Why not let residents see whats going on easily...what's there to hide?
By Smaatguy
Interesting article in the Standard about communities being able to make available to residents the locations of crimes in their neighborhoods. Apparently Ogden opted out... saying the Crime Control Center has it covered... as if residents can just pop in and see whats going on:
Why not let residents see whats going on easily...what's there to hide?
Update 5/20/12 9:58 p.m.: Here's a link to the privately operated crimereports.com website which is mentioned in this morning's S-E story. Click the link and enter your home address to contemplate how handy this site would be, if your city provided complete official police data regarding all reported crimes in your neighborhood:
Currently, Ogden City information is limited to registered sex offenders; and there thus appears no data whatsoever for Ogden City crimes, because Ogden City has opted out. Perhaps Ogden City and other neighboring municipalities should be a little less stingy with their crime data, no?
What say our WCF readers about this?
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14 comments:
Too cool. crimereports.com even has an iPhone app.
Mayor Caldwell could simply show some leadership and order the police department to join this program. Perhaps he is still trying to reach a decision on whether or not to accept campaign donations he received from Gadi Leesham after the election.
Thanks for positng rudi...
My thought when reading it is that in some twisted way they are thinking..."we wouldn't want anyone to think there is any crime in Ogden would we?"
I'd certainly like to know what activity is going on in my hood so I can be aware and prepare.
You're welcome, SG. I liked your "take" on the story.
First of all, kudos to Ms. Park for asking either police or mayors of towns opting out of the system why they did that. Not that she got very responsive answers. OPD pretty much ignored the question, and offered its "real time crime center" as a better alternative. The "real time crime center" of course is designed to provide police with information about the geography of crime in Ogden, not the city's residents.
I too an curious why Ogden has opted out. Perhaps the SE could dispatch an Intrepid Reporter to put the question to Mayor Caldwell. If there are good reasons why Ogden said "no," he should be able to explain them.
The main reason for opting out of the system is that it ios to easy to find out where crime occurs in Ogden. Accurate reporting of crime locations and number of reports often contradict the results that the city gives. The city administration, both Godfrey and Caldwell preefer to paint a rosy picture instead of accurate reporting. there have been challenges to the cities crime numbers, including stories in the Weber County Forum, that the city wishes to ignore or dispute.
That Mayor Godfrey played fast and loose with Ogden crime statistics [largely during elections] I do not doubt. But I've seen no evidence of that yet from the Caldwell administration, and absent any evidence, I'll hold off jumping to conclusions as I think you have, and lumping Hizzonah Mayor Caldwell with Hizzonah Mayor Godfrey on the crime stats matter.
Just as I am reluctant to attribute motives on this matter to Mayor Caldwell when, so far as I know, he's not made any statement about this matter, and hasn't been asked by the press about it. You may be right. Or the Administration may have what it considers sound reasons for not plugging into the system. [E.g. are there costs involved? And if so, what are they? Etc. etc.] Before I start pontificating on Hizzonah's motives, I'd like to hear what he has to say on the issue.
I think it's just generally a matter of policy that the Ogden City Administration prefers to keep people in the dark. The more they know that you don't, the more power they have over you. The previous mayor wholeheartedly supported this policy and helped ingrain it into his staff. The current mayor, so far, is leaving such decisions up to his CAO, who is a holdover from the previous administration.
Seems we've got a lame duck mayor....does he do anything but hike and bike?
The current mayor leaves ALL decisions up to his CAO.
The current mayor would be great if he REDUCED government to reflect the level of his interest in it, which is little.
Instead, the current mayor, Caldwell, leaves Ogden as it usually is, a city of, by, and for, bureaucrats.
Beats a blimp unless you're into watching?
It is nice to see a supporter of mayor Caldwell keep d3efending him at all costs. You would get more talk about issues and problems in Ogden from Marcel Moreau that from Caldwell.
I didn't defend him at all costs. I simply said it's too early to conclude he's simply Godfrey Redux, and I'd prefer to hold off in making any judgments about his views on this particular matter [the public access crime map] until he's asked about it and says something, one way or the other. That's all.
Sorry bob but it will be a long day in Ogden before Caldwell speaks out on a issue without being forced to respond. Appartently the mayor prefers to be a leader by remaining silent. For all of Godfreys faults he did know how to call Schwebke and get his opinion out to the public. How long will excuses continue to be made for a public leader who seems not have have any real opinions or ideas on how to lead the city? He was elected mayor but seems content to let city bureaucrats speak for the city while he remains silent and on the sidelines of running our city.
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