There was another shooting in North Miami Beach. Is this getting old, or what?
At 3:54 AM, I received a Press Release from the North Miami Beach Police Department stating:
“On February 5, 2014, at 1:21 A.M., officers responded to the intersection of NE 171 Street and NE 19th Avenue, in reference to a shooting. Once officers arrived on scene, they located a silver vehicle in the middle of the intersection with multiple bullet holes with one victim inside. The victim was shot numerous times. Witnesses heard several shots fired and a dark colored vehicle with dark tints, fleeing the scene, at a high rate of speed, west bound on NE 171 St. The victim was air lifted from the scene to Ryder Trauma and is currently in stable condition. At this time, there is no further information.”
Police officers and detectives were still on the scene at 6:00 this morning collecting evidence, and whatever else they have to do in order to solve yet another crime in our city. They have their work cut out for them.
Sgt. Richard Silberman told me that at this time the Police Department has no further information and has made no determination as to whether this was a random shooting or if the victim was targeted. They obviously cannot speculate as to motive, especially only hours after the shooting took place. That’s where detective work comes in. Chances are, this crime will be solved. Most criminals are not rocket scientists.
For example, as reported yesterday by the New York Post, check out this idiot who posted a selfie on Facebook and Twitter with a phone he had just stolen:
Needless to say, he got caught.
With his pants down.
For real.
Moron.
Chances are the shooter in North Miami Beach isn’t much brighter than this genius. He’s certainly no match for the NMBPD. He’s out numbered and way out smarted.
The fact that he (or she?) brazenly opened fire within spitting distance of the police department also proves he’s a Darwin Award contender. He might have gotten away for now, but you can probably bet that his “freedom” will be short lived.
There’s also a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest, which usually triggers the memory of “concerned citizens” and entices them to come forward. Because, you know, it’s their civic duty.
The beauty of being a blogger is that, unlike police officers and actual reporters, I can opine all I want as long as I base my hypotheses on the known facts and present a convincing argument to back up my opinion. So that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.
First the facts:
- Shots are fired.
- Police find a car riddled with bullet holes.
- Victim is shot up and airlifted to the hospital.
- Witnesses tell police a dark car with tinted windows raced away after shooting.
Now my opinion:
- Gang shooting in da ‘hood.
Yeah, that about sums it up.
Paging Jodi Schuster!
Yep, it still sucks to be us. We have lost more than 25 police officers since January 1, 2011. Some retired, some were laid off, and some got better offers. Regardless of the reason, the fact remains is that we need more cops.
We also have no Gang Unit anymore. No matter how many police officers we have patrolling our city on any given day, they simply cannot be everywhere, on every street, every minute of the day. The only way to prevent gang related crimes, which I do believe this was, is to have a specialized unit that is able to infiltrate these rings of hoodlums and get into their heads, however empty they may be. I don’t care what anyone says, or whether you agree with me or not, there is no substitute for a team of professional and experienced experts on board who know how to deal with the growing problem of gangs in North Miami Beach.
Unless and until the people who run North Miami Beach realize how important a Gang Unit is for the safety of our residents, basically we’re screwed.
Spending twelve million t̶a̶x̶ water department dollars on automated water meter readers should hardly have been a top priority. Just saying.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
UPDATE: Here’s the latest NBC Miami report: Man Hospitalized After Drive-By Shooting in North Miami Beach
Since this was directly in front of Fire Station 31 @ 17050 N.E. 19 Avenue in the intersection, perhaps there is surveillance footage??
If there is footage, I’m sure the PD already has it in its possession.
I went to a concert last night and dropped off a passenger in my car about 1:15 am at 19th and 174th. When I returned to my home, a few blocks away, i was standing at my front door and heard the shots- a few blocks away from that shooting. I reached for my phone to call the police but decided it was more important to find the key and get inside the house. It sounded like an automatic weapon and was so loud but because I was not certain, I decided I would wait to see if I heard it again. I did not hear it again. Although I have no experience, I am convinced from the sound that it must have been an automatic weapon and I was within minutes and blocks from that shooting with my daughter in the car. I discussed this issue at the April 16, 2013 council meeting and almost a year has passed and we have less cops and no gang unit. I will now return to the next council meeting to discuss this again. Our neighborhood is extremely dangerous and lives are at risk. Thank God we have the officers that we have, but we need more and they need the resources necessary to quash the gang activity in our hood. I am proud that they released a press release so quickly.
