Lockport NY

Buffalo Rising has posted on the increase (walking/biking) police presence in some Buffalo areas.

"There is no comparison when it comes to having a police officer in the community rather than driving through the community."

I've posted on it here before. With the uptick in comments about the Genessee St. area I thought I would throw it out here again. Nothing would have a greater impact in this area then officers taking a portion of their shift to walk a few blocks. Cars are great for being reactionary to an event but nothing will beat walking to really notice what is going on and getting ahead of events. 3mph is much better for taking in details than 30mph.  It is also a much better way to interact with the law abiding demographic than set-ups at the Fashion Outlets in the Falls.

The Buffalo News (article 2)and the LUSJ have both reported on a large scale drug bust in the city:

Local law enforcement arrested 18 people on federal drug charges in Lockport, Gasport and North Tonawanda on Tuesday morning, including alleged ring leaders, Eric Williams and Damien Ard, both of Lockport.



Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert said Williams, 31, 118 Chestnut St., was their main target after a year-long investigation led to Williams, who Eggert said ran a drug organization of people around the county. Cocaine that Williams was selling was reportedly being trafficked into the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area from Texas.


“He ran a ring of people — all but one of whom we were able to detain,” Eggert said.


Eggert said his department, in addition to other agencies, executed 19 federal arrest warrants and 10 federal search warrants in Lockport, Gasport and North Tonawanda...

The list of names is a little light on actual addresses. Is it a "federal" thing to withhold that information?

Most of us probably see some type of activity on a routine basis. I've considered a blog post for "pictures of people and their cars who park in front of my house then walk around the corner for less than 5 mins". Usually following one around the corner or hawk-eyeing their plate keeps them moving or pretending to go elsewhere.

Anyone have any success reporting things to the LPD? They could most likely build a real nice database.

LUSJ reporting the annual bike auction will be this Saturday at 9:30am. Over 100 bikes are available.

Of note:

Both Niethe and Schaffert said all money collected from the auction goes to the city’s general fund.

I'm always suspicious of any revenues such as these which disappear into the general fund. I'd love to see this money going toward making Lockport more enjoyable for bicyclists. Addtional bike lane striping, bike lock-up locations DT (similar to the Buffalo ones shown above), etc are all needed. Without dedicated funding they are often hard to come by and often need begging for grants. Why not create a dedicated (and relevant) funding source?

It seems most of the council agrees that the city was mislead when the LPD solicited the LFD dispatch duties. Buffalo News and LUSJ reported.

I say give the police union a week to agree to accept the duties as solicited or move quick to turn it over to the county to ensure the transition prior to the "due by" date from the LFD negotiations.

Sort of related:

A nice article about retiring detective Yotter in the LUSJ the other day. Some quotes caught my eye:

…Yotter, a 1970 graduate of Wilson High School, said he started out as a “true beat cop,” walking the streets downtown for two years before he got into a patrol car…I miss that. I think they respected you more back then,” Yotter said….

It was probably because they knew a beat officer better (at all). Not only does walking a beat let the officer know intricacies of the area and people in it much better, but is conversely allows the people to get to know the officers better. Meeting and talking to an officer at a “good time” is much better for mutual respect than only meeting under ticketing/intervention/arrest circumstances.

Most citizens only know officers as the faces inside the car who only reluctantly come out to deal with you or worse. They are not going to have respect for them besides their power to detain. If you get to know each other as “neighbors” first, odds are there will a lot more friendliness. No different than a parent who only interacts through punishment: lack of respect is the least of the issues.

Officers in cars are a great reactive measure. Officers on their feet are a great preventive measure. Bring back the beat cop. Make each officer get out of their cars for a certain portion of their shift. Not only will we be safer, but we will also have a better relationship with each other. Or will that cost us 5% more a year?

