6/12/12 Vallejo City Council meeting: Budget decision continued for June 26 meeting. Council struggles with $3.8 million structural deficit, disposition of Measure B funds and filling holes left behind by accidental failure to notify safety employees of intent to open contracts. City Manager Keen feels city on course to leave structural deficit behind next year, but acknowledges challenges ahead as bare bones city staff tries to hold it all together and council tries to find a way forward without more brutal cuts. It's not all bad...just mostly.

Citizen's Public Safety

 Committee

for June 6, 2012

By Hatfield McCoy

6/12/12

The Beat Goes On

Approximately sixty people packed into City Hall for the June 6^th meeting of the Citizens Public Safety Advisory Committee. There were residents voicing concerns from the northern area of the California Meadows neighborhood to the innermost parts of the Heritage. As many of you know, this committee is made up of citizen volunteers who live in various parts of Vallejo. The current members are Kathy Beistel, Karol Heppe, Kevin Kelley, Joanne Schivley (Chair) Robert Schussel (Vice-Chair), Bill Tweedy and Burky Worel.The non-voting members representing the police and fire departments are Sid de Jesus and Pat Dunn respectively. Each member listened to the public comment intently, but not as intently as Chairwoman Schivley when reports of home invasions were reported in her very block.

The first speaker was Thomas Johnston who complained about Chief Nichelini’s lack of response to a letter sent to the chief “years ago.” He also expressed concerns that the police department will not take reports for misdemeanors or ‘low priority crime’ urging the public to merely file a report ‘on line.’ The next speaker, Chris Stefano, stated that she lives in Vallejo Heights having previously lived in the Bronx, New York. Stefano commented that “Vallejo is the most dysfunctional city she has ever encountered, including parts of New York State. She stated that her friend is doing a case study for his Master’s degree. The study is about Vallejo with respect to “how never to run a city.” On a more positive note, Sandra Vegas rose to the speaker’s podium with nothing but high praise for two officers who arrested a predator who was caught stalking her fourteen year old daughter. It seems the alleged perpetrator did not have a full deck in that he gave the girl his name and phone number. That proved to be a no brainer for Vallejo’s finest.

A speaker named Marietta stated that she is a newcomer to Vallejo, likes Vallejo, but would like to see more cameras installed here. Ms. Schivley assured her that the townspeople can look forward to twenty more cameras to be installed soon. Another speaker, Ms. Parks, told a chilling tale about a home invader who used tools to enter her home in the mid afternoon while she was putting her child down for a nap. She had left her infant five month old downstairs sleeping. “The home invader was closer to my child than I was. I was horribly afraid,” she said. With some quick thinking, she managed to convince him to leave. Ms. Schivley asked if she had called the police to which she answered: “We have called so many times in the past, and it never does any good.” Award winning mystery writer, David Corbett, who has also helped start a neighborhood newsletter called “Lamplighter,” suggested that Vallejo implement a ‘Foreclosure registration program’ which would make banks more accountable. Ms. Schivley stated that that idea has been proposed at the council level before, but nothing has come of it as yet. This committee has the authority to make suggestions to that end. “This would make the banks active participants with our city,” Corbett said. Kathy Santiago lives in California Meadows. She recounted some horrific tales of late night home invasions wherein the perpetrators are making their way into people’s homes in California Meadows and robbing them of money, goods and credit cards. “Each time I get into the shower at night, I think of the movie ‘Psycho’,” Santiago said. “I feel like we are living in the wild, wild west here in Vallejo,” she stated.

