City mulls reinstating gang task force

[Chief]

In the local news section today there is a report about Council's deliberations about the briefing they received from Vancouver Police and Police Chief Cliff Cook about the rising problems in gang activity in various places around the City, and their recommendations for reinstating the Gang Task Force.

I'm pretty sure there are going to be howls of protest from the usual sources over this, because the pricetag for this year alone would be $380,000, and $1 Million for next year to continue phasing the Task Force back in.

As always, it comes down to an issue of where the City of Vancouver can get the money to fund this, along with the inevitable complaints about why the Task Force was disbanded in the first place.

The fact is that during the nineties, the Joint Gang Task Force all but shut down the gang activity in Portland and Vancouver to the point where it was no longer cost efficient to fund it. Gang activity subsided to the point where everyday police operations could handle the load. The funds that once paid for the Joint Gang Task Force were redirected to more serious Community Policing needs, such as the wave of methampehtamine abuse, and all of the vast array of property crimes (including identity theft) that came along with it.

The problem lies in where the City is going to get the money to pay for this, and it's high time that the City of Vancouver faced facts, started trimming it's wishlists, and doing some serious cutting in their budget.

I (and many others) recommend that a good place for the City to start cutting is the $2 Million that the City spends annually to prop up the Hilton. I am not sure what kind of contractural requirements that previous councils agreed to, but this City Council would be very wise to start looking at how they can get out of propping up the Hilton, and put projects like Gramor Development's fantasy at the former Boise Cascade site to rest permanently.

I realize that previous City Councils have made a number of the decisions that are coming due now that money is tight, but it is up to the present City Council to step up to the bat, get out the big knives, and start re-prioritizing the budgetary items that are eating the City alive.

In particular, I want to hear the detailed strategery from Saint Campbell, who ran as the guy we were going to replace all the scoundrels with, because he had some kind of magic touch that Tonkovich did not. Never mind that Pat is only about 300 votes more popular than Tonks was, he needs to put something viable on the table, and soon.

Same goes for Tim Leavitt and Larry Smith. Both of you guys won reelection based upon your promised to lead the City, including a lot of speculation that Tim Leavitt is the natural next Mayor of Vancouver.

Time to step up to the plate boys. I'm not accepting the spin on this from the columbian this morning, and I will wait to hear what Council has to say about this in the coming weeks, but I expect to hear serious proposals about solutions out of City Council, and I expect to hear them soon.

Developing...

[Chief]

http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01292008_City-mulls-reinstating-gang-task-force.cfm

[Waterbuffalo]

The two Jeannes had a lot to say on the subject and Larry said some too. Tim had a little bit to say.

But i think the two Jeannes said it best (paraphrase) Where is the money going to come from? And we better not do this half assed or do it for a year or two and then pull it away because of a lack of funding.

The first year in 2008 is going to be 380K. The next two years after that is 1 Million a year for 2 Million per that biennium. And this was just the Law enforcement aspect, there is a huge amount more than this that is going to be needed.

And the City Council Members except Royce (Can't you love him when he's Determined? :-)) basically were asking Chief Cook, where are we going to get the Money?

So where are we going to get the money to make this a sustained effort?

[Waterbuffalo]

I'm going to Join Chief in this commentary to ask our City forefathers and foremothers: Where is the money and what you are going to have to cut to fund this anti-gang initiative? What taxes are you going to have to raise to make this happen?

Campbell isn't going to be the only one who's going to be in the hot seat. Mayor is going to be up for election again I think soon. Stewart, Harris and Jollota might be up soon for re-election? Its time we get them all on the carpet where they stand on the tough issues.

I love some of the aspirations of Downtown but I honestly think that some of the money we're on many different downtown initiatives or extras could be cut to help pay for this that are not infrastructure or serious need case.

So what are our options? I can't complain if I don't have solutions to the problem. Just cutting simple stuff out of the City of Vancouver budget isn't going to cut it. I could say that we could have a "holistic" approach as Jeanne Harris stated in the piece. But the problem is where is the Dough to pay for it?

[Chief]

I see in the morning paper that Clark County is handing out plenty of layoff notices to their Community Development department for lack of business. At least they are saving salaries.