When I gave the presentation in April 2013, I proved that the great majority of gang related shootings resulted in bullets stoking people. They shot to kill and someone innocent is going to have to die before people wake up. It very easily could have been one if the girls in my car lady night that were caught in the gunfire because we were so close. When I gave the presentation last year, the Herakd did not see it worthy to publish; and the council still had not addressed the issue. WHO IS LISTENING NOW?
Typing on my phone and many typos. The gangs shoot to kill and most of their shooting result on at least one person getting struck with bullets. It has been almost a year since my presentation and we are going backwards here
Build it and they will come. Section 8 housing is scurge of every community where it exists in quantity. Obviously, there is a need for affordable housing, but the answer lies not in large, boxy apartment buildings known to give refuge and comfort to every kind of criminal. These thugs terrorize young and old who dare not speak up for fear of being gunned down. The fear is as real as the ugly apartment buildings that shadow “Government Center”. They recently refurbished them, but like an old whore, you can only do so much with make-up. Just ride by the “corner store” (every ghetto has one) on 19th avenue to see the neighborhood thugs on “butt parade” every evening after the sun goes down. It makes no fiscal sense to allow this cancer to eat away at the community. Most of this area is still really nice except the part that is, ironically, right behind NMB City Hall. You’d think they’d notice.
Nobody can realistically say that more cops, and more experienced cops and a Gang Unit would prevent shootings like this but nobody can realistically argue that those are worthless assets either. This City Council has intentionally and deliberately dismembered and gutted the NMBPD. Ostensibly, the PD was targeted because of budget concerns of the 2008 to 2010 fiscal years, when property tax revenue crashed. This was also a time when the City was subsidizing the Police Pension due to a shortfall in the target rate of return.
But, all of that has changed and we still have a City Council that is intent on breaking the backs of our Police Officers, except possibly Anthony D. Not only have most cities cut large amounts of fat from their budgets (outside of their PD’s), not only have falling property values stabilized and rebounded but the investment returns on the Police Pension fund are almost 2.5x higher than that which would require subsidization.
This City Council, absent Tony D, is the same Council that hired CM Bonner for the express purpose of dismembering the NMBPD. And now, even with CM Garcia, and Chief Dennis, both of which are seemingly good assets, 6 of the 7 on that Dais have been nothing but cop killers (sorry BK and my other friends….the truth hurts).
David,
Your comments are 1000% accurate. I could list for you one decision after another made by this mayor and council that make absolutely no fiscal sense and serve no purpose other than to punish, for whatever reason, the Police Department.
But as badly as they have hurt the officers, they have hurt the citizens even worse. Murders have become routine and shootings are an almost daily occurrence as a result of their jihad against the police department. I keep thinking that morale has hit rock bottom only to be proven wrong once again. Officers are more discouraged and dispirited then I have ever seen them in my entire life and this mayor and council seem almost proud of that fact. They certainly have not demonstrated the least bit of concern in that regard.
How or why the public has allowed this mayor and council to get away with this, I’ll never know.
David,
Although no one can stop the shootings, our gang unit was very successful in the past in removing many of them from our streets. I also feel that our officers have been shoved under the bus. In the city in which we live, the police department, I believe, is our most valuable asset.
NMB Cop,
For years I have been asked to again run for office and I have declined due to a variety of circumstances. However, as of a few months ago I promised a number of residents and a number of officers that I would put my name in the hat for 2015 and that is my plan. Even if the residents consciously vote for the change I am but a single voice. Notwithstanding that lonely number ONE, my voice will be heard.
Please let us hear your voice February 28th from 5:30pn to 7:30pm
Please let us hear your voice February 18th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Note the “thumbs down” for me and NMB Cop. Could only be a cop hater or a Council member…one in the same most likely.
David, you have to ignore the thumbs down. They mean absolutely nothing. I get ’em all the time. And yet, they still read my blog. Masochists, I guess.
the folks that throw down the thumbs but who would never ID themselves are cowards.
Of course they are. With the exception of city employees (who need their jobs), most of people who post nasty comments or attack others anonymously are cowards. I have always felt that way, which is why I chose to be a blogger in the first place. I am willing to put my opinions out there and stand by them. Sometimes it might not be the smartest thing in the world to do, but at least I’m not a wuss. Getting a thumbs down is nothing compared to some of the crap that’s been thrown at me.