After the speaker’s forum, the fire department staff gave a thorough and well designed explanation of their program known as CERT which stands for “Citizens Emergency Response Team. They explained that they recently recruited and trained thirty-five more volunteers. The idea of the program is to help neighbors to help themselves until the fire department arrives; it is a form of ‘disaster preparedness’. The program prepares people to do things which can help in traumatic situations. Volunteers also help staff shelters, place sandbags during flooding, take calls during power outages, etc. They do not work on anything hazardous such as wild fires or structural fires. Originally started in 2006, it was known as ALERT, this program is provided for by grants and costs $11,523.40 annually. The money is generated from FEMA funding. The Vallejo Fire Department now boasts approximately 175 citizen volunteers, but they could use more. They receive twenty-eight hours of training, and there is no physical fitness requirement as many volunteers do non threatening, non physical efforts within the department. The fire dept. staff explained that they have a six part training program: 1.) Personal household emergency preparedness. 2.) Fire safety such as extinguishers, storing chemicals, smoke detector installation 3.) Disaster medical aid – e.g. How to transport people using blankets, chairs, etc. 4.) Realistic first aid, how to do reports, how to do minor treatment of burn trauma, splinting, et al. 5.) Light search and rescue operations, triage building, how to get victims removed safely without risk. 6.) Disaster psychology, personal team safety, how to watch out for each other. At the end of the training, volunteers undergo a drill, and review which culminates by encompassing all of the six lessons. The fire department would like anyone interested in taking this course, and subsequently volunteering, to call them to make arrangements for future training. The fire dept. staff stated that “eventually we would like to see volunteers run the training program with overseers, and the department could concentrate on the administrative aspect and future funding. Committee member Heppe asked when training of this nature takes place, to which Fire dept. officer Dunn stated: “Usually on a Tuesday/Thursday night from 6-10p.m.to accommodate persons still working a day job. He further stated that they hold four training sessions a year with the next training to be held in September of this year. Chair Schivley asked if they had a current ‘Special Needs Data Base’ updated, to which Dunn replied that he had no knowledge of an updated data base, but that he would pursue looking into it. Chair of the Vallejo Human Resources Commission, Mustafa Abdul-Ghanee suggested that there be a “follow-up on an annual basis with the process of putting a call out to all CERT graduate/trainees. He suggested that they ask them to ‘muster’ at some designated place for updates, introductions to current and former members with the intent of keeping interest and volunteerism enthusiasm, perhaps culminating in some type of ‘practice drill.’ Dunn stated that he would consider that suggestion.

Officer deJesus talked briefly about the Citizen’s Academy which is an eight week course with the police department. Volunteers are given instructions as to police functions and in August “We are taking them out to the (gun) range,” he said. The police dept. intends to redesign their web page to show more comprehensive options of volunteering within the police departments. They will be trained on monitoring cameras, among other more administrative duties as well. deJesus proudly stated “We just made Pamela Galardo the Volunteer Citizen of the Year for her work with MADD.” In addition to other duties, volunteers assist with DUI checkpoints, junior traffic programs, finger printing, and citizens on patrol programs. The police department is looking to expand volunteers, and deJesus suggested checking out the information on the police website.

In his final report, Dunn stated that the fire dept. has just graduated ten new firefighters, and despite the fact that they need ‘a little more training,’ they are currently employed and contributing members of the department. He also reported that they have two new fire engines, and have seen an increase in squatters starting fires, fires in grow houses, and in warehouses where they try to steal copper and start fires with torches, etc... Dunn also wants the public to know that there will be drill this weekend in Benicia wherein they will start a fire and contain in through drill practice. “So if you see smoke billowing over the Benicia hills this coming weekend, don’t be alarmed,” he said.

In the final wind down of the meeting, there was extensive discussion about resurrecting “Beat Health,” which was a program through neighborhood watch programs, police/fire, code enforcement, Fighting Back partnership, etc. The committee asked that a qualified speaker be brought to an upcoming meeting to explain the ramifications and procedures of this concept. deJesus, Dunn, Worel, Kelley and Tweedy all expressed enthusiasm for the return of Beat Health, but Kelley indicated that it would be costly to which committee member Heppe stated that “Volunteers could certainly help there.” They all agreed that such a program cannot function sans a lead supervisor to coordinate it. Even Schivley stated: “Perhaps we should put this on the top of our list for ‘Best Practices’ in future.”

Member Tweedy stated that he would like to see some sort of SURVEY sent to the general public as to what they would like to see culminate from this committee. He asked that the topic be agendized at the next meeting.

At the end of the meeting there was much discussion as to topics of future meetings. Upcoming meetings will feature Dr. Mark Correia, Associate professor at San Jose State University, Emergency Medical Services presentation, a review of best practices from other cities, and a more detailed look at the police officer’s training program. The subject of sub committees has come up at several meetings, but the committee has decided not to assign people to committees until a future meeting. However, they have determined that they should concentrate on three areas of concern for sub-committees: Communications, Operations and Finances with respect to both departments. The next scheduled meeting will take place at the same time and place: City Hall council chambers, and 6:30p.m.on June 20^th. The public is urged to come down for presentations during the public forum session. The program is also televised live on the cable government channel 28, and is rebroadcast during the week. It may also be viewed at the city’s website.

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Priority   |June.15.2012 Talking nice does not mean "without a firm hand" . Talking nice may not get you anything but talking tough sure will create more problems. It is not even talking nice but talking politely, fairly and with reason. Force may be needed at some point but even that, it should be force with reason not force with madness. What is our final goal? My take is "To a level that we can afford, we want a safer Vallejo ". So let us tackle that. Whoever and whatever is impeding this effort should be moved. Blindly attack on anything and everything that moves only distract the focus from the real issues, makes you look foolish and distances other people who may also think VPD can use some improvement. What are the issues that I consider important? 1. There is no clear path to implement people/CC's will through the VPD. VPD appears to be totally not answering to anyone in this city and has a will of its own. 2. There is a lack of transparency of what things get handled or not handled and the result of them. And hence a lack of accountability. 3. Some police's showing in CC meeting in recent past is also highly offensive. Just like we need to give clear priority to police so they can allocate resource accordingly; people who think VPD can use some improvement should also prioritize on what are considered important issues. And those need to be kept on the front burner at all time and not easily distracted. IMHO.