The Buffalo News reported today that the council is negotiating with the Hickory Club PBA over compensation for taking on the responsibility of dispatching fire calls. I posted a while back that I was suspicious of entities clamoring for the responsibility while claiming willingness to do it at no additional cost. I thought the county would be the more likely culprit and that the timeline would have been longer for a surprise “bill”. It seems like we are on that path anyways with our own entity the LPD.

From an old Buffalo News Article:

“Police Chief Lawrence M. Eggert urged the Common Council last week to turn Fire Department dispatching duties over to the Police Department.

For you to hand it to us now would be extremely simple. We could do it tomorrow,” Eggert said Wednesday. “I’m kind of hoping you give it to us. It’s easy. . . . We could do it for no cost.”

I'm curious what compensation will be equal to "no-cost".

The Buffalo News reporting that both the LPD and the County sheriff's office both want the fire dispatch.

Police Chief Lawrence M. Eggert urged the Common Council last week to turn Fire Department dispatching duties over to the Police Department. “For you to hand it to us now would be extremely simple. We could do it tomorrow,” Eggert said Wednesday. “I’m kind of hoping you give it to us. It’s easy. . . . We could do it for no cost.”

But Niagara County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Beatty said much the same thing Friday, adding that the city would not be charged for dispatching services. “The phone connection we put in a couple of years ago, waiting to see how the legal thing came out, we’ve been maintaining at our cost,” Beatty said...

Two agencies vying for more work at no costs?

LUSJ reported that the LPD is getting a bunch of new toys and reorganizing to obtain to become a New York State Accredited Department to help it get more state aid, be less liable in a law suit and to just do a better job.

Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert is pulling out all the stops to get the state’s special stamp of approval in 2010.
New cruisers, new technology and more training are in the works this year as the department gears up to become what is called a New York State Accredited Department.
“We want our officers to be the best they can in the field,” Eggert said.
The new designation will help the department get state funds and will strengthen its position in any legal challenges it may face.

These may be some of their last Crown Victorias as Ford is soon to end production in 2011. Good for some advancement in gas mileage, safety etc but bad for swapping over parts.

“This is a one-year, labor-intensive process for us,” Eggert said. “We need everything approved, from the chair we sit in, to our evidence room.”

In regards to the chair, I sincerely hope not unless there is some grand reason to spend time on items like that.

Abbott said the old Ford Crown Victoria patrol vehicles are gas guzzlers.
“They only get about 7 miles to the gallon,” Abbott said. “They’re usually in idle for so long through the day that it brings down the car’s MPGs.”

 
To save a little gas, how about turning off the car and walking the beat for 15-20 minutes an hour? Police cars are great for reactionary measures but are not a preventative measure. Nothing beats an officer slowly walking through the area learning about it and observing what's going on. It's rather difficult to do driving past at 35 mph. Areas like Genessee St would benefit from soem form of it.

And the post can not be ended without a thank you for the job they perform for us.

Well the endless snow fall has finally given it a rest. The LFD is asking us to pitch in to clear hydrants (its the water authority's responsibility). The LPD is reminding us to think of our neighbors by clearing our sidewalks. And a reminder from last year on how the city goes about plowing the streets.

My block was pretty good on both the sidewalk and streets. I heard the plows going by at night more times than I pry would have liked and I had no problem walking around the neighborhood several different times except for one property where the structures were removed last year. Most of my neighbors are good at helping each other out by alternately snow blowing or shoveling past their own property line. My thanks to those who I don't get to do so personally.

Enjoy the snow while its here. It'll be gone in a few months ;)

But what's in it?

The Buffalo News and the LUSJ reporting.

The city may have a new labor contract with Lockport Professional Firefighters Association.Members of the Common Council voted unanimously to ratify the proposed pact Wednesday night.Mayor Michael Tucker said terms won’t be disclosed until after LPFA conducts an up-or-down vote on the proposal. Neither he nor the city’s labor counsel, David Blackley, would confirm whether the proposal settles any of a number of outstanding legal issues between the city and the union. At last count, the union still had about 30 grievances pending against the city, as well as a new lawsuit filed last week seeking court enforcement of an arbitrator’s order regarding minimum shift manning.