I’m still looking for that flying rat’s ass to give. I’m sure it’s around here somewhere…
I am organizing a demonstration to tAke place in front if city hall. Date and time TBA. I want the police to be valued, paid their worth, and given back take home cars so they can get here quickly when needed.
February 18th 5:30 to 7:30pm. Please be there to support our police
Thanks Karin and all the people out there who still support us. I will let the media know (Channels 4,6,7,10 and spanish stations) so this jihad on our officers will soon end and the city can once again be a safe place to live and raise a family.
Thank you. I am going to try get the word out to as many citizens as possible. I can now say I have heard an automatic weapon fired within fairly close range and it was not in a shooting range. My first experience in hearing this sound was in the streets of NMB. Even if I have to demonstrate alone, I will do so. I will create a Facebook page for the peaceful demonstration and I hope people will attend. I will submit the required paperwork to the city tonight.
even if the jihad ends, the only real justice is if the voters recognize that the council threw them under the bus along with the PD, that the council took a simpleton approach to a complicated problem, and that at least 4, if not 5, of the Dais members are wholly unqualifed to lead.
It all goes hand in hand
“Spending twelve million tax dollars on automated water meter readers should hardly have been a top priority. Just saying.”
Not tax dollars. Water utility dollars. Without the 25 percent outside-city-surcharge inposed on the majority of our water customers, who receive no benefit whatsoever from this surcharge, we would certainly have no Leisure Services department, and would probably no longer have our own police department. Everyone posting here should be delighted that the utility is spending $12 million on AMR to increase the revenue they depend upon, as without that revenue, things would be even worse. I’m just saying.
How does the institution of the AMR affect the surcharge? Don’t we still get that revenue whether or not we get AMRs?
WOW! It really is an unfortunate situation, no matter what happens, human lives have been impacted. I will say that the City needs to assess its police coverage, what has happened with the removal of police personnel is drastic/immediate, it will take years to repair the damage. I think the City only worries about what happens behind those GATES of Eastern Shores. It seems that they only action that is taken is for those few, and this blog seems to be a forum to come out of the woodwork to comment for their own individual benefits to get elected or reelected within Eastern Shores. Elect representation from the CITY-citwide, create districts for voters. Everything in the City revolves around making sure Eastern Shores is protected. Lower income housing exists in Eastern Shores, why do they not have the problems?
Please, be more direct. Please also base it on statistical fact. Having said that, there is no doubt that ALL areas of the City are entitled to, and should receive, the same level of police protection. In fact, areas with a higher crime rate should get MORE attention. Nonetheless, Class Warfare innuendo won’t ever get as much respect as statistical face.
I don’t have a firm opinion on whether this technology of “amr” is a good idea or not but how does spending 12m result in increased revenue, regardless of where it comes from? not criticizing but am curious. more water customers? more water from each customer?
Looks like retired Officer Mike Pons was right all along. Some might not have agreed with his tact, but he definitely called this Mayor out when it came to public safety.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH9dGWudFMI
Wish we had him as president now. After his exchange with the Mayor, many called for his resignation as Union president since the Mayor proceeded with the 17 layoffs although we offered enough concession that would have only amounted to about 7 layoffs. The Mayor wanted to show that his balls were bigger so he proceeded with the 17 layoffs, took cars away, increased insurance rates above the other city employees, illegally imposed pension changes, gave us 4 hrs of sick leave a month when every other employee for the city gets 6, etc..etc..etc.. This caused more officers to leave so we had 114 officers before the layoffs and now were down to 89. This number will only decrease with others leaving in the DROP and others looking for employment elsewhere.
This all could have been avoided and as the citizens are now seeing, and what mike pons repeatedly preached during open comment at council meetings, violence will only increase and public safety is at risk.
We miss you Mike.
Mike’s heart was always in the right place but he didn’t play politics and wasn’t so diplomatic. I’ll take the solid heart over diplomacy in local politics every time.
Another great public comment session with Ofc. Mike Pons (retired) calling the Mayor & Council for their lack of respect for the PD. I think Mike had a crystal ball!!
David Templer is BACK!!! The guy who said, from the dais, that NMB residents are too stupid to vote on referenda.
The guy who voted for bigger bloated budgets, higher taxes, crappier services, unsustainable contracts.
