A Few More Cops Looks A Lot More Likely
Mayor Bart Peterson’s staff this evening gave a briefing to representatives of the city’s neighborhood groups about what “Hizzoner” plans to detail in his speech tomorrow regarding public safety and city finances.
Although the Mayor’s people kept a lot of information close to their vest they did admit there was a police shortage according to some of the citizens in the room. Take that information and Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell telling me afterwards that there will be things that people can “see” in the Mayor’s proposal leads me to believe more that the Mayor will announce more cops in his plan tomorrow. There’s no word yet on what the exact number would be.
The Mayor may also outline some new sentencing recommendations for judges when it comes to misdemeanor offenses.
I was also told the Mayor’s staff pointed out that homicides were down since last year and there has not been one early release from the jail since August. Homicides are down overall, but Marion County’s dirty little secret about jail overcrowding is that the courts have changed the factors which set the bonds and it is now much easier for offenders to get out of jail because they never get there in the first place. And on any given week there are hundreds of jail beds that sit empty.
The Mayor’s staff did not give out any tax rate information, saying they want to reveal that information tomorrow.
I plan to air the Mayor’s full speech on my Thursday morning radio program.
