Mid North Public Safety Committee

MPSC August Report

Aug 22, 2008

MPSC ?– (MID-NORTH PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE) REPORT
Hello fellow residents,
I wanted to take an opportunity to share with you some information that you might not be aware of at this time.
Many of our residents believe that the problems facing our city only involve a single segment of our population and not our entire population. That assumption is incorrect. The problems facing our community involve and affect all of us with dire consequences on our neighborhoods as a whole.
During the year of 2007 the Arresting Processing Center booked a total of 50,564 Inmates. The Inmate processing breakdown was a follows:
Race: White Females =6,452 or 12.8%: Males=17,225 or 34%
Black Females = 5,465 or 10. 8%: Males =19,932 or 39.4%. The remaining percent is composed of Asian, American Indian, Hispanic and unknown racial breakdown.
2006 Inmate Bookings 52,190: Race: White Females= 6,412 or 12.3%: Males= 18,417 or 35.3%
Black Females=5,366 or 10.3%: Males=20,606 or 39.5%.
You will note that there was a drop in inmate bookings from 2006 to 2007. However, the percentages of overall bookings by racial breakdown are rather consistent. I would think that the numbers should begin to alarm you.
Think about the number of females that are going through the system coupled with the males that are processed into the criminal justice system. I believe the numbers are forecasting a larger juvenile problem on the horizon. If you add these numbers to our current school dropout rate, our increasing unemployment, early releases from prison and our stalling economy, I fear we are now reaching a crisis mode in Marion County.
By the way, the 50,564 inmates processed through the system is not the only alarming half. For instance, of the 50,564 booked inmates for 2007 91.62% was released back into the community as follows: Released Other (which includes court ordered release) 29.9%, Released on Own Recognizance 43.5% Released on bond 8.75% and Sentenced Time
Served 9.47%. In 2006 the release percents was as follows: Released Other 29.61%, Released on Own Recognizance 45.48%, Release on Bond 7.30% and Sentenced Time Served 6.74% for a total of 89.13%. In addition, it should be mentioned that for 2006 and 2007 the juveniles released to the Juvenile Center was a 1.13% for 2007 and 1.08% for 2006.

My fellow citizens, it is time for each of you step up to the plate and help turn our community around. I think one of our fellow citizens said it best:
Deliver Hope
By: Victoria Pardue- Edwards

On the frontlines of politics, ?“Hope & Change?” is the banner (and the T-Shirt). Anyone who seriously wants to make change needs to understand that instead of leaving policy and lawmaking exclusively to the ?“experts?”, the average person must also be busy with hands on vocation.
A fundamental stride toward realizing change is getting people?’s attention, which is not easy?… As a Community Organizer, I am regularly informed that we have ?“little time for public life?”, also that we feel ?“less connected to community?” ?– Bear in mind that the we (the average person) bring a myriad of skills to the table, we are better able to assemble and find or fashion the resources and assets needed to make change.

We feel an entitlement of sorts to what the Government has to bestow?…, but are less confident in our own ability to deliver.
Let?’s drop our signs and slogans, the hands that cling to them have work to do! To change (the world) we must become engaged in our community activities. If all we have is a catch-phrase, without in fact helping to define the solutions than all we maintain is a whiff of hope (and the T-Shirt).

MPSC supports the proposal put forth by Director of Public Safety, Mr. Scott Newman, whereas civilians will be hired to take police runs involving paperwork runs. The average cost for a police run based on the 2007 budget is $361.08. In 2007 our police made 568,134 runs. The North District alone made 114,529 (20.16% of tot city runs) runs @ $361.08= you do the math.
In the North District (which MK is part) there was one police run for every 1.9 residents. The savings generated for runs that relates to filling out report will be substantial.
We need your help and skills in changing the negative trends that are creeping into our fair city.
We also need your help in raising funds to assist us in the various crime prevention programs in our neighborhood. We need your ideas, your skill sets but above all we need your commitment and involvement as an American and a citizen of this great community.
Be it known friends, I?’m tired as well but as long as senior citizens are being robbed and raped, the streets are open to car jackers, criminals are entering our homes and children are unsafe in our city, I must continue and hope you will hear my voice.