The guy who put our city in the fiscal hole we are stuck in.
Welcome back, David Templer! Let me break out my CD player and reminisce!
Even Frantzie the Weasel and the self-righteous blow-hard Phyllis ain’t so bad compared to you.
Earth to my NMB neighbors — our city is BROKE, BROKE, BROKE. What part of BROKE is confusing?
There is NO MONEY. NO MONEY to continue business as usual. Do I have to say this again?
I’m American, so yes, let me say it over, and over, and louder, and louder. NMB is BROKE!!!!!!!!!
Our head count at City Hall is about 2.5-3.0 times what our city needs to function. Try to trim payrolls and the self-appointed “activist” crazies crawl out of their dimly lit basements to protest
Our city’s taxes are 30%-35% higher than they should be. Who on earth would move to NMB when you can live 3-5 minutes away and get better services and lower taxes?
Who on earth would want to be annexed by NMB, voluntarily?
YES, we need more cops. Absolutely. And better cops, for sure, with better supervision, and better strategic deployment.
But until we cut expenses elsewhere, or get money elsewhere — more development, which will take 3-4 years under the best-case scenario, or raise taxes/fees, which is the Templer formula — it’s just nonsense to talk about going back to the salad days of yore (as if there were ever salad days in NMB).
Get real, please. Stop the nonsense.
I think I have said enough. I am just so mad!!!!
Wow. That got my attention.
Change is never easy. NMB is moving forward, finally, in the right direction. It’s slow going, but it’s still going at least.
Our city didn’t get into this mess overnight. Rebuilding our finances and police department won’t happen overnight either.
Mr. Templer would be a lot more credible, and appealing, if our city was in decent shape during his tenure.
It wasn’t. A lot worse off than it is today.
Sure there were more cops. But crime was still high, and taxes were even higher. Every other city service was sub-par.
Plus the scandals, all those expensive perks for council members.
Let’s keep moving forward.
You are unfairly blaming David Templer for the problems we now have, when in fact, the blame lies squarely on those who sought to have him replaced by Frantz Pierre. David’s colleagues at the time tried DESPERATELY to bring development into North Miami Beach. A group called the NMB Citizens Coalition fought them tooth and nail, as did the NMB Civic Association. An organization called IMPAC NMB was formed that was pro-development, of which I was a member. We fought very hard to counteract the anti-development people, including instituting a lawsuit that prevailed in court – a battle we won, but eventually lost the war. The NMB Citizens Coalition was funded not only by a wealthy resident in Eastern Shores, but also by a lawsuit against the city that was settled for a huge, undisclosed six-figure sum. It was believed to be in excess of $250,000.00, but no one knew for sure. That lawsuit effectively put the kibosh on a development called Marina Grande (sound familiar?) by stalling the project long enough for the economy to take a dump. By that time the suit was a moot point since the developer took a financial hit and the project was dead in the water. In a twist of irony, the money from the settlement was then used to unseat David by way of a particularly vicious, and completely untrue, ad campaign. Frantz Pierre’s seat was bought for him and the rest is history. You are now stuck with the fallout in the form of the second most despicable council member in NMB history (Myron being the first).
Had we started development under David’s tenure as planned, it would have provided the impetus for growth. The people who you should be blaming for the demise of North Miami Beach are the very people who conspired to take David out of office. The council at the time was far from perfect, but they at least had a vision in mind for the future of NMB that would have changed the entire face of the crappy city we are now stuck with.
If you want to pin the blame on anyone, you should be attacking L’il Frantzie P, who willingly did the bidding of those who put the kibosh on any progress we could have made. Frantz was nothing but a paid puppet whose votes were purchased, and secured by the threat of being thrown out during the next election if he disobeyed his orders.
Your anger is completely misdirected.
The city is “moving in the right direction”?
Based on what, the vast increase in gun violence, shootings and murders?
Based on the fact your police department is only a fraction of the size it once was?
Based on the fact you no longer have any specialized units to do proactive police work?
Then again, depending on where you live in NMB…none of these things may matter to you.
Unfortunately some are more concerned that their garbage truck comes on time every week more than feeling safe about walking down the street and not getting mugged. I’m happy I chose not to live in this city and all my neighbors who are cops have take home cars. I know my family is safe.
