This is the third commentary I shall offer on the subject of current trouble calls that involve bars and restaurants. Hopefully it will also be the last.
What then does our property tax assessments actually entitle the citizens of this city along with other like communities? The recent debacle involving Chop – Eleven and the so called “trouble” calls have brought this subject to the surface and answers should be rendered to bring clarification once and for all.
Question (1): As tax payers and property owners what exactly are we entitled to when it comes to municipal services? Question (2): What is expected of our police force?
Surely it exceeds just directing traffic. Isn’t it their job to quell riots and restore order? They go out on domestic calls, they respond to shoplifting incidents, they have a drug task force… they respond to traffic accidents along with traffic violations of speeding and all sorts of other driving-related infractions.
But when they are summoned to mayhem on the streets suddenly the subject of “man hours” surfaces… why? Isn’t that part and parcel of what they signed on for?
Peter Children of Mason City
If eleven gets shut down where will the drugs be distributed from?
They will just move on to the next place until that gets shut down too.
I think the point is to bring awareness to the situation for one. And, yes that is what we have the police department for. But, Eleven and some of the other bars have had terribly egregious problems and if that is to continue, more innocent people will be hurt. There are domestic abuse fights, sex in the bathrooms, sex out back in the alley, people getting date rape drugs put in their drinks when backs are turned, violent altercations between different races, fights between women against women and … people having their clothes torn off in the fights, blood all over the place. DRugs being used and sold on premises. WE don’t need that kind of crap to continue.
Hey Peter-I think (don’t know for sure) but they are probably talking about extra hours. There are only four officers on patrol during the night shift, one in each quadrant. Then there are the roaming shift sargents. If there is a disturbance that needs more than one officer they call in off duty and administration officers and that would be added hour at the overtime rate. If it really get out of hand they call in SWAT and that is a combination of Sheriff’s, Local’s and other cities. Major expense then.
So it’s perfectly alright to spend $74,000.00 moving a wall in city hall so Bookmeyer can move downstairs, but taking care of city services is not?
I didn’t say that at all. They are completely different issues.
Coincidentally, almost exactly the amount cut from the Human Rights Commission’s budget.