09-22-08 Common Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 Councilmember Oliver Davis asked Ms. Cekanski-Farrand to share any job reductions for the Police Department. Ms. Cekanski-Farrand state that again they way that this was structured have attempted by having various dates of implementation that they would be able to have as much funding available and keep the manpower at complete numbers as they are today as long as possible in 2009. Again, there are so many unknowns, but she felt that they have done the best that they could in cooperation with the FOP Union to have that as their overall goal. Councilmember Rouse asked Ms. Cekanski-Farrand that as the Chief Negotiator appointed by this Council, was City Plan’s mandate on crime taken into consideration when the consideration of eliminating the safe neighborhood program? Councilmember Rouse noted that on page 111 of City Plan states that the “City would try it’s very best to continue research on the reason for the crime in the cities across the country.” He reiterated his question: Did the negotiating team consider the impact upon this great community what the elimination or the recline of police officers in the neighborhood, note in that same document it talks about three reason why crime escalates and it talks about persons who have a propensity to commit crime, take an opportunity, but it also gets down to the bottom line where it says and the absence of someone able to prevent it. The research shows that the presence of Police Officer’s living in our neighborhoods has a tendency and the propensity to reduce crime. He stated that he hears as the Chief Negotiator and the negotiating team recommending, and he appreciates all the hard work, but is concerned that some very vital areas of the past and is asking if that was really considered in the negotiations. He stated that he knows several of the members were alternates, two or three that were at all of the meetings, but what he is asking is was that point discussed in those elaborations? Ms. Cekanski-Farrand responded that it was discussed and again visibility of police officers throughout the City of South Bend is key to public safety. She stated that she believes that Scott Ruszkowski, President FOP #36, perhaps can give additional comments on that. She stated that she did attend both of the meetings that the FOP #36 held which were informational meetings prior to the ratification vote and had discussion with regard to the elimination of this program. Of the officers that raised that question with her, two of them did say that they would continue to live in the City of South Bend, even without the stipend. So, again she thinks that the commitment to public safety is that they understand very well the visibility that has to present in all of the neighborhoods. Again, that was discussed. Councilmember Rouse stated that his concern is and he believes that he has had this discussion before, is that there is a disproportionate amount of our public safety persons who don’t live in the city and he would hope that in some point they would find ways to enhance programs to encourage them to live in the city. Councilmember LaFountain stated that he served on the Negotiating Team this summer. He advised that only Councilmember Puzzello attended more meetings than he did during negotiations. All of these issues came up before the team and all of these issues were discussed. He noted that Councilmember Rouse mentioned that a modest amount of money that was put into this program, even though it was a modest amount it might be more effective to actually put officers out on the street in visible uniforms and units. Generally, the amount of crime that can be prevented is usually done by the police officers having a presence out on the street itself. He stated that the negotiating team goal was to keep as many police officers as possible. Also, his profession is teaching Criminal Justice at Bethel College, he gets to see a lot of statistics involved with police operations. He stated that we then run into a problem, we tend to train them and tend to loose them. Councilmember LaFountain stated that they want to stop that lose of police officers. That was one of the reasons that the team tried to come up with a wage situation so that the officers can be maintained and would not leave the City to go to work for other places. During the course of a school year he gets numerous flyers from police forces across the country, where they are offering money and signing bonuses etc. to have veteran police officers come there. He stated that the City cannot afford to loose police 5