To all Detroiters..
Gary Brown, Detroit City Councilman and former Detroit Police Executive, has made numerous - several - deceptive and misleading statements to the media, the latest to radio am950 WWJ / Florence Walton.
He has said, that the uniformed services (ie) Detroit Police Officers (Union) havn't been asked to contribute to lowering the City Budget, false and misleading - The City and DPOA are currently in Act 312 negotiations for a new contract, with the old one long past expired. The City is offering only take backs, pay and medical benefits reductions. Recently, the DP Lieutenants and Sergeants Association lost pay and benefits in an Act 312 decision, causing many to retire and leave this City, and leaving others demoralized. I am retired from the DPD, receiving a duty disability - I have had my medical premiums - raised, since my retirement - that was wrong. I gave to the City with my service and was rewarded with increased medical costs, and life long injuries.
Police Officers have made concessions and continue to protect residents day in and day out, night after night, 24/7 even after being denigrated and taken advantage of by Mayors since Coleman Young, while remaining one of the lowest paid major police departments in the country. Their lives are in danger from the time they wake up until they wake up another day - and it is particularly dangerous for police officers that live in this City.
Gary Brown and James Tate have failed Detroit residents and Detroit Police Officers - they were insiders - they were police executives - they saw the nepotism, cronyism, favoritism and mismanagement (that I have spoken out about for years) up close and personal (Tate told me he was 'left out to the loop' - re: red Navigator) and so they should have been from Day One of their Council careers, had reforms in hand and on the Council table - to improve, repair and upgrade the Detroit Police Department. They have nothing and are failing residents and brave police officers.
Brown and Tate should have made PCs Evans and Godbee (? - unqualified) replace the Crisnet Report System that has complicated and made report writing a lengthy and unproductive report system (Haddad Memo), causing long delays to police response times.
Brown and Tate should have had the Council adopt a 'Verified Response System' to handle false B&E alarms - making profit making alarm companies responsible for the initial check of alarms. DPD have been used for years a security guards for alarm companies. It has cost Detroit $1.2 - 1.5 million dollars a year for the DPD to respond to false alarms. A report was created documenting the need for 'VRS' and the cost of false alarms in 2003. Add up the costs to date. A step has been taken is this process - but it needs to be adopted - now not later.
Brown and Tate should have taken the lead to create a Wayne County / Detroit Police medical - jail facility, which would have put Detroit in compliance with the Department of Justice Decrees, per the Federal Prosecutor. PC Warren Evans blamed PC Bully-Cummings, now we have Godbee and still no compliance and no medical - jail facility.Millions of Detroit taxpayer dollars are being spent on unnecessary and unneeded medical costs for prisoners, who know and take advantage of Detroit's failure to create this facility. A precinct has a midnight prisoner transfer crew, two officers, simply to take prisoners back and forth to Detroit Receiving Hospital. An emergency room doctor, acknowledge the costly service - but DPD executives continue this process - with no reports of costs to the public.
In addition the lack of jail space, created by x-PC Bully-Cummings (closing 50% of jail cells - precincts) leaves Detroit with insufficient jail space for police officers to arrest criminals and puts some back on the street shortly after they are arrested, because of lack of jail space - the streets of Detroit are dangerous enough without criminal - knowing that they can commit crimes and not fear arrest because - 'we don't have a cell for them'. Officers are demoralized, in part, because they can't properly do their jobs.
The Tamara Greene homicide investigation and lawsuit hangs over the City - but their seems no resolution is in sight, what with continued lies and cover ups. To many police executives remain on the job, who have things to cover up and hide - that were part of the Kilpartick police department and the DPD is now led by Ralph Godbee, a hold over and Kilpatrick fund raiser, what police officer would feel safe career wise and safety wise to come forward and divulge information that could resolve the situation?
Detroit needs the best, the brightest, and ethically unchallenged police chief available from a nation wide search - no consideration should be made for race, religion, ethnicity or sexual preference. Brown and Tate should take the lead and appropriate the money for the
search.
Brown and Tate should vigorously oppose an eleven (11) member, Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, some elected by districts. The Board is already ineffective and inefficient - adding members is wrong and dangerous to public safety.
Detroit residents deserve better service from its uniformed services, but the solution is in getting better executives and Council members willing to lead - not deceive or to offer up smoke and mirrors
Detroit has lost population to below 713,000 - fact, but the City Council refuse to acknowledge this fact - and the new City Charter fails to understand this - Detroit City Council should be reduced to five (5) members to make it more effective and efficient and to lower their costs to the City. The Charter can provide for seven (7) members if Detroit gains population. Detroit does not need council elected by districts - this will lead to more corruption and not provide better representation - remember those that favored a term limited state legislators - now support a Detroit election by districts, its wrong and Brown and Tate should oppose it.
Brown and Tate should also support a reduction in the number of Detroit Board of Education members - there are too many - now, you see the results of a bloated Board now.
David L. Malhalab
Sgt DPD Retired
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