New Haven Independent

Posted by: Paul Wessel | August 14, 2007 9:28 AM

This might be gimmicky, but it's good. Thanks New Haven Indpendent, and thanks Rob and Cisco. We look forward to hearing more and seeing it bear fruit in New Haven.

Posted by: The Sieve | August 14, 2007 10:38 AM

I second Paul's comment, this is a really cool feature. The candor and conversational tone of the first installment are refereshing. One nit-picking suggestion: as we tackle the problem of getting guns off New Haven streets we might want to change our language so the trip to High Point isn't a way to add new approaches to our "arsenal." Let's try "toolbox," or "repertoire."

Posted by: nfjanette | August 14, 2007 11:53 AM

This difference was a little concerning when we asked the Chief what the most important and toughest service to bring to the table in order to make their initiative a success and he answered without hesitation "Jobs." Talking a little more about their experience and things sounded more familiar -- the challenge of getting the targeted intervention population ready to hold a job and finding jobs that pay enough to be meaningful alternatives to crime but are open to this population.

Yes - and where are those type of jobs to be found? In the service sector. Who appears to be taking a significant number of such jobs? Illegal immigrants are taking them, and that is one factor in the lack of such positions and also is keeping wages low for the unskilled or low-skilled jobs that the "targeted intervention population" would be working. Get it?

Posted by: Taxed To Death | August 14, 2007 12:24 PM

Is it just me or is it disconcerting that the Chief of Police, the Chief Administrative Officer of the city of New Haven have to both travel to a smaller city 825 miles away to discover the importance of jobs that pay enough to sustain somebody; and the importance of early intervenors in crime prone neighborhoods and constituencies?

Mr. Ortiz has lived in this city nearly all his life and spent decades in the police department. I don't know Smuts' history, but one would assume that as a senior advisor to the chief executive, he would already know from the public policy perspective the importance of good paying jobs - particularly in a city and state which has a tax structure that sucks the money out of your pocket nearly as fast as you make it.

It's very concerning they didn't know this already, but I guess I'm glad they're finally getting an education. Better late than never.

Posted by: dana b | August 14, 2007 1:43 PM

I can't help but think that the main reason these two officials are blogging about their trip is to blunt the criticism by Grier and the folks involved with the Edgewood Patrol.

Grier went to Northpoint first to make the point that the New Haven police have not effectively responded to prevent more of the assaults and crimes against law-abiding residents in Edgewood.

Even if you don't agree with Grier's group forming an armed citizens' patrol, you have got to appreciate how his group has forced the mayor and police chief at least to appear responsive to citizen concerns. We may be a half-step closer to better policing because of the Edgewood group's input and, frankly, their very public pressure.

Posted by: Paul Bass | August 14, 2007 5:23 PM

Note: The idea for the blog/diary come from us, not them. We asked if they would do it, and they graciously said yes.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | August 14, 2007 7:58 PM

Thanx Paul!! You keep us in touch with it all! And thanx guys for agreeing!

Posted by: "TAXED TO DEATH" TO DEATH | August 14, 2007 11:00 PM

Taxed to Death,

It's just you. You are turning into the boy who cried wolf. Your constant criticism of the most benign things makes me question every comment you ever make.

Smuts and Ortiz write that High Point cites "jobs" as a solution to its crime problem. They do not say that this is the first time either of them has considered that jobs might be a solution to crime. The explicitly say that the hurdles associated with this policy solution are "familiar" (in other words, not new) to them.

If New Haven developed public policy in a vacuum, that would be a problem. Our officials are trying to learn from other municipalities' experiences. I am having trouble seeing what the problem is in that. I don't know who you are but I've quickly developed a rather unappealing mental picture of you as a grump hunched over at his computer with not much else to do but criticize everyone else.