Anonymous   |June.15.2012 When Oz was elected, he truely believed that he could talk nicely to the PSUs and they would understand and give some. They showed him!!! They shook him down and took more. So don't tell me about talking nice to the PSUs. They don't respond to anything except force.

Priority   |June.15.2012 @ Make up your minds One thing I do not understand is from what position you are speaking of. You said: "you DESERVE it" so you are not part of the citizens in this town that is suffering? Can you clarify. As you, I have also noticed that there are people here on VIB that are single minded and fixated on attacking anything and everything VPD is/was doing. Every organization/person made bad judgement sometimes and I agree with VPD sometimes and disagree with them on other times. But for those single minded individuals, wearing a melodrama glasses, a person/organization is either all saint or all villain. I found them very destructive as demonstrated in the recent discussion of shooting on Wilson St. But just like there are stupid people on VIB side, there are also stupid people on the VPD side and did stupid things. I think it is not helpful and a waste of time trying to figure out who is more at fault and we as a community should be looking forward. As far as how much is justified for paying a QUALIFIED employee, I think the best test is the supply and demand from the market. You seems to be in the know, can you tell me how many people applied for any position VPD had for last few hires? Are people coming back to VPD from other city?.. I am sure you know the percentage of general fund that is paid out on compensation and you know the condition of our street. We can not afford to spend any more on compensation. As you said, everyone wants a Benz and but if I don't have money, a KIA will do. We also like to hire 30 more police but if we can not afford, we will try to figure out ways to improve what we have or figure out other ways. If we can not get highly educated and professional candidates, we will see what we can get. I will be extremely happy if we can let the supply and demand decide without other force interfering.

Make up your minds   |June.15.2012 Even Joe Tanner, the hired gun to take this city into bankruptcy (the highest paid CM in the state by some accounts), recognized and cautined the council "If you fight with your employees, you both end up with black eyes." When will this sage advice sink in?

Make up your minds   |June.15.2012 No, the hopeless shell of a city caused by declaring bankruptcy and inability to manage itself. What is it, another $3.5 million in the home the first year out of bankruptcy? Brilliant! I would be questioning if city management ever considered politely and genuinely approaching the unions to negotiate in good faith in light of this, but one can guess from the temper tantrums fro the dias that they continued the rant of cramming a contract down their throat. Who, in their right mind, would even consider to open negotiations when faced with that tyrannical rhetoric?

Firebug   |June.15.2012 @make up your minds: You mean the City that PSUs created by consuming 80 percent of the general fund, leaving little money for anyone else.

Make up your minds   |June.15.2012 Typical Firebug response and the attitude that will continue to propagate the problems. Yet again, why you DESERE the Vallejo you have created.

Firebug   |June.15.2012 @make your minds Did the PSU voluntarily come to the table during bankruptcy? When have the PSU ever voluntarily come to the table? Only when it meant no real concessions that saved Vallejo money. The cost of their stubbornness will be determined next year when the City can impose a last best and final offer.

Make up your minds   |June.15.2012 @ Priority As I have already advised you I am not VPD and I am not Sam, the two most over-used assertions used by VIB'ers when someone does not agree with them. I truly believe if PSU's had been approached correctly rather than you and your kind making them out to be the villians, thus putting them on the defensive, they would have come to the table and negotiated. But VIB and their candidates (Gomes and Schively) led the charge and so, yes, VIB created the situation and you DESERVE it! You are also correct because it is simple economics: If you want more, you have to pay more. I want to drive a Mercedes Benz, but I settled for a KIA. Now if I paid more of my monthly income and sacrificed other wants, I could afford it, but there are other priorities, like my mortgage. Google fights Yahoo for engineers, hospitals fight for doctors, law firms fight for lawyers, all by offering pay and benefits, and so it goes for law enforcement and every other job. Pay less get less. I recognize there is a current costs and limited pool of QUALIFIED police officer candidates. So kid yourselves all you want, you are paying the cost of policing - what is the safety of your kids and your streets worth to you?

