honestly believe that our leadership, both local and state who’ve driven up our taxes, are THAT stupid? I don’t buy it for a second. They are simply cold, calculating, and profit driven. The citizens be damned. Eat your cake. If you don’t like it, move out.
That’s the message.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:12 am
Interesting that the guy Abdul interviewed last night said we had 30+ officers on the street already from the merger and another 130 (?) more on the way by next year.
Are these the same officers who are cadets or still in training right now ?
And no mention on how to replace the officers they already know will be retiring this or even next year.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:22 am
I didn’t hear the speach, but I did read the summary on from RTV6 indychannel.com.
100 new police officers. Since we’re all gonna be paying more taxes for these 100 new officers, I can only assume that they’re in addition to the 170 (or so) officers who are currently in the budget but are missing from the ranks.
I hate to use funny math, but when I add the original 170 officers to the new 100 officers announced today by the mayor, I come up with 270 police officers. Correct?
Either that, or we’re atually gonna get 100 total officers, leaving us 70 officers short of those currently in the budget. Meaning that the costs for 70 officers, along with the additional tax dollars to pay for 100 new officers - are disappearing into some black hole somewhere.
Please correct me if I’m wrong. Wilson?
June 27th, 2007 at 11:43 am
The 100 new officers will probably barely cover the number of officers who will retire over the next 2 years. So by the end of 2008 we will probably still have the same number of officers actualyl working on the street as we do now.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Shorebreak,
I understood the announcement the same way you did. If the Mayor meant that 100 NEW officers are being ADDED to those ALREADY in the pipeline then we’d come up with your number.
I sense that some funny math may be involved. It wouldn’t be the first time.
I would assume that Indyu will have the skinny soon, probably as I write this.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
The spin on Peterson’s announcement will be that he is showing “courage” by tackling a decades-old problem. Hey, Ballard, if you’re listening, here’s what you need to say early and often: “If the problem was decades in the making, why did Bart Peterson wait nearly a decade before he decided to address it?”
Seriously, Ballard, Peterson has given you an opening a mile wide for the election. The only way Peterson could have handled this worse is if he had held the press conference wearing a leather studded thong.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Bart wearing a leather studded thong? Now you’ve really given Wilson a wedgie Pete.
Could someone please Photoshop out a pic of Bart in a thong? My God, where are we heading here people?
June 27th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
With GOP nutterballs imagining our Mayor in a leather studded thong, the Republicans have officially abandoned their traditional claims to being “The Party of Family Values”…
June 27th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
See, I told you Pete! Now if I can just find those leather chaps….. and get them to the CCB before the Mayor leaves for the day.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
That was the use of “irony” that you’re often so fond of, Wilson. Peterson’s press conference was a disaster. The timing of this announcement was a disaster. At best, this maneuver is a desperate act of a failing mayor who let things slide for so long he suddenly noticed his grip on power might not be so ironclad. At worst, this maneuver of proposing a 50% tax increase *before* an election shows a level of hubris and delusion not seen since the dark days of Steve Goldsmith.
The only way Peterson could be doing any worse is if he cut the press conference short by saying that he had to go because he was in fact Batman and he just saw the Batsignal. This of course would be followed up by a radio appearance by Steve Campbell apologizing for the Mayor cribbing a joke from Seinfeld.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Mayor Peterson promised the city 200 more police when he first campaigned for the office in 1999.
He has been in office 7.5 years now and has failed to keep that promise. After he gave this city to his wealthy friends, he needs the tax increase to coverup his adminstrations runaway spending. Blank pages in the city’s budget last year. No mention in his speech about downsizing his large staff to save money. He forgot to mention the bakc pay raises for the police.
Hey Peterson and O’Connor some of the citizens in this city can count real good. The heat is on for you to lie to the public more.
Promise us no more tax abatements to your wealthy friends.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Did I hear $90 Million a year in his speech on the news? He’s talking to the suburbanites again like he did in 1999. He used crime and drugs back then. Scare tactics.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Mayor Peterson,
I’m sure one of your staff reads this blog and i would appreciate a response to flipper@iquest.net
My question is. Why did you have to give Jim Ursay 40 million dollars for breach of contract and still build him a new stadium. Couldn’t someone in the city administration negociate a better outcome? How many millions has the city spent on design, attorney, or other fees for the stadium. you gave the good old simon boys 6o million to kill off the last few square feet of green space in downtown indy and build an office building. My math says that is over 100 million dollars. Probibly way more than that you have given away of the citizens of this county’s hard earned money.
Now you want to raise my taxes for public safety!
I used to work for your father and also 35 years as an IFD firefighter. i’m sure he would be appauled to see how you have treated the citizens on this once great city.
I’m just ashamed to see you chop this once great city up for the gain of the developers, many i’m sure are friends of yours, and the rich business owners.
I would appresiate a reply to flipper@iquest.net if you or any of your staffers have some common decency to address my issues.
Thank you
Tim Dugan
flipper@iquest.net