New Haven Independent

Posted by: josh jones | January 10, 2008 9:03 AM

I dont like these gardian angels. But they worked.
We need good comunity police all over. If not, let get back the red shirts evryplace in town

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | January 10, 2008 9:51 AM

Wake Up The Only Reason The Crime Drops Is That It Is Winter Time, When The Weather Gets Warm It Will Go Back Up!!!

Posted by: J. Hart | January 10, 2008 11:43 AM

@THREEFIFTHS

I suspect that this is a comparative statistic. That is so say that these types of crimes are down from where they were at the same time last year. No doubt crime will rise as the weather warms. What remains to be seen is whether or not they will be reduced from last year's deplorable levels.

That being said, I can't help but be a little annoyed with Mr. Smuts patting himself and NHPD on the back for a job well done. Police response in the WEB district was status quo. He and Ortiz took a primarily obstructionist attitude to solving these issues. To point to yourself in congratulations at the end of the day is dishonest and insulting, Rob.

Credit goes to the WEB management team, Peaches Quinn and the Greers for bringing the spotlight, those who took the time to patrol, and Sgt. Steve Shea for working with the WEB. We don't have to agree on how things were done, but we should recognize that private citizens stepped in and made this work because the City could or would not.

Posted by: Darnell | January 10, 2008 12:51 PM

The rationale provided by the city for the "drop" in overall crime in the city is misleading.

1. The overall drop only equaled by 1.3%, and certainly can be attributed to the armed and unarmed civil patrols in the WEB area. The City administration should give credit where credit is due.

2. The numbers included a category titled "Theft of Plates and Registr". Registration stickers have been removed from plates to the front windows of cars, which reduces the need for criminals to steal plates. If you remove that category completely, you actually have a 0.6% INCREASE in crime. Again, the administration should tell the whole truth when releasing this information. The decrease in plate thefts comes not from increased policing, but decreased inventory.
3. The good news is the decrease in robberies, assaults and murders. The bad news is that burglaries, auto theft, and firearms discharges have increased dramatically, which leads me to conclude that the criminals have bad aim, and its only a matter of time before they start hitting their marks, or innocent bystanders.

Posted by: robn | January 10, 2008 1:00 PM

You gotta be kidding me. The NHPD's idea of a useful database is one that combines East Rock and Newhalville statistics?

Posted by: Edwards Street | January 10, 2008 4:23 PM

Splitting East Rock and Newhallvile and creating two districts on the East Shore is a no brainer. I doubt anyone would be against that. I know Lemar has great fondness for Sweeney-Burns, but I doubt he would decide that keeping her was more important than splitting the district (but unlike the above poster, I think the world of Lemar and think he is the best alderman we have had in the 40 years that I have lived in the neighborhoood) Hey Roland, want to fill us in on what happened here?

Posted by: Heights Resident | January 10, 2008 4:43 PM

Hey news flash, crime is down across the city, not just in Rabbi Greer's ward. The Angel's coming into the city was just a ploy by ego maniac Curtis Swila, to get more press.

Hey Greer the crime stat's are down in my ward and I didn't have to ride around town with a gun on my waist, looking silly .

Hey East Rock, we heard mention of spliting our district almost 2 years ago.....stil waiting. I think our district is as wide as yours. Good Luck

Posted by: Ned | January 10, 2008 5:30 PM

East Rock Resident, thanks for cluing me in. The lack of police presence, on upper Orange St. I thought, was just due to the lack of crime - LOL, which is why I don't bother calling the cops anymore, when I hear shots in East Rock Park, in the morning - ho hum just someone shooting, yawn; even my dog ignores it now. But it does explain why, when someone abandoned a puppy (tied to a tree), xmas day, 2006, in College Woods, that the officer, who responded to my call (I was trying to reach Animal Control) came right over (which I appreciate) from - Newhallville.

Posted by: -fairhavener- | January 10, 2008 8:56 PM

I am sorry, but Eli Greer is a New Haven Hero. I only wish that I had the resources to step up in my district like he did in his.

True to my other posts regarding Smuts, my opinion of him remains the same

"2. The numbers included a category titled "Theft of Plates and Registr". Registration stickers have been removed from plates to the front windows of cars..."

I was going to say the exact same thing.