Priority   |June.15.2012 With the availability of wireless network, security can be so much better implemented. Think about this, in a neighborhood, say downtown. The stores on both sides of street can share one security wireless network (we can even try a grant from ATT for this project), in the old days, you need cables installed inside of your store with special equipments that go to special box and go to special company. With wireless network today, if you have a computer and we can install a IM program/security program then you can improve your security a great deal. Since most stores/families already have the computer and wireless network the incremental cost is minimal with great gain. As far as who is going to handle the request/message. There are also multiple options. 1. It can go to a security company. 2. It can go to a neighborhood watch center. (The beauty of it is it does not have to be at one fixed physical location, it can be moved from one computer to another computer). 3. It can go to PD dispatching center. The communication can be 2-way. If one store get robbed and send a SOS message to the neighborhood center, the center can inform the neighbors and instruct about what to take note of or taking pictures from across the street. The neighborhood center has a priority line to the 911 dispatching center so when received by the dispatcher, all requested information are included. (address, telephone, what was going on, ambulance needed?...). A hundred stores (or more)can use one neighborhood center. (Center can be staffed by volunteer or paid handler.) Clarke also mentioned video cam, with the latest IP CAM, you do not need cables installation (only plug and power) and you use the wireless network. IP CAM cost around $200 (can be less or more) and it can also be installed in each store and monitored by the neighborhood center. There are a lot of things we can do to make our town/ourselves safer with small expense.

Priority   |June.15.2012 @ Make up your mind. Thank you for the explanation. If we know each other's situation a little better, may be we can find some solution. First of all, we are not asking you to handle everything. We understand we do not have all the police we like to have so we need to set a priority and have a plan to allocate our resources. Again, this is not a 100%-0% situation. There is no need to dedicate a dispatcher to IM. IM is just one way of communication. We used phone in the past but more and more people are using IM to send message. I am sure many people have the experience of talking on the phone while IM another person on the computer. So IM is just another window on the screen. It is up to the dispatcher to decide which call or IM will be handled first. I really hope the mode of discussion is "let us see if this has merit and can we make it work better" instead of "you need to pay me more so I will deliver more." Just like the current 911, some calls/IM will not be answered quickly. IM is just another method to the same end and maybe working better (because we can have all the address and related info prepared beforehand and sent with one click) I am sure police work is demanding and most are hard working and I believe the problem is in the management of resources and the attitude of some and there are room for improvement. As demonstrated here, your attitude seems to be "ok, you are going to cut our number and salary, go to hell, you DESERVE it." and to prove your point, you are not making any possible improvement or you want the situation to fail. I hope you understand most citizen's position is " we do not have enough money and can not afford it, let us see if we can do things differently." and "If things can not be worked out with the current crew, we need to find out from supply and demand if there are people willing to work for Vallejo at the rate we can afford." I have work with a few fine police from VPD and they are not like you at all. If you think you are underpaid and over-stressed, you can also try out you proposed supply and demand to see if there are demand out there for the type of supply you can provide.

Clarke Johnston   |June.15.2012 @Priority: I know two "old school" low-cost mechanisms for alerting PD's of robberies. One: In the till, one dollar tray, usually the one to the left, has an electric contact, and is never used, except when being robbed. The money is always left there, except when the robber, or clerk under duress, pull the money out, sending a silent alarm to the monitoring station. Two: Various versions of under-counter buttons, knee-pads, foot pedals, that accomplish the same mechanical-electrical contact that alerts the alarm company. Discretion is the key, as some amped-up fool with a gun isn't going to react well if you're obviously reaching under the counter. Regarding the secure link ideas you're considering, I'm guessing that like current internet technology, no additional land line is needed, just the existing one already installed. Instant messaging is used widely online for various customer service applications, with pop-up windows for "Chat" assistance. There's no reason that window can't be single direction, as an alert to a monitor, either with a paid alarm company or with the PD itself. Come to think of it, voice activation could also be used, requiring the victim to make no sudden or non-instructed moves. Also, the current video systems, readily available at Costco and elsewhere, use online monitoring and off-site hard drive recording, some motion activated, eliminating ancient VCR's. I don't know how much competitive rates run for these services, how much a merchant is charged. I do know that with modern technology, anything is now possible. One need only look at casinos to see cutting edge hardware and software in use. Hopefully the wide dissemination of such gear will bring down the costs, over time.

rocketman   |June.15.2012 Property registration of foreclosures seems essential and simple. Just do it.

Make up you minds   |June.15.2012 Forgot to include the dispatcher answering 911 calls also handles the fire channel

Make up you minds   |June.15.2012 Wow, shows just how out of touch you a are with the realities of your situation. Which one of the three dispatchers will you devote to IM'ing - the one handling police, the one handling 911 calls (70,000+ per year), or the one supervising the center while also giving breaks and backing up the others while also handling 911 calls? And this is if they are lucky enough to have three dispatchers because the often only have two. Oh, and which of the 5 or 6 police officers on the street are going to handle the your little pet peeve concerns as they run from call to call? Get in touch with reality.