Dear NMB remembers,
At least I have the nerve to put my name where my mouth is. “self-appointed ‘activist’ crazies?” Since when are activists appointed? You want me to define crazy? Crazy is standing on the front porch with your 13 year old daughter and having AK47 gunfire in the background. Crazy is calling people names when you don’t have the guts to put your name on the post where you name call.
If automatic weapon violence on 19th avenue, in front of the police station, is not crazy, I don’t know what is.
I don’t care if we have to get rid of all other services; safety should be our first and foremost concern.
and, who the fluck will build in a city where the violent ones are brazen enough to do a drive-by in front of the police department?
Do you really think things will be better in 3-4 years? If our safety issues continue, what idiot would put their money here?
You “get real” with your name.
If you think I am crazy, you are out of your effen mind.
P.S. –
You are either a council person or an “activist”.
Do some homework in the present: How much building is going on in Miami Gardens?
Oh great, another Eastern Shores council candidate. That’s what our city needs.
NOT!
Steph, don’t waste your breath with cowards that fear leaving their name with their comments, or that leave the poison pill of class warfare for the children to eat. If the City residents agree with them, I will gladly continue doing what I am doing now. No hard feelings. The idiot that posted the message misquoting the out of context comment would rather manipulate the truth then simply tell the truth. If that is what the residents want to listen to than I will happily stay home! They are cowards.
Steph, I agree. The entire slate elected with that lawsuit settlement money needs to go.
Let’s stop being so polite and name names. Pierre, Smith, Spiegel and Kramer.
Project Staying Alive. February 18th 5:30 to 7:30. Let’s help our PD get the resources necessary to combat gun violence in our city
I don’t think calling people “cowards” because they can’t use their own name is productive. Maybe the writer works for the city or is on the police force like NMB Cop. Is he a coward? I doubt it. I think the members of the NMB City Council are doing a good job within the boundaries of their collective philosophy. I don’t think they feel they’ve thrown anyone under the bus or that they have been unreasonable in their negotiations with the police. I may differ in my vision, but I’m not feeling an evil vibe emanating from their chambers. I do know they work their bottoms off to make the residents happy and at the same time, keep the wolf from the door. People who work in the public sector have been in a precarious position for a long time. When everyone got beat up in the crash, they still had their pensions which, unfortunately, became a target on their backs… Our city council didn’t start the fire. This name calling and ugly rhetoric is leading us down an inevitable path-you know, the one where an organized group swoops in and grabs the whole thing.
If you read my comment, you will note that I specifically excluded city (or any public) employees from being called cowards for posting anonymously. Anyone here is free to post under a pseudonym regardless of their intent. Aside from those specific exceptions, I personally give more credence to comments from people who are willing to publicly state their opinions and stand behind their principles. To me that is real courage and I respect that more than someone who hides behind the “safety” of a pen name. To those who attack other people anonymously I say, “Grow a pair.” I did.
NMB Lady, do you really think fairness has been given to the police. Really!!! So giving police 4 hrs of sick leave a month and general employees 6 hrs is fair right. Making the police pay higher insurance premiums than general employees is fair right. Giving general employees that are on call take home cars and police that are on call and constant going to court on their days off no take home cars is fair. Giving general employees a higher pension multiplier than the police and giving them a DROP plan and taking it away from the police is fair. No ones better than anyone, we want the same treatment that’s all. Oh and I almost forgot, you mentioned pension reform, so taking 2.5% from my paycheck for the past 10 years for the benefit of leaving in 20 years and saying their taking that benefit away and keeping out money, that’s fair???? Either you have no idea what’s going on in this city or your just as f&$ked up as them.
Who used the “fair” word? Not I. I’m trying to point out that the attack on pensioned public employees didn’t start with our council. There are a lot of things in play here and decisions had to be made. I’m not happy about them either but speak of our council people, our friends as if they are a ruthless pack of slathering, wild dogs is unfair. The DROP plans were instituted to entice Baby Boomers to retire and for the most part, the job is done. It wasn’t here before and it wasn’t meant to last forever. The people getting caught up in this “correction” are getting screwed, it’s true but it’s true all over the country. I surmise that if our city really can’t hire police officers then they will have to sweeten the pot, we’ll see. But fair? No.
NMB Lady,
I respectfully disagree with your conclusion as to the altruistic motives of this council.