Posted by: joshua jones | August 14, 2007 11:06 PM

This really worries me. The New Haven Independent should be called the New Haven Dependent. It must be part of the Destefano machine. Not that I think DeStefano has been a bad mayor. He has been good, but done some real stupid stuff to keep power. I remember wen Bass endorsed Destefano over Loonie. Look where Lonney is now. House Leader. This is like Iraq. Embed you journalists and get them on you side. Forget the truth.

Posted by: pedro | August 15, 2007 11:52 AM

I hardly think this is "embedding" of journalists. These are two officials writing their own words without any filter or outside "spin" except their own. It's not like the NHI is endorsing either way what they are saying, they are just giving them a forum to say it. I'm sure that NHI would allow any sort of rebuttal (and in fact has open comments below this for everyone to see)...

Posted by: Been Called Worse | August 15, 2007 12:30 PM

"Taxed to Death" to Death - thanks for saving me the trouble of typing that response.

I have an idea - lets all berate city officials for not communicating effectively with residents. Then, when they make an honest attempt,(as in this High Point blog) lets dismiss it out of hand as a political ploy...........

All sarcasm aside, I find this to be a *great* idea. Unless any of us plan to take a trip to High Point ourselves to see what thier model has to offer, why not use the comments to ask questions that Mr. Smuts/Chief Ortiz can respond to, or use to ask High Point officials so your questions can be addressed?

I for one find this blogging to be very enlightening and hope it continues (via the Independent or on the City's site) long after the site visit is over. Thank you to everyone involved in this for taking the risk/opportunity.

Somethings that are on my mind regarding the initaitive:

How much personel (relative to department size) was devoted to the effort in High Point?

Was this a new/reformed unit within the department, or was the initiative deployed department wide? And if it was deployed department wide, how so (training, philosophy, outreach, etc)?

Relative cost of the initiative to the department's budget.

How long did it take from coming up with the idea to implementation to quantifiable results?

What roadblocks were encountered along the way? How were they managed? What were the lessons learned, and what recommendations does High Point have by way of best practices based on their experience?

Looking forward to the next installment, thanks again for the effort to inform us with what you are learning.

Posted by: Taxed To Death | August 15, 2007 9:13 PM

To Death and Been Called Worse:

Perhaps the two of you should read what I wrote instead of just doing a knee jerk dump without much thought. Here are my points once again since you didn't quite get it the first time around:

1. I never criticized their blogging or their communication skills on this trip. In fact, I've never said anything about their communication skills or efforts to do so.

2. I never said this trip was a political ploy.

3. The New Haven police department and this city's administration is well aware that community policing works, that developing good relations with the people who live in these troubled neighborhoods is key and even the braindead know that working folk, with decent jobs is always the answer to chronic crime and the enticement of easy money through criminal acts which sometimes leads to violence.

4. That either of these two points needed to be reinforced with a trip to Highpoint is EXACTLY my point. What are we learning that is new or that needed to be reinforced? The need for jobs? We spend a lot of money each year on job training; in lifting people up and into good paying trades; we have internships and other programs. These are funding priorities and according to stories in the NHI, some just a few weeks ago, it is having some success.

As Eli and others have pointed out previous to this, we have a successful track record of community policing. At some point, Chief Ortiz and Mayor DeStefano decided to end it. The question many have is why not just restart it now, and tweak it as you go?

Aside from these points, I have one more: If you don't like my observations, don't read them. This city is filled with people who cover their eyes, close their ears and stand around applauding everything that's going on, even as their taxes are getting unaffordable, their kids are failing in the schools and the city is quickly reaching a debt level that will be equal to thousands of dollars for every man, woman, child and baby in this city. If you think I've cried wolf on any of this and other points, that what I've written here is untrue, include fact errors or some other issue, I'd love to hear the specifics instead of the generalizations made here. You can contact me at joji2856@yahoo.com

Posted by: "TAXED TO DEATH" TO DEATH | August 16, 2007 9:36 PM

Taxed to Death,

I would love to engage you in substantive debate. But, having Googled your email address, I would hate to think I was taking you away from your more entertaining on-line pursuits.