By Paul Ellul
October 23, 2009 08:55 pm Traverse City has become even more recognized nationally by the recent articles/lists referring to the best place to live, retire, downtown districts and our progressive festivals. I have to give thanks to the men and women who have chosen their respective careers within the city (streets, Light &Power, parks and recreation, garage, engineering, administration, planning and public safety -- police and fire) who routinely accomplish their goals despite the challenges put before them. The correlation between what we have here in Traverse City and Anytown, USA, is not only the perception of safety but in fact the reality of public safety that we have achieved here. This, however, was not accomplished by accident but rather by an aggressive, proactive versus reactive police department. L. Brooks Patterson, who has been instrumental in creating one of the wealthiest counties in the country (Oakland), agrees with this fact. Also, the late great Dave Walker presented his commentary on infrastructure as it relates to public safety, along with other countless documented data-driven findings supporting this correlation. A common analogy that is used is criminal behavior and cancer. If criminal activity is allowed to grow and spread within neighborhoods without early, proactive detection, consequently deterioration will occur and the survival of these areas is unsustainable. Any doctor will tell you that if you detect and treat cancer at the onset, there is an increased chance of survival, versus a reactive response after the spread, resulting in not only more time and money for treatment but the likelihood of survival becoming diminished. Our great city will continue to grow, but unless we recognize the reality of human nature and the need for public safety, growth will occur either with safety at the forefront or society's negativity. Community involvement is essential to facilitate a free flow of information between the public and the city departments. Each department employee is instilled with a sense of concern for the problems and needs in their assigned areas. Police officers and firefighters are unique individuals who serve the public by protecting life and property. With the recent cuts in both departments, the effective and efficient service that Traverse City has come to rely on will ultimately suffer. The unintended consequences of the cuts have had an adverse effect on the delivery of these services. As a member of the Citizens Operational and Financial Analysis Committee, the recommendations were not to reduce staffing levels specifically for law enforcement. If our commissioners refuse to listen to potentially biased agenda-driven committees and refuse to employ a non-biased, independent company to survey and study services, wage and benefit comparisons, who are they listening to? The big question is what quality of life do we want in Traverse City and what "list" do we want to be on? The city commission works for us and should not just listen, but hear what is being said. I believe residents, entrepreneurs, tourists and criminals appreciate smooth streets and sidewalks, but which of these groups would prioritize reducing public safety? About the author: Paul Ellul, of Traverse City, was a police officer for 20 years, 13 in Traverse City. He is currently assigned to Community Policing. About the forum: The forum is a periodic column of opinion written by Record-Eagle readers in their areas of interest or expertise. Submissions of 500 words or less may be made by e-mailing letters@record-eagle.com. Please include biographical information and a photo.
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