Police Deserve Praise???

[sackett22]

http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/OPINION01/607130335/1014


I am never one to dis the PD but this is ridiculous. This gentleman states that he lives in the Historic District of Hburg and has never had any problems with PD response. Well excuse me, but isn't the PD right up the street from where he lives. Yeah I know there are plenty of historic districts, but in his description of where he was during Katrina this tells me he doesn't live to far from the PD.

So what I have to say is yes praise the PD, but don't say just because they respond to your needs which is less than maybe 2 or 3 blocks from the pd that everyone in town should be proud. Most places still have to wait awhile for a response. Plus Mayor Dupree lives in Historic Downtown so you know they aren't gonna take forever to get to anyones house down there.

I heard that they had some disturbances down Edwards St at the Jazz Bar and PD wouldn't come. Someone stated that they would lose there job if they came down there (this was on WDAM, I believe) The owner of the club stated that since he was black and he had a black mayor he could do what he pleased. Does anyone know if the owner of this club goes to Mt. Carmel?? LOL

[58ford]

When did you get this info?
Because these are horrible accusations if they are not true.
& I haven't ever heard anything about it before.

[sackett22]

This was on WDAM just a few days ago. People who live near this club have called the PD to report a public nuisance several times and nothing has been done about it. Also, at one point this place was shut down because they were selling liquor without a license and so they were closed until they got one. Most of the disturbances from what I hear are women fighting in the parking lot and just general loud noise disturbances. Im not sure who told one of the residents that they would lose their jobs if they responded but in light of how our city is being run at the moment it doesn't surprise me.

Our police officers are being hobbled by the way the dept is being run. I believe that some of them may fear losing their jobs if they go against their chief and his gestapo rule. Also if the owners of this place are friend of the chief, the mayor, or Johnny Dupree then yeah I believe the pd may have been told to stand clear and leave matters to their higher ups. If Im wrong then, Im wrong, but oh well.

[nooskye]

I caught bits and pieces of it on WDAM ... and it showed the man standing outside of the club ... there were voiceovers on what he was saying, but the account that sackett gave seems right on what I understood as well ... ??? I think they have only ran it like once, maybe?? Maybe his "black mayor" caught wind of "sticking up" for his "black business operator" and had Fairley pull the tape??? ... I'd call him an owner ... but he doesn't (or didn't at the time) have a license ...

[R1ZOOM]

I saw the WDAM report too and Sackett is right on target. A neighbor of the bar said she complained to the owner about the problems, and the owner told her basically he was a black business owner in a town with a black mayor and black police chief so he could do whatever he wanted to, regardless of how much it offended her or her family and their home.

[jmb]

That would be an excellent topic for a letter to the editor.

[58ford]

Damn skippy.
I'll loan you the stamp.

[justme]

I belive his statements are beingmade to counteract some statements made a week or two ago that would lead one to think that all we are all living in fear in the downtown neighborhoods.

Additionally-Just because we live close to the police department does not mean we have good response time. FOR EXAMPLE- last summer a neighbor was broken into and it took the police an hour to go 4 blocks. I guess there were no available officers near the area.

Here is the problem. The neighborhoods right around the police department are in Beat 5- the highest crime beat in the city. There four (4) officers assigned to the highest crime area in town. For each shift there is one officer and a back up- the back up coveres the whole city but is supposed to back up the beat 5 guy. This beat requires more police presence than other areas due to the fact that it contains "the hood". If you have all of your pd over on the "bad streets" or in the "bad blocks" then you have no one to respond when you call.

My neighborhood- which is the same as the author of the letter- is a safe one- and we are not all living in fear of being broken into. We are concerned that due to the understaffing of the police department - there is not enough patrols in our part of the beat. We are taking the opportunity to talk to our police officers and meet them at our neighborhood night out. I urge you to make sure you attend the night out in your neighborhood.

[Bahlk]

There are 8 patrol beats in the city. Assuming a patrol shift has enough officers on the shift cover all 8 beats, only then can you have a back up unit. Most of the time, there is not a back up unit in the high crimes area, just the beat officer.

[sackett22]

Now tell me why Im constantly seeing two patrol cars park off the road near Snakes Place on W4th St. If we don't have enough patrols out there shouldn't at least one of these cars be on the move? Insufficient use of what manpower we do have as far as I can see.

[daisy]

What and where is snake's place?

[wilebill]

Now tell me why Im constantly seeing two patrol cars park off the road near Snakes Place on W4th St. If we don't have enough patrols out there shouldn't at least one of these cars be on the move? Insufficient use of what manpower we do have as far as I can see.
That area deserves a full time officer 24/7. Maybe USM police should patrol it since it's only 1 block from the school.

[58ford]

What and where is snake's place?
On Fourth St., its a pool hall.

[nooskye]

That area deserves a full time officer 24/7. Maybe USM police should patrol it since it's only 1 block from the school.

Those lil dues on the bikes are for real cops?? Didn't know that ... LoL :)

[Joelaw]

Those lil dues on the bikes are for real cops?? Didn't know that ... LoL :)

you think thats funny you should see them take someone to jail on the back of their bike...:smt118

[daisy]

That's a joke, right. they'd call for back-up. they're traffic cops, right.

[Conveyor Belt]

you think thats funny you should see them take someone to jail on the back of their bike...:smt118

I think they make them ride on the handlebars.