Priority   |June.14.2012 @ CJ, thanks for listening. We can also use technology to help us do more with less. e.g. Instant messaging 911 center. We can have IM connection with 911 center. Individual business can have secured link (through internet) with 911 center. There are several canned message, e.g. "Arm robbery and can not talk", "Emergency #1 and can talk"...., by a single click, the call for help will be sent to 911 center with address and all related info. The users will get training on what canned message should be clicked under what situation. To prevent misuse, we can charge, say $500, for a false call. When a robber is in your store, it is not too convenient to get on the phone and call the police but a click is quiet and easy. The same idea can be used with individual household too. It is hard for a dispatcher to talk to 2 callers at a time but IM to 5 callers is not too hard.

Clarke Johnston   |June.14.2012 @Priority: Thanks for advancing the discussion. Perhaps a sworn peace officer can shed some light. Clearly many misdemeanors are going un-investigated in Vallejo. Even when they're reported. So, one can conclude that similar to what you've outlined, the PD has established a priority system for responding and reacting, whether to investigate or not, or just ignore the online reports entirely. (Which I know is happening, because I filed an online Credit Card fraud report and didn't hear a peep, and there were only two possibilities, not hard to pursue) Is this descending list available anywhere online? Been discussed by the representative officer at the public meetings?

Priority   |June.14.2012 We can put things into 4 categories: 1. Urgent and important 2. Not-urgent but important 3. Urgent but not important 4. Not-urgent and not-important. Currently not-urgent but important things do not get ANY attention in Vallejo and we need to change that. Urgent and important things are like: robbing 7-11, home invasion, shooting, rape, burglary in progress.. . Not-urgent but important things are like: meth lab, grow house, MMD, noise from radio, jaywalking, ... Urgent but not important things are like: drug buyers got robbed, event involving non-cooperating victims,.. Of course the list is open to the community to decide and prioritize. Urgent and important events do not happen all the time but when it does, it will get the highest attention.

Priority   |June.14.2012 @im not joking You just made my point that we need priority. Ask yourself this question: Which one is more important and should be a higher priority for police resource: 1. MMD 2. Meth lab This is the type of question we need to ask as a community and then make sure the resources is aligned with that priority.

im not joking   |June.14.2012 @Clarke We had a meth lab for a next door neighbor over 10 years ago. I too "may" be a customer when McDonalds "may" be robbed but I was home everyday the meth lab was there. Getting that sh*** out of my neighborhood is more important than a fast food chain robbery All depend how bad you want it out. Gas and matches usually will do the trick.

Mousy   |June.14.2012 Like ticketing carpoolers rather than jaywalkers?

80-20 Rule   |June.14.2012 Which bring to a good point that the current allocation of 100% - 0% for major vs. non-major crime is not the best way to go. Grow house, meth lab, jaywalking, noise are all not attended to now because they fall under non-major crime and that is a problem. Use 80-20 rule. Non-major crime should get at least 20% of the resources then grow house, meth lab, jaywalking and noise can all be handled. While 80% of the police resources can be devoted to a prioritized major crimes. 80-20 allocation will give us much more bang for the buck WITHOUT increasing spending.

Clarke Johnston   |June.14.2012 @Anonymous: Don't know how we got from a grow house to a meth lab?.. On that count we agree. Meth labs use lots of dangerous chemicals, most of which are toxic and explosive. Cleaning up a meth lab requires technicians in Hazmat suits, and all the related gear. Meth is a scourge, with no medicinal use, rendering it's users highly paranoid, aging prematurely, and pretty much acting like walking zombies. (When they're not stripping power poles and empty buildings of copper and other metals) And I don't recall the voters passing either a state initiative like 215 for meth, or local voters from Vallejo approving a tax on it, either. But again, don't try to devalue the harm done by armed robberies. I've had two friends/merchants shot during the commission of armed robberies in this town, so don't try and marginalize or diminish the harm done there. It's every bit as relevant to the safety of our town as a smoldering meth lab. Neither is acceptable.

Anonymous   |June.14.2012 @Clarke We had a meth lab for a next door neighbor over 10 years ago. I too "may" be a customer when McDonalds "may" be robbed but I was home everyday the meth lab was there. Getting that sh*** out of my neighborhood is more important than a fast food chain robbery

Retired_IBEW   |June.14.2012 @Clarke - you are 100% correct with the 'broken windows' theory. I have been harping about it here for a few years. Once again I suggest this committee contact the civilian police employee in Fairfield PD who administers their code enforcement program and find out for themselves what CAN be done with limited resources and hard work. Hire a civilian police employee to run code enforcement and let him/her pick four or five volunteers to assist them. Get the council to agree there will be no 'exceptions' to the administration of code enforcement no matter who the property owner might be friends with and have an aggressive policy of fining offenders $100 per day and then collecting that money, even if it has to be outsourced to a collection agency. If you clean up Vallejo and it doesn't look like a ghetto the people who live there are less likely to act like they are in a ghetto. You can spend months talking about how to 'fix' the police department but getting a handle on the blight will do more in a short time than anything else you do