What pure motive would possibly cause the council to grant civilians more sick leave than high-risk employees like police officers? Are we less likely to become ill working night shifts, directing traffic in the rain or routinely coming into contact with filthy vagrants, drug users or the mentally ill? Can you possibly explain why the police wouldn’t be given at least the same amount of sick leave?
Can you possibly explain why police officers would receive lesser pension benefits (multiplier, a DROP, etc.) than a sanitation employee?
Can you explain why the city denies police officers the right to park in the underground secured parking of the POLICE parking lot, choosing to save those spots for city hall employees instead? Do you know they punish police officers who park their car underground on rainy days? They’ve even threatened to tow away cars belonging to cops if they park in their own parking garage. They could solve their parking woes immediately by just having us pay a fee to take the cars home, but then they couldn’t continue to punish us if they did…and so they refuse.
Mr. Templar has it right. This is nothing short of a public and deliberate decapitation of the police department. I wonder, now that he is the mayor, if George still feels he must wear a bullet-proof vest to council meetings for fear of what the NMB police might do to him? As ridiculous as his statement was back then, least now they’d have good reason.
Haters will hate whether they use their own name or not. Haters have no use for dialog because in a black and white world only their own point of view makes sense. They also have short memories.
Correct you didn’t say the word fair you did use the word unreasonable or as they haven’t been unreasonable with negotiations . By giving general employees better benefits than the police and not just keeping benefits equal that is not reasonable negotiations. It’s not reasonable negotiations when the police offer up several hundreds of thousands of dollars in concessions to avoid 17 layoffs and they don’t take those concessions to avoid laying off so many people that’s not reasonable negotiations. When they offer a 20 year retirement for me to pay an additional 2 1/2% from my paycheck then they turn around and not give me that retirement and say they’re going to keep my 2 1/2% that I’ve been contributing for 10 years that’s not reasonable negotiations. Every police officer understand that pension reform needs to be done. But taking our money that we’ve been considering since our career started in the city and refusing to negotiate any pension reform and telling us what their going to give us whether we like it or not is not reasonable negotiations. So yes the city mayor and council have been completely unreasonable in negotiating a fair contract and fair pension reform. I didn’t invest my money into the stock market hoping for the best I invested my money in a defined pension plan with the defined-benefit that they want to treat as if it was a stock market investment. How do you ever believe that they will be able to recruit new officers to fill the gaps of those leaving if they feel they can just change your pension plan or benefits offered to you to come to the city on any given day. Unless you’ve been a fly on the wall over the years you really wouldn’t have any idea of what’s going on in our negotiations with the city because the only people there are the police city administration & attorneys.
Even though it was non-sustainable, I think the 2.5% contribution you made in a good faith negotiation that guaranteed you a 20 year retirement should be non-negotiable. The council doesn’t agree with me. I still don’t think they’re evil people or in a “jihad” against the police department. I think they’re short sighted but you’re right, I’m no fly on the wall. I never heard the specifics and I hoped for a better outcome for our police. Go ahead and rag on me, but I continue to believe that George is not the Devil.
NMB Lady
The problem is, the seemingly punitive and unreasonable decisions don’t end with the theft of our 2.5% pension contribution. That is just where they begin.
For instance, why did he/they choose to refuse ANY AND ALL concessions from the Union, instead opting for lay offs as the best means for saving money? Concessions would’ve allowed us to save the same amount yet keep more officers on the street. As an elected representative of yours, he/they made the deliberate decision to reduce the size of your police department. Bickering and name calling aside, how on earth does that make any sense?
As someone else pointed out, and forgetting the fact that police serve a high-risk function, how can you reasonably explain the police getting less sick leave, a lower pension multiplier and having the DROP option cancelled? If these decisions not born of personal animosity, why not treat ALL of the city employees in the same fair and equal manner?
The lack of take home cars not only reduces productivity, longevity, visibility and response time but it also creates parking problems for the PD. There’s not enough space to park all these cars, so why would they opt to discipline officers and threaten to tow our personal cars instead of just doing what every other agency does…implement a cost-neutral take home car program? Viola! Problem solved! But, no…they opt to assign us all ONE parking space knowing that we’ve TWO cars, then use threats and intimidation to impose their irrational policy.
And you don’t think there is ANY animosity behind ALL of these irrational decisions???
