While Jolene’s idea is a good one, I would go whole hog on it instead of baby steps.
Jolene proposes putting in 5 precincts at the community centers. As I understand it these centers are already to crowded with activities.
I would tweak the plan by putting the precincts at the Fire Stations and expand them to provide public ambulance service. You would kill two birds with one stone and you would put public safety under one roof instead of multiple roofs.
It’s a landmark idea. With nearer and more police, there could be more presence for schools. Area assigned cops could respond quicker and retain more respect.
Yes! Finally, a candidate is talking about this…. Greg Stensland, when he successfully ran for City Commissioner back in ’92 against Jay Masur, wanted this and it should have been instituted long before 2018…
Out of fairness to Kenny, he has suggested to a small group to use the fire stations as well, which is a good idea short term, but long term, I think we need physical precinct offices with their own presence.
Craig Steensland. Public Safety Commissioner.
SFPD already uses districts (4 I think) and officers are assigned to specific areas of the city.
Officers complete their reports via their mobile data computers in their patrol cars. They did away with having offices at some of the fire stations when they gained that ability (mobile reporting).
So the only time they leave their district is when:
1. transporting a prisoner to the jail
2. Sent as backup to another district
3. On lunch break
So unless I’m missing something “precincts” won’t improve anything, they’ll just add budget costs for satellite office space that isn’t needed.
If you want quicker response, keep them in their cars.
Sounds like Jolene is trying to fix a problem she doesn’t understand.
Adding budget costs for satellite office space that isn’t needed…sounds like something I could get on board with. Not.
Does she really understand or will we be subjected to a learn-as-we-go mayor? Surely she didn’t come up with this “good idea” all by herself. Did she speak with officers, firefighters or EMTs? I’m confident they have shared pro’s and con’s about how to be more efficient and provide assistance with faster response times. We could give them credit?
Could ‘NotaFan’ be recruited by ‘LetsgoJo’ campaign? They may be helpful with providing useful information.
NotaFan..you have a shortsided view of policing. Driving around their assigned district, call to call, is one portion of the job. An equally important policing function is direct/continual community engagement and intelligence gathering. This is the role of commanders and supporting staff. The patrol officer is too busy going from call to call to have time for weekly meetings with business owners, ministers, neighborhood associations, school administrators, etc. etc. to keep their finger on the pulse for what is going on in their areas. Patrol officers conduct micro policing and commanders conduct macro policing.
The precinct system will facilitate direct access of the citizenry to a precinct commander who will have the freedom to adjust policing practices to address unique issues their precinct.
Patrol officers will always need the mobile data capability to write reports. Having precincts is not about report writing or response times, it is about being more responsive and adaptive to what is occurring in their precicccts
In your opinion how big does Sioux Falls needs to get geographically or population-wise before you think another police station(s) needs to be constructed.
Jolene has a plan. Most of the other candiates agree with her plan. Jamison’s plan of hiring more police and getting tough on crime is nonsense. Do we have enough police or for that matter firefighters, no. Can we hire enough police o keep up with our population growth and geographical expansion, no. So the most efficient option is to change how the police force is deployed and how they engage with the community.
It is very easy for the average citizen to find out who their quadrant leader is and to get a response from them.
I know, I’ve tried.
The last thing this city needs is more taxpayer-owned buildings.
Jolene spent a full 24 hours straight in a patrol car to see first hand what issues officers face. I am certain they discussed more than just exchanging recipes.
The police already have the city split in half so there are in essence two precincts already.
What the city needs to ensure it has is adequate patrol officers and not reallocate positions to more bureaucrats.
I can’t say this city has an overly great track record for being open to public input so I don’t think giving public access to police supervisors is any kind of guarantee there would be any changes or improvements at all.
In some poorer cities I know the increase in community policing efforts has worked – when the crime rates were already bad so any efforts caused improvement.
Short-sighted? Of course, anyone who disagrees with your point of view is the one who is wrong. That’s why all lawyers agree, all economists agree, and all communities are using the exact same approach to law enforcement.
Jolene has a plan? As least you didn’t say it was a good plan. Trump has plans, Huether has plans. Why not ask the police chief what he needs? Did he suggest 5 precincts?
I guess the politician always knows better, she couldn’t possibly be offering a meaningless plan because “tough on crime†gets votes.
It sounds like Jamison is too cheap to do the precinct thing and ThuneHaken thinks that all the police department really needs is some “Leadership Teams.”
But what is really needed is a greater police presence to fight crime, which only legitimate precincts can do.
And really what are “Leadership Teams” by the way. Aren’t they just a bunch of teams with “Leaders;” and if so, doesn’t that make it quite hard to be the chairperson for such a “Team,” because it seems to me that such a “Team” would suffer from having too many “Leaders” or chefs in the kitchen to get anything done…..?…. (Maybe only the chairperson gets to wear a black cloak to the meetings and that helps to dominate, huh?)
And we have to be careful with Jamison’s frugalness too. Because if it was up to him, we would all be playing and watching the Summit League Championships in the John Morrell Arena…..(Plus, those wooden seats are uncomfortable first of all, and I suppose we would have to bring Nelson’s Concessions back too, huh?)
“Very Stable Genius”
As a taxpayer, I could go for some fiscal frugalness after the spending spree of the last eight years!