I changed things around a bit, and added a few things. It's as new to me as it is to you, but I think it'll work. As usual I'll try to have a variety of topics, but come summer there will be more postings about car events. You can email me at cruisaholic@hotmail.com Keep the shiny side up!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Fishing for ideas

I've been posting about our crime rate for a while now and thought I'd see if we could come up with some ideas on how to fix the problem. I don't know much about how the probation systems operates, but I do know it's not working. It also seems that Judges's who condone a revolving door policy are not getting the message either. TheCongress and Senate have been too busy infighting to notice a problem, and the election doesn't help. Local Police leaders are baffled and aren't getting it. So this is going to be a post to gather ideas to see if maybe we can get someone to notice. If you have a solution, a problem, or a personal experience please post it to let us know. If enough people get together on this we can change the rules to favor the victim instead of the criminal.

8 comments:

QuadCityImages said...

#1 Drop the restrictive rules on pursuits in Davenport. The criminals know exactly what to do to get away, and then call in as soon as they get home to report their car stolen.

If its 3am on a Thursday night you can drive 3 miles down Kimberly without seeing another car, so why in the world do you break off a pursuit of someone, even if its for running a red light. You could drive 200mph down Kimberly without hurting someone when the streets are empty. There's a reason people are running from the cops when pulled over for running a red light.

Give the discretion back to the officers, or at least the outside supervisor, to decide when its too dangerous to pursue.

cruiser said...

That's a very good point. It never made any sense to me either.

cruiser said...

How about if the County Attorney adopted a two-tier juvenile court. On one level first time offenders and minor crimes could get probation as juveniles. On the second level the more serious offenses and repeat offenders would be tried and sentenced as adults. He could also lower the age that could be tried as adult as a futher deterent.

Snarky Chick said...

I agree with everything QCI said about the no chase policy. I thought it was a lousy policy when they implemented it and I can't believe it lasted this long.

We need to use the "broken window" philosphy toward criminals. When they get away with small things right in front of the police it gives them courage and confidence to try the larger things.

Smoking a joint on the front porch in a known high crime area might seem like a petty thing to stop for but it shows the police are watching closely. Loud parties deserve ticketing instead of warnings, etc. Concentrate on the little things and start giving ticket after ticket and criminals will know we're serious. Besides, the little things are so much easier to prove in court.

Anonymous said...

to cruiser @9:13,

Bill Davis has NO balls to do such a thing. Why the republicans of Scott county have not found a candidate to run against him I will never know. He is the biggest problem here, you know it and I know it. On high profile cases he is all tough and a showman, but the stuff we don't see is what scares me. Criminals should not get plea bargains unless they provide information leading to the arrest of bigger fish. Just giving somebody a plea bargain to save on court costs is absolutely ridiculous. If the LEA's in the area are not providing enough evidence for a guilty verdict then they need to be told to step up to the plate.

cruiser said...

Good points. If we make it miserable for criminals to live here they will move. Equal opportunity enforcing. I also have to agree about Davis. I know from experience what it's like to get something done down there. And while they're at it why couldn't they make it part of someone's probation that the criminal can't live in Davenport as a condition of probation. Get three years probation, you can't live here OR get in trouble for 3 years.

Snarky Chick said...

Ahhh, the Bill Davis problem. There's not much we can do about him if no one is willing to run against him. He won't change his ways.

cruiser said...

You said it. Nobody can remember anything Davis did, except the Klindt trial, but they got to elect him. I hope Mike Walden runs against him.