Clarke Johnston   |June.14.2012 @Anonymous: I care about my neighbors, and in fact have made citizens arrests here, and have gone on to successfully testify in court against the criminals. My Bona Fides are a matter of record. So don't even freaking pretend to know what you're talking about, because you don't. I also care about the safety and well being of businesses and customers throughout Vallejo. I, too could be a customer, and don't need to be there when it's getting robbed. Why is that such a hard concept for you? You're making an apples and oranges comparison that has no validity nor reason. Like the recall itself.

Anonymous   |June.13.2012 @Clarke I too pay attention to my neighbors. I don't care about the future of weed. I am more concerned about my immediate neighborhood than McDonalds. If your priority is a restraunt miles from your house more than the house next door, your neighbors should be disappointed.

Priority   |June.13.2012 Re: Supply and demand If you really want to see supply and demand works, we can put up an ads about hiring police for Vallejo with a salary and benefit we can support and see how many candidates line up. If no one hows up, we will pay whatever VPD asked. That is supply and demand. What you described is holding Vallejo citizens hostage as your bargaining chip in compensation negotiation not supply and demand.

Priority   |June.13.2012 Re: Supply and demand If you really want to see supply and demand works, we can put up an ads about hiring police for Vallejo with a salary and benefit we can support and see how many candidates line up. If no one hows up, we will pay whatever VPD asked. That is supply and demand. What you described is holding Vallejo citizens hostage as your bargaining chip in compensation negotiation not supply and demand.

Make up your minds   |June.13.2012 Not Sam and not VPD, just enjoy rubbing your noses in the dirty mess you and your ilk championed with ol' Steph. News flash: there is a cost in doing business ruled by supply and demand (Adam Smith, look it up) and you get what you pay for. Vallejo is paying the current cost of a professional educated police force. Sure, you can force the reduction in cost, and the supply wil certainly reduce (Adam Smith, fascinating reading, maybe you should check it out). Welcome to the hell you created for you and your kind. You deserve it...

Clarke Johnston   |June.13.2012 @Anonymous: I keep an eye on my neighbors. But, I can feel your love coming through! And, no quit claiming to be pro-legalization. You're trying to have your cake and eat it too. It's certainly not brave or principled, just fence-sitting. Kinda like claiming the recall isn't about a personal vendetta; or its nothing personal. Totally disingenuous. Just like the recall. N*O*T W*O*R*K*I*N*G

Priority   |June.13.2012 @Anonymous I am not against busting MMD or related activities. What I advocate is we need a priority to spell out what needs to be taken care of first if there is a conflict on using police resources. If you listen to the residents on California meadow in the meeting, it is just horrible, unbearable .. I will put things like that above grow house, getting robbed when purchasing drug, non-cooperating victims, or even gun shot between drug deal went wrong. We need to protect law abiding citizens before people who put themselves in harm's way. With the one police officer assign to code enforcement, I am sure we can take care of the grow house, the jaywalking, the noise ... Think about this: 4 cases a day and 30 days a month... a lot of good can happen.

Anonymous   |June.13.2012 @Clarke I am not against legalization. Until it is, address the entire problem. I hope one opens up next door to your house

Clarke Johnston   |June.13.2012 @Anonymous: The grow houses, despite their faulty wiring and imprudent use of herbicides and pesticides, didn't rob McDonalds or 7-11. You're simply making the case for legalization and strict regulation.

Anonymous   |June.13.2012 @Priority If Heppe (safety council member) is correct that there is a connection between "grow houses" and the MMD's then keeping a focus on the MMD's comes with the territory of ridding our neighborhoods of the danger and blight that these grow houses produce.

Clarke Johnston   |June.13.2012 @Make up your mind - One of the most famous and noted theories about policing, effectiveness and law enforcement strategy is the "broken windows theory". First coined, and explained by social scientists George Wilson and George Kelling. Worthy reading, please look it up. In short, it says that society is well served in preventing vandalism by fixing problems when they are small. "Repair the broken windows within a short time, say, a day or a week, and the tendency is that vandals are much less likely to break more windows or do further damage. Clean up the sidewalk every day, and the tendency is for litter not to accumulate. Problems do not escalate and thus respectable residents do not flee a neighborhood". This is smart and applies to Vallejo. Our very inattention to all the "small" forms of blight: Broken windows, graffiti, dead cars, open liquor containers and public consumption of weed, loud music retching from vehicles...etc...etc....is what feeds the atmosphere of lawlessness that pervades downtown, Mini Drive, Beverly Hills, Magazine Street, and the Crest. (Just to name a few) So, it is entirely reasonable for citizens to ask, no DEMAND, that a portion of our hard-earned tax dollars be spent chasing these quality of life issues, nipping these anti-social behaviors in the bud. Because allowing them to exist unchallenged only leads to worse matters. Fact. (Oh, and let me add my current peeve: The now fashionable jaywalking/sauntering across Sonoma Blvd, right in front of traffic, daring people to stop or go around. Boldly broadcasting attitude and bravado.) But I guess that's all okay with you? Not with this driver. I'm sick of it.

