Thanks to a tip from an alert reader, we're pleased to provide this video clip from last night's KSL broadcast, featuring a highly animated Boss Godfrey, mugging for the camera and announcing that thanks to his efforts, Ogden crime took a sudden and "shocking" nosedive during the 2008 calender year:
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
Here's an alternate link, which also includes the written story text.
Of course Godfrey has been downplaying Ogden crime since last year's municipal election, and Godfrey's crime stats evaluation hasn't historically held up well when subjected to independent analysis. In short, Boss Godfrey has been accused in the past of "fudging the facts." We link a couple of examples of that here and here.
Yesterday's video clip contains two tables, providing a "minimalist" glimpse into some of Boss Godfrey's most recent data:
In truth, considering Boss Godfrey's track record, let's just say we're dubious about the reliability of these new figures. Perhaps if we kickstart a new discussion, a few of our more research-oriented and statistically-inclined readers can help us out with this.
KSL TV online readers have already provided a jumpstart on this, by the way, in the comments section beneath the main KSL article.
Readers with a particular interest in the crime in Ogden topic, can view our previously-assembled (and quite robust) Godfrey the Crimefighter series.
Have at it, O Gentle Ones. The world blogosphere sits on the edge of its seat, eagerly awaiting enlightenment about the meaning of all this.
10 comments:
The report is a good example of how Hizzonah's weak grasp of the basic principles of effective public administration keep coming back to bite him in the keester. So to speak.
Let us, for the sake of argument, accept that the new crime reduction figures for the period Nov 07 to Nov 08 [post election, please note] are generally accurate. This would be, if they are, very good news for Ogden, which god knows can use some. Normally, the publication of such numbers would result in congratulatory editorials and much praise for the Administration and police for a job well done.
But Hizzonah in the past has so manipulated numbers, hidden his administration's activities, and prevaricated, that many can, given past performance [a useful standard for both track patrons and the electorate] not accept the numbers he offers as valid without further corroboration. When you resort to prevarication, cover-up, numbers fudging and the like to win some short term advantage, you at the same time build up distrust and suspicion that over time erodes your long-term ability to govern effectively. Which is what has happened now to Hizzonah after nine years in office. Too many examples of his word being no good to take what he says now at face value. People well-schooled in the most effective means of public administration understand that if your word as mayor, city manager, governor, councilman or what have you, comes to be seen as no good, you've seriously undercut your ability to govern effectively.
I hope the numbers are dead on accurate. But I'll have to see some independent verification of them from a source that has proved itself trustworthy first.
The greater public has been very effective in staving the big crimes in Ogden recently.
They saved the golf course and adjacent public land from being given away so far, stopped the idiotic urban gondola to exactly nowhere, stopped the most ridiculous indoor/outdoor artificial icicle, stopped the give away of millions of bucks for the gondola hotel/ waterpark to the bankrupt developer that was soliciting money to bail his ass out in Orem. They stopped the elimination of critical rules regarding the preservation of Historic 25th st, to name a few.
What they have failed to stop has been costly. Funnelling so much revenue and effort to gadi leashem,the bogus urban campground in cavendish's cruising grounds and the handing over of 21st pond to a single entity thus eliminating the public from a very nearby recreational opportunity.
The worst crime, I'm affraid they got away with. Bonding and building the jackass center for the exclusive use of a buddy of lying little matty's that will cost millions for the next 20 years.
Two observations:
"The Crime Reduction Squad was made up of five extra officers...",
1. I thought these extra officers were taken from other duties, not newly-hired as is implied.
2. If this program has been so all-fired effective, why havent crime rates in this area dropped by only the amount listed?
This reminds me of Wag the Dog, a great movie, BTW. What I see is Godfrey trying to distract the citizens and media from the recently released news of economic meltdown re: the Riverfront and Junction projects.
In the TeeVee piece they quote the Lil Lord saying that this program cost the city $250,000. That's a quarter million bucks.
My question is - how so? If they just reassigned cops from other duties and didn't hire five extra ones, and if they used police cars they already had, how could it of possibly cost a quarter million?
Could it just be more lies coming from the moving lips of the arrogant and dishonest little creep?
^ $250,000 to the consultant (FOM for sure) who suggested "hey move these five officers from here to there."?
Godfrey doesn't lie much, except when the little shit's lips are moving.
Haven't seen anything yet on the source of the numbers or whether they are accurate. Anyone in a position to track down where they came from, and whether they are consistent with what the standard sources for crime stats in Utah are reporting? Seems to me, that's the key question: are the reported drops in various crime categories in Ogden 11/07 to 11/08 accurate or not? Would like something more authoritative on that than "they came from Godfrey so they can't be right," if possible....
Which category do drive-by shootings, murdered prostitutes, and arson go under?
drew
Unsubstantiated rumors.
How about "I was making sure that those walls and windows were adequately ventilated"
"That prostitute asked me to help her commit suicide"
"I was just helping the house stay warm"
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