I also can believe how obsessed with cars my district is. Our car theft went from 152 to 220 (& murder up 200%). Cars must be really popular here in Fair Haven. Think about it, 220 cars. And they are not even really nice cars like BMWs, Mercedes, or Aston Martins - I know, I live here, we have Hondas. How can anyone be so obsessed with cars?

Posted by: Edward_H | January 11, 2008 10:00 AM

-fairhavener-

Think about it, 220 cars. And they are not even really nice cars like BMWs, Mercedes, or Aston Martins - I know, I live here, we have Hondas. How can anyone be so obsessed with cars?

Hondas are valued by car thieves for their parts. Since so many people have Hondas this creates a huge market for stolen parts. There is always way to get quick cash for Honda parts. Not so much for Aston Martin parts.

Posted by: Edward_H | January 11, 2008 10:23 AM

City Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts (pictured) said "good policing" made the difference.

Nice to see Smuts and the NHPD taking credit for the drop in crime. Are they willing to take the credit when the crime rate spikes up again? Why is it police departmaents all over the world love to take credit for crime reductions but when crime skyrockets it is always someone else's fault?

Posted by: WOOSTERST | January 11, 2008 5:23 PM

heights,
like thier was ever any crime up in the heights don't forget eastern circle empty for two years now!!!unless you call speeding down russel st

Posted by: marge | January 11, 2008 10:18 PM

You know, the management teams keep hammering on this idea of community policing and city hall/PD just doesn't get it.

Do they ever thank these volunteers who are working so hard? No, their idea of community policing is twisting management team arms, competing with the members, spinning pr to counteract management team efforts, and giving sweet-sounding talks about community policing.

It's a disaster and Ortiz and Smuts both had plenty of chances to fail, get up, fail, get up and show us they have what it takes. In my opinion -- and I am not alone in it -- they don't. The community has been unbelievably patient and far too forgiving.

They are as rude and as insulting half the time as the avergage screet criminal, unless a TV camera is in their face.

Posted by: marge | January 11, 2008 10:22 PM

And I agree with Ed_H. And the "someone else's fault" is, preposterously, often the management teams, who supposedly aren't helping them enough, or who have the nerve to say there is a crime problem. Supposed to cooperate when things are bad by shutting up. it is just rediculous. Clueless.

Posted by: -fairhavener- | January 12, 2008 12:04 AM

"There is always way to get quick cash for Honda parts."

Of course there is - just like there is "quick cash" for stealing metal around town and selling it to scrap yards. You totally missed the point.

I totally agree with your next comment though (at 10:23).

Posted by: Dustin W. Gold | January 12, 2008 11:07 PM

Kudos to the Greers and the Angels, job well done. Thank God there are people out there that are willing to stand up and fight for something. We all need to understand that the government doesn't fail us, we are the government, we fail us. We all to need to become activists and to protect our communities and neighborhoods. Keep an eye our for the many new changes coming in New Haven. Darnell Goldson for Mayor 2009!!

Posted by: cedarhillresident | January 13, 2008 11:47 AM

East Rock resident
Allan is totally awear of the split and people in my communty are pushing for it because remember Cedar Hill is the area of this ditrict that is very effected by it. I did not hear we would lose Rebecca. I have told all that listen that we want to keep her.
Hieghts is right this was presented many years ago and one of those empty promises. Not sure what the alderman had to do with making the split happen would love for those 2 alderman to say what work they have done to implement the split. Hmm
but the split is and should be happening as soon as there enough officers to handle it. I was told not in the next year though.
Althought I do think that Alderman Alex of the hieghts has been pushing it.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | January 13, 2008 11:59 AM

East Rock Res.
Would love to here from the 2 alderman about what work they have done on making the split happen?
Allen is totally awear of the split and we in Cedar Hill are pushing for it! We are very effected but this large district! I did not here we would be losing Rebecca, I have mentioned it to many when talking about it...that we would love to keep her on this side. And I do talk to many about it.
As mentions by heights this has been being throwen around by that district for many years ever since they redid the districts. I thought it was Alderman Alex was the one that was pushing for this split. and the other Alderman of that district. To whom I have spoken with about it and support 100%.
My understanding is that the split is not expected in the next year due to the lack of officers at this time. But I do haven Allen promise that this is not something to be forgotten. It is to important for both policing districts that are involved.
When at the police department meeting with the domoctacy school Ortiz did present the map of how they would be split...but again that was followed with the fact that we still need more officers to make it happen.