I wanted to share the minutes I got via email of the last neighborhood watch meeting:
"LINCOLN PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
Meeting Minutes
October 29, 2007
Chief Romero discussed various aspects of the department’s crime prevention plan, i.e. how officers are distributed throughout the city, how high crime areas are monitored and criminals are identified, etc.
Suggestions offered by the Chief:
- Neighbors can monitor the crime in their neighborhood by going to Web Watch site at www.ci.pomona.ca.us and using the mapping feature.
- Community policing by reporting crime to dispatch, if no response or inadequate response, ask for the watch commander.
- Email the chief directly at chief@ci.pomona.ca.us
Chief Romero and Councilwoman Paula Lantz discussed increasing the number of police in the department.
- Un-sworn personnel are utilized to handle jobs which don’t require a police officer, freeing up more officers to patrol the streets.
- The nation average of officers to 1000 citizens is 2.4; currently Pomona has 1.2 officers per 1000 citizens. The Chief estimates we need ~ 40 more police.
- Costs approximately $100,000 per new officer
- Pomona has small revenue base compared to neighboring cities with large commercial tax income. The city must rely on taxes or bonds to increase the size of police department.
- Some neighbors expressed an interest in pursuing this topic further.
Paula Lantz discussed the process of paving alleys. The alleys are paved based on need so those in the worst shape are done first. Neighbors should email Paula Lantz at paula_lantz@ci.pomona.ca.us if they have concerns regarding their alley. (there is an underscore between paula and lantz).
Miscellaneous topics included: alley clean up, code enforcement, alley lighting, and street lighting.
Crime Update: overall the police presence in the Lincoln Park area has significantly improved. Neighbors are still reporting prostitution activity but less frequently. Some minor theft has been reported.
Block captains like the email updates and communication systems currently in place. They agreed to share their email addresses with each other in order to expedite communication. Note: the block captains’ email addresses will only be shared with other block captains."
Next meeting will be Monday, November 26, 2007 at 7 p.m.
I still don't understand what paving the alleys has to do with crime. Lighting the alleys sounds much more fruitful.
THE END.
2 comments:
Multiple thanks for the info.
Crime and police coverage is a pet peeve of mine, so here is a little data (sworn officers and total police employment per 1000 residents).
Pomona 1.2 sworn 2.1 employed
Ontario 1.3 sworn 1.8 employed
Claremont 1.2 sworn 1.8 employed
LaVerne 1.5 sworn 2.1 employed
Fontana 1.1 sworn 1.5 employed
Montclair 1.5 sworn 2.2 employed
Covina 1.1 sworn 1.8 employed
San Bern 1.5 sworn 2.3 employed
Pasadena 1.7 sworn 2.5 employed
Arcadia 1.0 sworn 1.7 employed
Chino 1.2 sworn 1.8 employed
Rialto .88 sworn 1.2 employed
Irvine .87 sworn 1.3 employed
I don't know the basis for the 2.4 national average, but clearly the local PD employment doesn't come close. I'm not arguing that Pomona wouldn't benefit from more officers and 40 more officers would give us a ratio of 1.4, but could $4 million solve the problem in other ways? Is the dollar amt including increasing benefit costs? If crime decreases will the PD resist a decrease in its force? Could we more efficiently use the PD through red light cameras, security cameras in high crime areas, and speed sensing radar signs? Is there a plan to utilize wireless cameras if wireless web access is extended throughout the city?
I'm a huge supporter of the police chief and my use of web watch is a little OCD, but without a local paper, and the merging of the DB with the Sun, we really need to educate ourselves.
Ed- Where were you when I was getting a D in STats 101 in college?
I'm with you that the viable solutions are in creative, sometimes high tech, often just common sensical, changes to the existing way of doing things.
Such as (not to beat a dead horse here): that you don't provide the local druggies with a safe haven by leaving alley ways behind our homes and the bathrooms at Lincoln Park open and at their disposal.
Okay, I'll shut up now.
G of P
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