Salisbury News learned over the weekend its been rumored that Mayor Jim Ireton and Chief Barbara Duncan have shut down the Safe Streets Team.
Yes, the very organization that the Mayor has credited towards a major reduction in crime is allegedly no longer.
Talk about a Mayor who couldn't care less about public safety! This team was put together with grant money. Funny how the ZOO hires people full time with benefits after the grant money runs out but God Forbid we actually do the same for public safety. Also, its been rumored the grant was extended for another year.
Right now there's a ton of discussion about the "what ifs" referencing the City's commitment towards the grant funding. All I can tell you right now is, IF you didn't think Salisbury needed new leadership, I hope your opening your eyes now. None of the City Council Members I spoke to were aware that the Safe Streets Team has been disbanded.
23 comments:
Why do I think there is more to this than what is reported here?
Why didn't he discuss this with the council. Wasn't Terry Cohen involved in getting this program started. I called an officer after reading this and it is true.
I do know it is a TON of paperwork they have to fill out and keep track of, one of the problems is they did not have the manpower to keep up with it, last year they were so behind they had to have people work on it for weeks to bring it up to date so they could get the grant again.
Maybe they have run the numbers and the decided the benefit is not worth the effort?
Crimes in Salisbury are usually perpetrated by it's citizens,like it or not.The Safe Streets project was established as an aggressive form of law enforcement,and also to lead by example.By now the citizens should have at least begun to follow that lead.If the situation in SBY is so dire that it's citizens have not even begun to take up the slack it may be time to re orchestrate the police and neihborhood watch approach.Lets give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are shifting gears to a more effective approach,as opposed to terminating the project.
@9:31 the citizens do not get paid to play vigilante, the police do get paid to. The JOB of the officers is to protect the public. We don't neeed our own George Zimmerman situation. I understand the SBY police are not funded well enough but you can not expect people to just flip a switch and become more active in policing their own neighborhoods that is what the Safe Streets program was for. Can someone explain to me why Duncan is still there if the department is in complete disarray? Shambles is more like it.
I'm not postive but I've heard somewhere along the line that in order to be eligible for these federal/state grants you have to follow strict guidelines such as hiring a certain percantage of minorities, woman, etc.
I believe also there are other restictions and rules that can tie the hands of our local leaders. In other words when you apply for these grants (state and fed) certain things are removed from our hands locally and higher gov'ts are calling the shots.
Since Salisbury is at least 80% rentals it makes it hard to find people that want to dedicate the time to the neighborhood watch approach.
Anonymous said...
Why didn't he discuss this with the council. Wasn't Terry Cohen involved in getting this program started. I called an officer after reading this and it is true.
September 24, 2012 9:02 AM
I do believe it was her idea to bring Safe Streets to Salisbury? Someone correct me if I am wrong.
9:53, I thought that neighborhood watch was just a piece of it. I thought the main point of the program was to get rid of violent offenders, which from the stats that have been announced, has worked. Does the city need to give money back now?
10:03 It is not 80% rental, just an exaggeration to make it sound worse than it is.
@10:03 am it is closer to 95% rentals in the city of Salisbury.
@11:07 am it is more like 95% and that is a fact. I did a study myself and came to that conclusion. Are you a slum lord?
Federal Offense , jail city for both the mayor and the chief of pansies.
11:07 I'm not 10:03 but I don't think 1003 is exaggerating. I did work for a hugh commercial developement company in the DC area going on about 10 yrs ago. They had stuff going on all over as far south as Richmond and in the Dover area as well as DC and it's suburbs. One thing I do remember about Salisbury (and remember this was 10 yrs ago) was the company had reservations and didn't think branching out to Salisbury was cost effective because at that time more than 60% of the housing tenure was renter occupied units. I've since spoken to alot of local realtors who do say when a house sells chances are it's being bought as a rental anymore.
'Safe Streets' sounds like one of those money wasting programs to make politicians look good. Any crime stats and costs on this 'Safe Streets' program. Maybe a little cost/benefit analysis.
I agree 12:38 and I also agree that these grants are a way for the state and federal govenments to have a hand in our local business because yes they do come with rules. It is nothing more than a way for them to sneak in and start controlling us more and more until us the local voters have very little say so anymore in what goes on in OUR community.
11:59 Saying it is a fact doesn't make it so. You did a study? Really?
Here is my study: I am a homeowner in the city there are 12 houses on my street and one is rented. Doesn't sound like 95% to me.
@11:07 am it is more like 95% and that is a fact. I did a study myself and came to that conclusion. Are you a slum lord?
September 24, 2012 11:59 AM
roflmao
You have no idea how dumb that sounds do you?
That may be the case on your street 2:47 but some streets in Salisbury (Prince for instance) is overwhelming not owner occupied.
That may be the case on your street 2:47 but some streets in Salisbury (Prince for instance) is overwhelming not owner occupied.
September 24, 2012 4:13 PM
What? lol. Maybe it's me and I need a nap or something but to me there are a lot of comments on here that don't make sense tonight.
11:59 Saying it is a fact doesn't make it so. You did a study? Really?
Here is my study: I am a homeowner in the city there are 12 houses on my street and one is rented. Doesn't sound like 95% to me.
September 24, 2012 2:25 PM
That's what I was trying to get across to him when I said it sounded dumb. Maybe he will understand now.
Or go do another 'study'. lol.
get rid of federal grants..wanna really reduce crime?? leagalize concealed carry permts..it will reduce crime the need for police, jails, judges and lawyers... you know why it wont be...cause how else would they justify their bloated budgets... and jails, cops lawyers prison and more cash to throw around and waste..when the fear of the CRIMiNALS would be deterant enough ...after a few get dropped.
My guess is they disbanded safe streets so they could put those officers on a patrol squad to fill the void left by the dozen that left to cover calls for service. It's gonna take 8 months before the next batch of rookies is ready and then who will train them, rookies? Good luck Salisbury!
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