Gerald Baugh from the City's Community Development Department hasn't shown me a lot of very effective strategery either, and he's the guy who is out negotiating deals like the Gramor/Boise deal that is hanging on by its fingernails right now. If Boise fails, Gerald fails too, and I think that would be an excellent Department for the City to start making some substantial cuts to. If we spend a lot less on Downtown redevlopment we might be able to easily afford Law Enforcement.

I look at all of the development that is going on up here on the Eastside, with absolutely no financial participation by the City, and wonder why we should spend Billions to attempt to revitalize portions of Downtown that have been dying on the vine for years.

Case in point: I met with someone for a conversation recently about the Columbia Crossing Project downtown for coffee at one of the small coffee bars. (I won't identify it by name). The storefront looked funky but attractive from outside, but once you stepped inside, the place looked like a flophouse. It's filled with very old and thoroughly used furniture, none of which matches, or is particularly suited for having coffee. The one table we could grab to talk at was jammed into a corner, and there was no privacy at all.

I sat there thinking "We want to spend Billions on transit for this?"

It's about having the stones to propose meaningful changes that will reprioritize the City's budget. I expect to start hearing some solutions from everyone down there pretty soon...

[Waterbuffalo]

The heads will roll or things will happen.

And I personally say, I'll just watch from the sidelines because I really don't care any more what happens down there. Think the City of Vancouver neglects its attention to other places around it city and spends a lot of time horn blowing about the Reserve..

Sorry but what about the OTHER 90 percent of this wonderful city that would love to deserve 1 percent of that praise and thought..

The Downtown core only represents about 5 percent of total land base of the Current City of Vancouver Boundaries. With the new UGA, this core could fall to 2 percent or less.

One of the things I do say I praise the City of doing is spending a heck of a lot of money on roads on the East side of Vancouver that are major thoroughfares but still look like 2 lane country roads. If you look around Cascade Park and South Orchards, you will still find them.

Guess I'll go back to wonderful Cheery Reading of the Ports PR memos and fine articles of Clark County's CREDC..

Now my wonder is where is the City going to find this $380k to fund GTF for 2008?

[karma]

The writing was on the wall as soon as the X chief let this go and now the current Chief has his hands full!! As we watched the Portland gangs coming to the safe area and what can one say, it's a sad time in the community but some folks in power had blinders on!!

[Chief]

It's still a matter of priorities. You don't spend millions to keep the Gang Task Force hanging around, if they have already locked the worst of the Playahs up.

The last time the Gang Task Force was active, they were chasing Crips and Bloods who were out shooting each other up at night over in North Portland. The very worst of them are either dead or in prison doing hard time, so there's no need for a full blown task force to chase them any more.

Now we have the Hispanic Gangs rearing their ugly heads, mainly following the Mexican meth traffic up the I-5 Corridor and it's time to reconstitute the Task Force.

Karma, the police have been out chasing meth heads who are stealing everything in reach from copper wire off of public utility transformers, to your identity right out of your mailbox. Those idiots havent gone away, so the Task Force is in addition to whatever the Police are doing, instead of replacing some current activity.

Would you have the VPD stop enforcing traffic laws in order to chase gangs? Of course not, so that means that some how we have to find the money to do both.

The Police changed their focus to follow the worst crime trends, and when things change, it's up to the Public Agencies who fund them, to find the money needed to fight the crime needs at any given time.

The machine moves slowly too. You're dealing with public agencies who are trying to stick to a budget, with funding sources that often make the process look like spinning plates on long sticks...

It's a tough problem that defies simple solutions.

[karma]

Crime is Crime and it's on the rise be it Gangsters or Meth-heads or those that run red lights? The Powers that be have failed it's citizens and to allow growth to continue with out keeping up with the needs of the Citizens, well they all need to be voted out!! Dan was a start and the citizens are tired of the mess?? They have funds for a bridge to nowhere they should have no problem finding the fund for the emgerency needs??? Maybe the Council, Mayor and Manager should take a pay cut and direct that funds to the new Chief? Let's just say that the folks that do the crime know Clark County is a safe place to do business?