Fire and Police boards were also enlarged.

In other business, the Council voted to change the city charter and increase membership of the fire and police boards to five a piece. The vote was held after a public hearing that drew two speakers, one in favor and one critical of the increases.In police board business, Police Chief Larry Eggert said, the 2-2 split of a four-member body is not uncommon. A fifth voting member would avoid deadlocks, he said; and “greater community involvement allows greater vision” by the body that’s in charge of monitoring day-to-day operation of Lockport Police epartment.

LUSJ reporting that Mayor Tucker is taking some heat for desiring to increase the size of the police and fire boards.

Mayor Michael Tucker’s attempt to keep a retiring Common Council member on the fire board is drawing criticism from either side of the political aisle.

The Council will hold a public hearing this month on a proposal to increase membership of the police and fire boards by one each.

The proposal is by Tucker, who says he’d value “an extra set of eyes” on both boards, but primarily wants room made on the fire board for 4th Ward Alderman Patrick Schrader, who lost his bid for re-election last month.

 The public meeting on the requested change is on the 16th.

Since it is a no-pay appointed position I do not see a major offense in adding another spot and I can see the benefits of having an odd numbered board for voting purposes. As for how we feel about who he appoints, I guess that is another issue.

LUSJ reporting that the comon council has approved the new police contract.

some highlights:

According to Tucker, gains for the city include:

• Union agreement to a lowered starting wage for newly hired police officers, as well as a longer period until their first raises. The starting wage, currently $42,600, will decrease to $39,900; and two new “steps” will be added in before the officer reaches the officers’ top pay step, currently $54,000. Ultimately, it’s projected, the city will save about $35,000 per hire over the length of his or her 20-year career.

• The union’s blessing of a city move to switch health-insured police retirees into lower-cost plans.

Citywide, the expected savings from assigning 152 currently covered retirees to comparable plans is about $600,000 per year.

“The big things for us are health care and the new (police pay) steps. They’re saving the city money,” Tucker said.

In return, union members will see some increased benefits including:

• Annual pay raises — 4 percent retroactively for 2009 and 3.5 percent in 2010 through 2012. The later raises will be granted at the rate of 2 percent every six months, which Tucker said produces some modest savings, compared with granting 3.5 percent at the beginning of every year.

• City agreement to pay some police retirees’ Medicare Part B expenses for the first time. When Americans turn 65 years old, they’re automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A. Part B is optional coverage, the $100 or so per month cost of which is deducted from retirees’ Social Security checks. The city will reimburse retired police officers that cost, as it already does for retired firefighters. The deal is good for currently employed officers only; the city will not pay Part B costs of police employees hired after Jan. 1, 2010. The long-term cost to the city wasn’t projected. “This won’t have an impact on the city for 20 years, for some (officers),” Tucker said.

• An increase in members’ clothing allowance, to $925 per year from the current $750. The additional cost to the city is $8,750 per year.

• A $50 per year increase in members’ annual longevity payments. These are bonuses paid to all city employees based on the number of years they’ve worked for the city. Longevity payments to 50 police union members will be: for five to nine years of employment, $750 in 2010, $800 in 2011 and $850 in 2012; 10 to 14 years employment, $800 in 2010 to $900 in 2012; 15 to 19 years of employment, $1,000 to $1,100; 20 to 24 years of employment, $1,100 to $1,200; and 25-plus years of employment, $1,200 to $1,300. The additional cost to the city is $7,500 per year.

• Permission for new hires to live in the town as well as the city of Lockport. The expired police contract required all new hires to establish residency in the city only.

Tucker said he considers the expanded residency allowance a fair trade with the union. State law says municipalities can’t impose a residency requirement on police officers or firefighters, so the Hickory Club contract is unusual in that it supports some.

Is that true? When I went through the process in the 90's I had to be a resident of the town I lived in at the time. Does it just apply to cities? Could find anything definitive in a quick internet search.