Jordan S. Kushner writes: > ... a better solution is to reduce the size of the police > force which has greatly expanded in the past 8 years. > A civilian monitoring system with greater power and broader > authority and more in touch with the community would help > mold a police force that could do more with less.
The absolute last thing that the Police Department needs (IMHO) is to try and be equally accountable to more than one authority. It is a nightmare. Can you imagine if in your job you reported to one manager and had another group of people (who don't actually do what you do) scrutinizing everything you did looking for ways that you messed up? In the private sector, every time I have seen individuals or managers try to report to more than one boss, it doesn't turn out well. Giving a civilian monitoring authority more power, I believe, would turn out badly. Rather, R.T. and the Chief should ensure that MPD policies and procedures are clear and explained to officers properly. Deputy Chiefs, Commanders and all levels of the chain of command should be then held accountable for training and disciplining officers and their supervisors. --- >From the Strib budget cutting article at: http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/1616854.html <snip> "Budget Director Tammy Omdal told the council that long-term spending projections show the city would need a property tax levy of $425 million in 2010, up from $158 million in 2002, to fund its budget." 'The basic problem we have and will continue to have is we have more government than we can afford,' said Council Member Barret Lane." <end snip> This is the part of the budget issue that concerns me more than the civilian review board. What is the long-term plan for funding basic services? For that matter what are we calling a basic service? I'd sure like to see more about why the levy would have to grow at such an alarming rate. Is it based on assumptions concerning state funding? Does someone have a link to some understandable report that lays out the long term needs? You know, love him or hate him, Gov. Ventura has the right thinking about current budget issues: solve the problem in a way that is sustainable over the long haul, not through accounting gimmicks (think Enron) and short-term patches. You and I may disagree with him about where the budget changes must happen, but we should be able to agree that really fixing a problem is better than patching a problem. This same approach needs to be taken with the city budget. For citizens to scrutinize this, as we should, we need the numbers and assumptions being made when formulating those numbers. Walt Cygan Keewaydin _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
