* 2423 CAPS Meeting

Quick notes sent to me for publication from a meeting goer.
Dated: February 15, 2006

CAPS was locked out of Trilogy tonight for 20 mins. I was just about to bag it and leave Toni’s fliers with the nice police lady who tried to get into the building (unsuccessfully) when a key turned up. While waiting the citizen beat facilitator and a few local local residents dissed Don Gordon and Michael Harrington as “the blind leading the blind” or as 2 bald guys.

There were barely 10 citizens in attendance.

Police dept. did not have their crime stats report prepared so just kind of read off some sheets.

* We learned there was an armed robbery but it was unclear where/when it took place (a lady in the audience mentioned one in Jan. but the cute policeman didn’t have that info. and the in-charge guy thought it may not have been classified as armed robbery but theft).

* There were a few prostitute busts, and when the weather gets nice they will set up some stings (but a lot of the activity is taking place over the internet where “dates” are set and then the John picks up his lovely at a street corner).

* A few drunk/disorderly arrests. Otherwise, we were told that things were relatively quiet and crime stats year over year down.

* There was some confusing discussion over a building on the 1700 block of Estes that no one seemed too interested in.

And some other discussion about a building on Jarvis undergoing rehab that is being used for drug dealing. Police said they needed people to call in and the owner to file a trespassing complaint.

A new initiative, beginning in April, will be for the police to focus on burglary from the lake to Ashland, Chase to Lunt, due to an increase in this activity.

Beginning in the spring, the district will be getting a bunch of trainees and part of their duties will be to walk the beats so we should see more foot patrols though it was also explained that the precinct captain (I think, it was) isn’t supportive of this initiative as he doesn’t think it an effective crime deterrent or allocation of resources but the community likes the idea so they will do it for a time (how long was not stated).

The rapist poster was distributed and it was explained that the young woman had been locked out of her home, and was walking to a friend’s and called friend when she realized she was being followed. Rapist jumped her when she was on the phone which police thought was pretty bold since she could have been on with the police. Beat facilitator told us that if attacked we should yell “fire.” Police didn’t seem impressed with that idea. Head guy said to call police if you are being followed.

I passed out Toni’s fliers but neither the police nor beat facilitator seemed overly enthused to encourage people to attend or pass the information around.

I was a little disappointed. It just all seemed so lackluster. If this is what CAPS is about I vote we bag it and save the $$ on this underwhelming program. But I’ll give it a few more tries before I pass final judgment. If nothing else, my sense is that we can learn just how police (at the bidding of politicians, no doubt) are reclassifying crimes to show a reduction in certain type of crimes.