[Waterbuffalo]

karma, Just so your aware, there is a proposal to deal with the red light runners.. The City is looking a revenue neutral system of robo cameras on the worst intersections and it not going to cost the city any thing..

Though there might be huge fiscal considerations for this red light system, may be its a start in the right direction to dealing with people who don't obey the traffic laws. Not sure how the unincorporated Clark County is doing and how they plan to deal with red light runners.

As to the Gang Task Force, I'm again with Chief.. Its time to look at alternatives including selling off the Hilton. It was grand success according to the mayor, not its time to reinvest the time, money and many other things into projects that are needed outside the Downtown Core.

Transportation Management of many different things is also one of the huge areas that needs to be worked on other than the Gang Task Force and many other projects with it. One can say we have a lot of pipe dreams in this City but because of financial considerations, we cannot fund them all.

Its time to consider that the Esther Short area plat and plan is complete and have private investors finish what the City started. Vancouver doesn't have million or 100's of millions for a streetcar, building renovations or many other things.

Its time to get realistic about the future needs in this community instead of living in a world of pipe dreams.

[karma]

That should read 'Lightrail' dreams that will be brining the Portland Crime to our doorsteps!

No a NIMBY here, just stating the facts!

[Waterbuffalo]

Nice purple toes and toe rings?

Honestly right now Karma, we all ready have the gangs WITHOUT the Light Rail and most of the gang activity isn't even NEAR the Light Rail or its stations. Now that might change in the future when light rail is put in, but I don't see any letters, e-mails or DECENT facts of that in the record on this other than our conjecture and Portland current crime problems.

[Chief]

If this is such a priority, then why is the City going to approve $2 Million tonight for the design of Gramor's underpasses??

WWPCD??

[Waterbuffalo]

Honestly Chief, I didn't read or see such commentary or basis for comment on that right now.. Been gone most of the past two days.. Let me catch up to you before I comment.

[Waterbuffalo]

Ps. I love your republican devolution thingy.. It shows neither party is different from Each other now?? :-)

[karma]

Did the City or County send anyone over to Portland yesterday to that gang educational meeting that they reported on last night's news?
Yep Buff we have gangs, those that have and those that have not!!

[Chief]

I would imagine that VPD is on the invite list for those sessions and that someone certainly represented them.

I would be surprized if there wasn't at least unofficial participation of some sort...

[Waterbuffalo]

Since I have been busy the past two days with Columbia River Crossing, C-tran, Board of Clark County commissioners. Could you give me a link or an update on this subject...

[Chief]

I got some comments via e-mail from Tim Leavitt, concerning his thoughts about the Gang Task Force, and thought they were worth sharing...




With the present challenges of funding programs like the gang taskforce, it is difficult to keep an eye on the long-range picture.

I'm certain we'll have serious conversations about re-prioritizing to support the police department.

However, I also think there needs to be resources focused on the prevention/intervention aspects of gangs.

(I'm working on some of those types of projects now...)
The government and police department can't be expected to curb gang activity through enforcement only.

The costs to hire all the police and build all the jail space needed would bankrupt the public.


Good! I'm glad that Tim (and others I'm sure) are formulating some Policy, as opposed to just writing the Police Department a check. Look for more on this from Council in the coming months....

Developing...

[Waterbuffalo]

"Good! I'm glad that Tim (and others I'm sure) are formulating some Policy, as opposed to just writing the Police Department a check. Look for more on this from Council in the coming months...."

Because I'm with you on this that Tim won't start another Focus Group or study the subject to death that some communities do.. Lets hope there is some thing good does come out of it.

Reprioritizing should be the #1 job with both Fire and Police depts. to see what can be cut or moved. Some times things are rough and right now its not going to be fun for the City of Vancouver employees.

But I think that the City needs to REALLY do the same thing as the Port of Vancouver has done. Get out and start talking to Community members about WHY the city taxes need to be raised to fund all of the projects. This is the same thing they SHOULD continue to justify and allow people to understand more about what's going on.

Do want to thank the council for getting into place this new government e-mail thing that sends you updates of subject. That will help for those people that have to work three or more jobs to support them selves to be able to live here.

Another good step that Tim did is start a blog of important issues. I'll applaud him for this one also. Now its time to see what he comes up with next?