Commonwealth Attorney Randy Sengel recently provided the Growler with a copy of a Washington Post article that discusses the growth in suburban crime and offers some surprising insights into the relationship between crime and density.
It may pique readers' interest as well.
12 comments:
From the date of article, ICCA President Mark Webster and the then-civic association's on the record opposition to the Braddock Action Team's density proposals; the later onset of the Braddock Road Small Area Plan why did the Commonwealth Attorney's concerns, assuming the article is an expression of concern, not gain more traction?
Whats ironic is that certain members of the "community" have fought community policing efforts, such as public nuisance and drinking prevention, every step of the way.
The same people that seem to also fight against redevelopment and for things like the Legion were irate when someone dare try to battle open container and public nuisance issues
Somewhat ironic that on pages 16-17 the article talks about crime in Alexandria falling after 1982 because of "community policing", beat cops cracking down on nuisance crime, officers living and working in Madden Public Housing. Also there was a focus on arresting and prosecuting public drinking.
I believe all of these things are now frowned upon and fall under the term gentrification. Remember the outcry when the idea of trying to crack down on trespassing in public housing was brought up?
"why did the Commonwealth Attorney's concerns, assuming the article is an expression of concern, not gain more traction?"
Why is such information only coming to light now? Surely planning staff has had access to such studies? Sengel gives credibility to those of us who "complained" during the abominable Braddock planning process. But has Sengel not previously registered his concerns with Council? I would to know the Commonwealth Attorney earlier voiced concerns even if he only lasted a few rounds with Goody Clancy.
So much of this seems obvious but maybe that's because we live there.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The COPS program being credited for the reduction of crime in the article is currently being targeted for reduction due to budget constraints.
My take is that since COPS are dedicated to 'hot spots' - usually adjacent to public housing (ARHA), they will ultimately be targeted as acceptable losses - who cares if the crime is higher in those (socially engineered) areas? As long as King Street is safe!
"The COPS program being credited for the reduction of crime in the article is currently being targeted for reduction due to budget constraints."
At the last civic association meeting the police noted that neighborhood crime is higher than the previous year. That's with Bland mostly vacated. What would the numbers have been if the residential patterns had remained undisturbed. Cutting the COPS program is dumb especially for Bland! It's the only defense Hamer has for implementing Goody Clancy's dilution theory.
Off topic but does the city really expect us to trust this bunch with the construction of a new JH school?
By Carla Branch
alexandrianews.org
ACPS Superintendent Morton Sherman
Alexandria City Public School Superintendent Morton Sherman is investigating the possible mismanagement of Capital Improvement Program funds. Two employees are either on administrative leave or have resigned pending the outcome of an outside audit.
According to sources close to the investigation, senior ACPS facilities staff made a practice of transferring money from one CIP project to another without notifying the Alexandria School Board or the City Council, which is a violation of Board and City policy and perhaps Virginia law. Further, ACPS staff allegedly told vendors to bill their work to specific projects whether the work performed was done on those projects or not.
Last fiscal year, Council negotiated a multiyear capital program with the School Board, which included the replacement of three schools. While CIP projects are approved individually, Council makes appropriations on a yearly basis. Council must approve any transfer of CIP funds and, in at least one case, did so without prior School Board approval, violating Board policy. Until the outside audit is complete, it is not clear how many funds transfers were made without approval.
Sherman notified City Manager Bruce Johnson today and wrote a memo to City Council this evening about the investigation. Sherman notified the School Board in closed session earlier this month that there was a potential problem.
“In September 2011, I requested a comprehensive reconciliation and review of Financial Services and Educational Facilities records for FY 2012 CIP expenditures,” Sherman said. “In the process of conducting this reconciliation and review, several issues were discovered.
“These discoveries led to the hiring of Farmer, Cox, and Robinson to conduct an agreed-upon procedures review reporting directly to the Superintendent and the School Board attorney. The auditor’s report is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, at which time we will finalize our assessment of the source of the issues and our planned course of action.
“ACPS staff who violated School or City policies will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. As of November 23, one facilities employee has resigned and a second has been put on Administrative Leave,” Sherman said.
The FY 2012 – FY 2021 Capital Improvement Program budget for Alexandria City Public Schools is $211.1 million.
Shifting gears again. Why is this blog and WOTCA silent on the waterfront issue? I realize this has been a somewhat hysterical debate but it will definitely impact us - or at least those of us that straddle Route 1.
It seems to me that the debate has been hijacked by those that live on the waterfront. They may have the most direct stake but traffic will flow through our neighborhoods and perhaps more importantly any initiative to buy land would impact us in the form of taxes (not just by depleting city coffers but by a likely lowering of the bond rating).
I'm loathe to support the city plan - just on principle - but it seems a more viable option, in terms of resourcing and amenities, than what is proposed by CAAWP. What am I missing?
The staff report for the Bland amendment is finally online. What a shock. Staff approved it, despite the fact that the additional height is a a gross violation of the Braddock East plan. I'm disgusted.
But - but - why in the world did Mayor and Council members turn their backs on the Commonwealth Attorney's warning?
"But - but - why in the world did Mayor and Council members turn their backs on the Commonwealth Attorney's warning?" Wake up, please! First, ARHA now functions like a developer and density equates to cashflow. Second, Sengel's correctly opposed density but Council did not. The city is more than willing to underwrite the related criminal costs. Third, Hamer is not a skilled planner. Rather she is a landscape architect who goes along to get along. Fourth, Goody Clancy used Chicago's Cabrini Green as the planning model. Need I say more about either? Fifth, Old Town resident and consultant Mary Means used us to successfully audition for a GC job. Mary Means won. We lost. It's political business not quality of life that drives the equation
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