[Vision2020] Property tax cut?

Mon Jul 24 18:59:58 PDT 2006

Rather then take any of the silliness that has been liberally ladled out 
here in the past few postings at face value, I hauled my lard out into the 
warm summer sunshine and down to the MPD to ask some extremely helpful and 
patient people some rather dull questions. Here are some of the results of 
my queries.

First, there are five officers on duty for the day shift and the swing 
shift. There are three officers on duty for the graveyard shift. Due to the 
way shifts overlap there is only a four hour block where there is only three 
officers on patrol. (generally the quietest portion of any of the shifts) 
The assertion that during the busiest shift there are only two officers 
working is hogwash. Period.

Second, all officers accrue vacation time at the same rate as other city 
employees and the staffing is such that the officers who desire to do so, 
get to take it. Nobody is not allowed to take their vacation time because of 
short staffing.

Third, all officers work approximately a 40 hr. week. Guys on the swing and 
graveyard shifts do sometimes rack up some overtime due to the nature of 
their shift. Also overtime is put in for special events (games, rendezvous, 
renaissance fair, etc.) this is widely regarded as a good thing by the 
officers. Time off appears to be the last thing these people want.

Fourth, response time in Moscow is lightning fast for emergency calls. In a 
situation where harm might befall a citizen, the police drop everything and 
respond right now. Matters of lesser urgency do take a back seat but I was 
assured that all calls are responded to within 30 min. unless other 
arrangements are made with the reporting party.

Fifth, there is no reason that people shouldn't know about what's going on 
in there neighborhood. The link that Dan C. provided gives one access to the 
police log and from that it's child's play to know exactly what's up around 
your home. No need to wait to hear it third, fourth, or fifth hand.

Sixth, when extra patrol is requested at any given location it means that 
the police will drive by a little more often then they might have otherwise. 
It does not mean that they will be parked in that persons driveway keeping 
their mailbox safe from a spent French letter. Sorry, hansen.

Finally, the officer that I was speaking with did allow as how having a 
couple of extra personnel for the day shift would help to keep the paperwork 
from piling up and create a little less of a burden for the rest of the guys 
but absolutely nothing was mentioned that led me to think that from a safety 
(ours or the officers) point of view, these folks didn't have it completely 
under control. Now hows about a little sanity be allowed to enter into this 
discussion, allrighty?

G. Crabtree
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Property tax cut?

> Did you happen to look at those reports or are you just trying to make a
> sick point?  Do you happen to know WHO made those calls in that you 
> referred
> to?  Was it the same person or many people?  There are LOT of addresses on
> that or any street.  How about the fact that a LOT of time is being spent 
> by
> the cops on A street, First, Main, Third, Lilly, West Pullman, etc.  So,
> what exactly do you think?  That everyone that repeatedly calls in for 
> those
> above-mentioned streets, are making false police reports?  That they are
> abusing the system?  Don't think so.
>
> Dougie, on the other hand, has NO proof, NO evidence, NO witnesses, NO 
> real
> reason to have named four 35-50(+) year old people as doing what amounts 
> to
> teen-type of pranks in a police report TWO WEEKS after he says they 
> occurred
> and AFTER he says he reported them.  There are now four citizens who have
> "police records" because one sick guy decides to play wounded and make 
> false
> accusations.  THAT is a waste of cop-man-power and an ABUSE of the legal
> system.  He has many, many boys that he could enlist the aide of to watch
> his home....believe me, the neighbors watch it enough and they have NOT 
> seen
> any of this kind of stuff happening to him.
>
> And why don't you try talking to the cops.  They have two people working
> DAY-TIME hours, during the busiest part of the day and there are times 
> when
> that is all they have during the night.  Don't know where you live (don't
> wanna) but there are sirens going off at all times of the day and night 
> and
> the cops are going from one of end town to another all the time; and they
> are trying to get to all the calls they need to in the time they need to.
>
> Why is it that some people are so quick to increase the City personnel, 
> but
> they leave the cops and fire personnel hanging?  Like they aren't 
> important
> enough to warrant more trained bodies?  But an office needs a secretary?
> Please.  Get your own darn coffee.  But put more cops on the road, 
> increase
> their pay/benefits and allow them the union.
>
> J  :]
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Dan Carscallen" <areaman at moscow.com>
>>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Property tax cut?
>>Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:58:27 -0700
>>
>>Tom says:
>>". . . two cops on duty at any given time in a town of 20,000 . . . And
>>one of them is now required to use a portion of that valuable time
>>providing security to 1150 North Polk Extension?"
>>
>>Just a quick glance at the pole-leece's page
>>(http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/police/) and their daily activity log (check
>>the menu on the left), it looks like the cops are spending a lot of time
>>around the 800 block of North Garfield.  Maybe some 'higher-up" in the
>>Kirk lives there too?  I would venture to guess that it's all kinds of
>>people "abusing" our police force, CC and non-CC alike.
>>
>>And I would also venture to guess that the "two cops on duty" is during
>>the slow hours.
>>
>>But that's just me, doing all kinds of venturing,
>>
>>DC
>>
>>
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