Monday, July 12, 2004
Here at Tys Sniffen for Supervisor headquarters, we do pay attention to what other candidates are saying should happen in the city and in the district.
Seeing the increase in violence in our area, many folks are calling for 'Community Policing Programs'... a very good idea. Which is why we've had them here in District 5 for a number of years, both at Northern Station and at Park Station.
I thought I'd do a bit more research though, in case I didn't understand what that phrase was truly supposed to mean. I checked out a major community policing website, and read their reports and strategy planning suggestions. Yep, it sounds like stuff we're doing, and dedicated volunteers have been doing for quite some time.
Yes, the programs need more support, and it'd be great if we could find the funds to help the police department afford to have more cops on foot, on bikes, and on horseback, (which increases their community interaction) but another important thing that needs support is the community organizations themselves. That is, the neighborhood groups.
One of the more frustrating aspects of the last 4 years or so is how neighborhood groups have been pushed away and put down by folks at City Hall and in different political camps.
It's great that so many people (29 candidates) are now quite interested in community meetings and organization. Let's get out there and get involved!