And despite the lay offs, the massive pension and benefit cuts, despite the rising tax revenues and our pension fund earning 20% interest???the city is saying they STILL have a deficit in the police budget and they’re asking for us to accept more cuts. If we refuse and the past is any indication, I guess more lay offs are coming. We had 133 officers. We now have just 87. Maybe tomorrow there’ll be only 65 or 70. Try as they might, this current mayor and council just seem incapable of balancing a budget. Despite all their cuts, lay offs and reductions in police services they still can’t make ends meet. Either their being dishonest and this is all punitive, or they’re incompetent and they should probably turn the PD over to someone better able to operate a PD…like the MDPD. At this point, we cops hate this mayor and council so badly that being swallowed by the MDPD would be a Godsend.
I will not rag on you, you seem concerned enough to comment on this topic and you understand taking someones money upon an agreed contract to turn around and say were no longer going to honor that and btw, were gonna keep your money too is flat out wrong and they should should all be criminally charged with grand theft. It sounds like we got duped with a Rothstein ponzi sceme. This Mayor may not be the devil, but his hatred towards was the officers was proven when he stated in public comment before he was Mayor that he felt he needed to wear a bullet proof vest around NMB officers and as soon as he was elected, 17 officers were layed off and his policy failures towards the pd continued and still continue to this day. In my nearly 20 years of serving this city, he is the worst politician this city has had in regards to public safety.
NMB Cop,
I agree that our Police Department should be “more equal” than our other city employees.
I know I am going to get flamed by saying this (is that word still used, lol). But c’mon folks, there’s police/public safety, and then there’s everything else.
It’s so politically incorrect in NMB to even talk about downsizing our city’s payroll. Geeez. There are 400-450 employees, but 43,000 residents and about 1,500 businesses.
It’s my understanding and hope that all of the other employees will have to make (or have made) substantial concessions. I believe their pensions are top of the list.
My hope is that we can have a first-rate police department AND a budget/tax rate that is reasonable for residents and businesses.
Is that too much to ask?
Of course thats not too much to ask. We’ve given them numerous solutions, including a pension solution, which THEY paid a pension expert to come up with to resolve the pension problem, then when we agreed to it or something similiar they said, hmmmmm…. NO! Quite frankly were done with it all and unless they are serious about “negotiating” were not gonna agree to give anything else up. Enough is enough and they will have to impose changes which will only cause more problems within the pd, with officer retention and with recruiting. Its a shit storm which anyone whos in the know understands this Mayor & Council are going above and beyond to destroy the officers benefits and dept functionality.
Please visit the Facebook page “Project Saving Lives.” Please join the demonstration event scheduled for 2/18. The page is still under construction but we have less than two weeks to get notice to everyone. To be continued …
stephanie, you make a rather bold claim that pumping more resources can have an impact on gang crime, but I would conjecture the opposite to be the case. The more effect law enforcement has on the dealings of organized criminals, the more money that flows in to organized criminal enterprises due to the laws of supply and demand.
The demand for vice is heavily inelastic, that is to say that the majority of people who participate in illegal activities will do so in spite of the costs. It’s actually a facet of addiction that it blinds one to the impact it has on ones life.
Gang members are no necessarily addicts themselves, but their livelihood is contraband, people and things.
I’ve never heard a story, “drug supply decreased, people did less drugs.” Rather the second part of that sentence is usually, “drug prices soar.”
I’ve got a big problem with both violence in the community and organized crime which perpetuates the violence. Since the violence is only a symptom in a prohibition society, no manner of law enforcement can reasonably deter the underlying organized criminality.
Right there you have one important reason there isn’t more economic development in our area, so much of the community’s wealth is being squandered in the black market.
Prem, that’s a pretty bold hypothesis! First of all, I didn’t say that more resources (money?) would solve gang violence. But I do know that it took additional resources to fund the highly specialized Gang Unit that NMB once had, which was highly effective in helping prevent many of the types of gang violence we are now experiencing. We don’t actually know how much gang-related crime was prevented because, well, those crimes didn’t happen. At least not as frequently as they seem to be happening now. Our Gang Unit was nationally acclaimed for its ability to recognize gang activity and had the extensive training needed to break up those criminal rings and get their guns off the street. Yes, it takes money, but as far as I’m concerned, that was money well spent.
Unless, of course, you think it’s perfectly normal to have shootouts in the middle of 19th Avenue. In that case, I’ll shut up.