Clarke Johnston   |June.13.2012 @Make up your mind - "Typical VIB revisionist history?" Really? That's the best response you've got? Seriously? Why, that's SO odd. Seems like the main recall proponent was this VERY day complaining that non-supporters of the recall were attacking him in order to confuse the people about the issues. Elsewhere, anyone who might be against the recall is termed "VIB misfits". Hum. Has a totally familiar ring 'bout now. Oh, and don't tell people not to open their mouths, that's not for YOU to say! But anyhow, I notice that you conveniently fail to address the overwhelming votes that I mention in Wisconsin, San Jose, and San Diego, where citizens clearly proclaim "enough" with rising pension costs. Your argumentum ad hominem attacks aren't convincing me, or swaying any other voters, either.

Priority   |June.13.2012 @ Make up your mind re: couple dozen murders and robberies. I know we have quite a few murders and robberies in town but have them been resolved and criminal captured? or being at the scene and reporting them take most of your time? If VPD has. Please let us know through announcement or newspaper report. Every time I read the paper when crime was reported, often there are un-cooperating victims or VPD had no clues. There are a only few cases that reported the criminals were captured. We do not have money and we are not asking you to do EVERYTHING - big and small. But we do want to set priority on where to spend the time and money. The most obvious cut from my perspective is: if there is un-cooperating victim, then don't spend any time on them. MMD busting, if you have time on your hands - send one or two polices will be enough. No, I am not asking you to do everything. But we do need to look at what is important.

Make up your mind   |June.13.2012 @Priority Oh, you mean like the couple dozen murders and robberies! Don't open your mouth if you don't have any idea of what your talking about.

Make up your mind   |June.13.2012 @ Clarke Typical VIB revisionist history. VIB (Vallejo Is Burning at the time) members gave a standing ovation after the vote. Proof is on the tape of that city council meeting went they made that stupid mistake since it has worked out so great for this city! Typical VIB cry babies.

80-20 Rule   |June.13.2012 Vallejo resources allocation question is framed incorrectly as Either/Or or !00%/0%. A better way to allocate is: 80% resource to major crime. 20% resource to non-major crime. Let us say we assign one police to non-major crime and doing code enforcement and he can handle 4 cases a day. I think it will make great difference for quality of life in town. Will missing one police for major crime make a big difference? I do not know. You tell me. Changing the structure of allocation. Instead or 100-0, let us go 80-20.

Priority   |June.13.2012 @Make up your mind Re: concentrate on major crimes Can you list some major crimes that have been resolved? I hope you do not count MMD busting and INVESTIGATION for un-cooperating shooting victim last week as major crime. Not that those things are ok but with limited resources, we need to re-define major crime, put law abiding citizen first before people who put themselves at danger and make sure that is what the citizens considered as priority,

Clarke Johnston   |June.13.2012 @Make up your mind: I don't think anyone "cheered" at having to enter bankruptcy, such decisions are not lightly made, so don't try and cast those events in such a light. You'd be wise to take note of the recent elections in Wisconsin, San Jose, and San Diego. Voters are, albeit slowly, becoming aware of the unfunded pension liabilities facing every city, county and state. Current levels cannot be sustained. No municipality can afford cops, teachers, or fire-fighters retiring in their early to mid fifties with $100K packages. The money simply isn't there. Get it? The money isn't there. Last night, at our own city council meeting, new city manager Keen again cautioned the council that concessions will be needed from our unions next time at the bargaining table. Vallejo, or nowhere else, can balance the budget simply by counting on increased revenue. Whether by property or sales taxes, or sundry other fees, Vallejo is NOT going to get into the black by raising taxes. If you think so, then you're drinking Governor Brown's Kool-Aid.

Make up your mind   |June.13.2012 Sweat the small stuff to deter crime or concentrate on major crimes? You cheered for bankruptcy and destroying your police department. They can't do everything and struggle to maintain bare minimum service, so make up your minds!

Priority   |June.12.2012 Just like budgeting. The first step is finding out where the money/resources went. We need to have a clear understanding on how our police resources are used, what kind of cases our police is handling, Can some of them be covered by volunteers? then we can see if they were spent according the agree-upon priorities.

