Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Give Me Your Thoughts on Crime Statistics and on Crime, Please
Update on 8/20: I got some feedback people thought I was being critical of the report I posted below, and I feel bad. That wasn't my intent. This is what I posted just now at The Suburban Times:
In the light of day, I’ve thought of a simpler way to ask this question: What’s going on with crime, or what do you think might be going on with crime, that the Lakewood council should know about as we determine spending priorities? I can look through the statistics report and see if the relevant information is there, or if the council should ask for it. The feedback I’m getting is that my question about the statistics report might distract people from that major question: What’s going on with crime, or what do you think might be going on with crime, that the Lakewood council should know about as we determine spending priorities? *end of update, original post follows:*
Today we visit crime statistics in Lakewood, but not the way I had expected.
I've said a couple times at meetings that our council needs to learn and discuss the state of crime in Lakewood before we enter the budget process. Criminal justice accounts for the bulk of spending by Lakewood city government. Protection against crime is Job One for government. And indeed, the agenda for last night said we would discuss crime statistics.
So I was dismayed when we didn't get any crime statistics, but instead got a very informed report about how gangs are bad. Courageous leaders that we all are, I think every council member in attendance agreed by nodding or speech, yep, we think gangs are bad. But what we didn't have was a discussion about what kind of gang problem - and other crime problems - we have in town.
The city manager and council members pointed me to the monthly crime reports that I get but you (my readers) probably don't. So fair enough. Here's the report.
If your eyesight is like mine, you might have to press "full screen" to be able to see the numbers. You can then go back and forth between slides with arrow keys.
Forward this post
In the light of day, I’ve thought of a simpler way to ask this question: What’s going on with crime, or what do you think might be going on with crime, that the Lakewood council should know about as we determine spending priorities? I can look through the statistics report and see if the relevant information is there, or if the council should ask for it. The feedback I’m getting is that my question about the statistics report might distract people from that major question: What’s going on with crime, or what do you think might be going on with crime, that the Lakewood council should know about as we determine spending priorities? *end of update, original post follows:*
Today we visit crime statistics in Lakewood, but not the way I had expected.
I've said a couple times at meetings that our council needs to learn and discuss the state of crime in Lakewood before we enter the budget process. Criminal justice accounts for the bulk of spending by Lakewood city government. Protection against crime is Job One for government. And indeed, the agenda for last night said we would discuss crime statistics.
So I was dismayed when we didn't get any crime statistics, but instead got a very informed report about how gangs are bad. Courageous leaders that we all are, I think every council member in attendance agreed by nodding or speech, yep, we think gangs are bad. But what we didn't have was a discussion about what kind of gang problem - and other crime problems - we have in town.
The city manager and council members pointed me to the monthly crime reports that I get but you (my readers) probably don't. So fair enough. Here's the report.
If your eyesight is like mine, you might have to press "full screen" to be able to see the numbers. You can then go back and forth between slides with arrow keys.
The suspicious in me wonders if the reason we didn't have the public discussion is that violent crime is up 27 percent. That's troubling. But I don't think that's the case. I think folks genuinely thought additional numbers were not important. Are they right? What do you think?
So here are my questions:
1. Does this tell you what you need to know about crime in Lakewood?
2. If yes, tell me what these statistics mean to you. What do you think the Lakewood City Council should be mindful of as we enter the budget process?
3. If you do want to know more, what do you want to know? Or, to put it another way, what other statistics would be helpful as our council discusses the 2010 budget?
Thank you in advance. Of course I will share the results.
So here are my questions:
1. Does this tell you what you need to know about crime in Lakewood?
2. If yes, tell me what these statistics mean to you. What do you think the Lakewood City Council should be mindful of as we enter the budget process?
3. If you do want to know more, what do you want to know? Or, to put it another way, what other statistics would be helpful as our council discusses the 2010 budget?
Thank you in advance. Of course I will share the results.
