Published: June 23, 2009 01:54 pm      

LETTERS: June 23, 2009

Tribune reader demands accountability by police department

Mr. Haub states “manpower is more important than pay raises and benefits.” If so, then will the 61 New Albany Police Department officers give up their raises and benefits and renegotiate their contract to hire more officers? Does Mr. Haub have studies that show cracking down on crime leads to cleaner neighborhoods, better business and improved school systems?

Sounds like a big stretch to say that — unless officers pick up trash to clean the neighborhoods and spend a lot of money at New Albany businesses. (And what is the definition of a better business — more money?) The only way I see of improving the schools would be if juveniles, who have very bad test scores, are doing all the crimes and are ending up in jail instead of being in schools, taking tests and getting bad scores, which would bring down the overall scores of the schools.

How many federal programs, grants and/or how much stimulus money is out there to try and get? Does that federal program say the city must pay their salary for the fourth year, or is there a way out, if funds are not available?

There is a Justice Assistance Grant for $119,993 already set aside for Floyd County — New Albany — with no matching funds. Don’t you think we ought to wait and see how much stimulus money our city receives outside of other grants and federal programs you are applying for?

Mr. Haub also said bringing the New Albany Police Department up to 75 officers would ensure the department could cover additions to the city through annexation. Is that the real reason for wanting to hire officers — to be able to say the New Albany Police Department is able to patrol the new annexed areas? If so, then how will that help the crime in “old” areas of New Albany?

If New Albany annexes, especially parts of Charlestown Road, EDIT money used to hire more officers could be replenished through the new property. Mr. Haub, you need to do your homework!

EDIT cannot be replenished through the new property, unless it is all residential, because only residents pay EDIT and not commercial. The city may get property taxes on commercial property in the annexed area, but not if they have tax abatements. Also, the sewer rates in the new annexed areas will go down, so the city rate-payers may have their rates go up to make up the difference.

Mr. Haub continues to state, “The police are losing the battle and it’s because they don’t have enough people to deal with all the problems.”

Here are the facts:

New Albany Police Department employs 61 full-time police officers who are assigned police vehicles. Upon the current records, 42 officers reside in Floyd County and 19 officers reside in an adjoining county — Clark, Washington or Harrison.

“We have 19 officers living in the city limits of New Albany” — from a memorandum given to Councilman Price by three council members.

Just think — if all the officers lived in our city, they might recognize suspicious people in the neighborhoods — and a criminal might see an actual police car sitting in a driveway in a home in the city.

The New Albany Police Department does not have a take-home car policy, and gas is starting to go up again.

Eighty-three percent of our General Fund goes to the police and fire department. The New Albany Fire Department is cutting back, why doesn’t the police department?

In 2006, two police department officers — chief and deputy chief — were overpaid $24,499 based on the State Board of Accounts Audit. They were never made to pay back those funds. That could have purchased one newly equipped police vehicle.

In 2006 and 2007, the department was written as noncompliance with logs and mileage record-keeping. We are quite sure the department will be written up again for the 2008 audit. You say, Mr. Haub, your officers care about New Albany, so why do we have only 19 police officers who live in our city?

It’s time for the department to live on a budget just like the rest of us.

— Virginia Martin, New Albany - Citizens for Accountability



Reader: Please research the facts, Ms. Denhart<\b>

After reading the attack against our police department by “Citizens for Accountability,” I felt compelled to write in. To Ms. Vicki “Erik” Denhart, I would say that the citizens of New Albany deserve the protection of a fully staffed and properly trained police department.

The fine men and women — whom I consider lucky enough to call some friends, who serve our community as police officers, and who are willing to literally put their lives on the line for every person in this community, including Ms. Denhart — deserve the benefit to have a full complement of officers on the street, as well as support and thanks from the community for the job they do.

Yes, police cars can be seen parked outside businesses; sometimes police officers need breaks, too. Transversely, if the police cruisers never stopped patrolling the entire eight hours of their shifts, “Citizens for Accountability” would more than likely be complaining about the higher fuel bills. The officers parked at particular locations decrease the likelihood of more robberies at certain locations that have been hit many times. (Swifty and US Bank being one of those areas.)

Disparaging our department and the men and women who serve on it to protect us in such manner is an embarrassment on our city. Please take the time to research the facts regarding the size of our department and its practices. In short order you will learn that our department is under the national average for officer-to-citizen ratio and well-understaffed as suggested by population by the Department of Justice.

— Christopher S. Drake, New Albany

Thank you from the Thompsons

Harry Lee “Ham” Thompson went home to be with the Lord on May 22, 2009. His battle is over, his victory won. He left a broken-hearted family and so many loving friends. He was blessed! He was loved!

The outpouring to his family has just been incredible. There are so many people to recognize. We don’t want to mention every name in fear we will miss to many, so here goes:

Thanks to my buddy, who came to our home the morning he passed and did all the things that we just couldn’t do; the New Chapel ambulance and the Utica Fire Department, you’re awesome; Officer Pavey and his partner of the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, God bless you for your help; Dr. Joe Beaven and his staff, who have taken care of Ham for 20 years plus — he trusted your judgment completely; to each person who came by the house to offer your sympathy, and to all who brought food; for every sympathy card and every love gift; Coots’ Funeral Home for making a very difficult situation easier; and to those who gave money to the funeral home to help with the funeral costs; for all the beautiful floral arrangements, the concrete benches and plaques, the Thomas Kincaide throw; to all who purchased Gideon Bibles in Ham’s memory, and to those who donated blood in his memory; to those who brought food and drink or ordered pizza for the funeral home, and the special couple who went out of their way to buy me a caffiene-free Pepsi; to those who visited the funeral home or attended the funeral; to you six beautiful pallbearers who carried Ham to his final resting place; and to those who provided his burial plot; to Scott and CJ for all your valuable help; to all the wonderful ladies who cooked all the good food for the after-burial dinner; to the local restaurants who provided food; and, of course, the ladies of Utica Preservation, who just work on and on.

Words cannot express how we feel for this wonderful celebration of life for Harry Lee “Ham” Thompson. Thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts! One of the sympathy cards contained this poem — we leave you with this memory:

“Don’t cry for me because I am gone,

because of Him I’ll live on.

I am the gentle breeze upon your face,

sweeping you away from that lonely place

that you’ll go to when you’re feeling down.

Don’t be sad, just look around.

You’ll see me in most everything,

I’m the leaves in autumn and the flowers in the Spring.

I’m the forest with its trees so tall,

I’m the beauty of a waterfall.

As you gaze into a clear blue sky,

I am the bird flying high.

I am the songs, the fragrances and the colors of life

and at the end of each day,

I’m the stars shining bright.

So, don’t cry for me because I am gone,

thank Him for these wonders and for calling me home!”

Doesn’t that sound like Ham? May God richly bless each one of you as he has blessed us — keep us in your prayers.

— The family of Harry Lee “Ham” Thompson, Utica

  

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