Priority   |June.12.2012 Home invasion should definitely be on top of the priority list because your home is supposed to be your sanctuary. It should be much more important than MMD, other illegal drugs (crack) or any non-cooperating gun-shot victims. If we have to prioritize, protect law abiding citizens first. Others can wait.

Anonymous   |June.12.2012 over heard while shopping in napa. an off-duty fireman complaining about the city having to end fire programs. not sure if any lay offs, however, he ended his mantra by saying the city and state has the money, they just need to put it in the "right" place. and so it goes.

Salty Dog   |June.12.2012 Thank you anonII....I will give him a call and bend his ear. But lets get serious...you don't have to have hearing deficits to miss the noise and anyone who is remotely connected to the pulse of the city cannot help but take note of the racket and make some connections between ordinance enforcement- unlawful flagrant ignorance-inconsiderate behavior- and the clear message it sends to anyone who is remotely inclined to be a jerk. The fact is boom boxes and unmuffled bikes identify Vallejo as a raucous, lawless, anything goes,screw you,I'm fine Jack kinda place. Not the kind of place you would want you or your children to call home, let alone walk about in without fear. There is no excuse for it. None. Not from the City Manager, the Mayor or Councillors. There is no defensible excuse for taking no action. Don't talk about a better Vallejo until you make an effort to address this one simple issue - noise abatement. And that is my recommendation to the safety committee. Want to do something positive and immediate- lower the boom on boom boxes.

Anon II   |June.12.2012 A noise ordinance was introduced a few years ago by then council member Kim Stafford. It passed with flying colors on the whole council. However, the police and code enforcement (by extension) do not make efforts to enforce it. There are already fines delineated too, I believe, but they should probably be reviewed. We have a new city manager, Dan Keen, if you want something done, I would say call his office. Call a more direct number at 648-4576. If he does not hear from the public, he does not know the concerns or issues. He's not superman, but pretty darn close.

Clarke Johnston   |June.12.2012 Thanks to Joanne for chairing these meetings. Mrs. Parks telling her story was gripping, and I was glad that Joanne let her go past any apparent time limit. Frankly, Chief Nichelini should be at these meetings, each and every one. Simply relying on feedback from officer DeJesus won't do. This is the closest thing we have to a public "kitchen", and our chief needs to feel some heat, or get out. Time to step up and face those you serve. These public comments are compelling, and highly illustrative of what's wrong with Vallejo, as told by it's citizens. We are suffering from the rampant crime. Just this last week, Vallejo has seen a startling uptick in armed robberies, including, it appears, one last night up on Plaza Drive. Sidebar: I drove past 201 Maine on my motorcycle the other day while returning from the post office. The group of six or seven fellas hanging out front were clearly enjoying themselves. Even in the street, the aroma of marijuana was potently evident. So, despite the the "new" image being promoted by the management of this facility, these residents (Or their guests) don't, at least, even feel compelled to take it inside.

Anon II   |June.12.2012 There is an noise ordinance in place, a policy which was introduced by former council member Kim Stafford. It is a good ordinance, but the police and code enforcement do not enforce it. Perhaps our new city manager will begin taking the bull by the horns, God knows he has been informed about the current lame players!!! Call Keen and complain, he can only respond to verbal complaints!A more direct # for the new city manager Keen is 648-4576.

Mónica   |June.12.2012 Thank you for the report. As much as I love this city, I am increasingly concerned about the safety of my family and my neighbors. If the VPD would allow us to redistribute the fiscal pie to enhance police coverage, a great deal could be done much more quickly to improve conditions in Vallejol

Salty Dog   |June.12.2012 Yes, indeed, the beat goes on....and on...and on up and down the canyons of Vallejo- violent hip hop music echoing off the buildings and heard three blocks away at almost any time of the day or night. I, too, have been around and have never seen a municipality such as Vallejo that would turn a blind eye to the crap that goes down on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, I am not a control freak. But there is something I don't understand about those in charge of the betterment of this community. I don't understand why, when the laws are being flaunted so openly that the reaction is nothing, particularly when resolving the problem is so easy. First time offense- $50 dollars. Second offense-$100. Third offense-$300 It would only require a few apprehensions before the word got around and the decibel level would be dramatically decreased. But, you say, Vallejo has more pressing issues. To which I say, bullsh#t. If you want to change the tone, the climate, the culture of a place you start with those who openly flaunt the law and who are the most openly inconsiderate of their fellow man. I suspect strongly that this would have a significant impact on many other dysfunctional social issues that plague the city. I have yet to hear a rationale argument against ordinance enforcement. I'm waiting.

Maggie Tracey   |June.12.2012 Thanks for the update! The banks definitely need to be more accountable. It would help if they worked with the homeowners to keep their homes. That would help keep our neighborhoods safe.

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