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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Lehigh County Comm'rs Throw Roadblock at Cunningham's "Safe Streets" Proposal

On Tuesday, Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham and District Attorney Jim Martin had a joint news conference, covered by NLV Logic, to release details of their new, $4 million, anti-crime package, known as the Public Safety Fund. Cunningham noted that “sixty-five cents of every Lehigh County taxpayer dollar now goes towards handling crime’s after-effects, in the form of prosecution, defense, incarceration, parole, probation, rehabilitation, and work release.”

He believes a more "pro-active approach" to crime is needed, and DA Martin agreed. "These bills will significantly enhance public safety in Lehigh County and the Lehigh Valley, and I urge the Commissioners to pass them.”

What is the Public Safety Fund?

• $1 million for a three year grant program, called Safe Streets, which will provide matching grant money to police departments to put seven to ten more community police officers on the street.

• $1.2 million for the purchase of records management software for local police departments to create a first-ever shared records network among Lehigh County’s 17 police departments.

• $500,000 toward the operation of a regional crime data center, intended to include Lehigh and Northampton Counties, which will collect and analyze crime data from all Lehigh Valley police departments.

• $225,000 toward the county’s current commitment of $1 million toward improving regional Emergency Training Sites for emergency fire and ambulance personnel.

• An additional booking officer for the newly-created Central Booking Office, which now processes all police bookings in Lehigh County, allowing officers to get back to police duties, and a resolution of support for a Lehigh Valley Regional Crime Data Center.

As good as this plan sounds, Lehigh County Commissioners last night surprisingly threw a roadblock in front of the only portion of the fund that would actually add more community police officers in Lehigh County. In a vote that went strictly along party lines, Republicans amended the Fund to authorize the Safe Streets program in the amount of just $1.

You can't even get a blogger for that pittance.

Republicans voting against an anti-crime measure? You got it. Many of them questioned whether funding a community police officer is outside the scope of core county functions. Considering that 65% of Lehigh County's tax revenue pays for the aftermath of crime, I think a three-year community policing program might actually pay for itself in terms of reduced crime.

Republicans voted to amend this ordinance, claiming they needed more information to consider the matter. Fifteen police chiefs were cooling their heels right in front of them, sitting quietly through both a committee hearing as well as a regular meeting of the commissioners. But commissioners amended the proposal without listening to what the men in blue had to offer. Here's what various commissioners had to say before their vote.

Chairman Percy Dougherty: "Crime is the number one problem in the Lehigh Valley. A number of people are afraid to come downtown." But he also claimed the community policing aspect of Cunningham's idea "is not a function of county government. I think we are rushing into this. ... Putting more police on the street is not the answer. There are so many other things we can do other than putting police officers on the street."

Dean Browning: During the Committee hearing that preceded the regular meeting, Browning released an analysis of budget trends as it relates to the Public Safety Fund. I'll have more to say about his interesting findings next week. He prefers waiting to fund this project until the next budget comes in because it would provide some context. "Community policing is not a county core function. But if there is an overwhelming need, perhaps we should consider it." Browning is the commissioner who moved to amend the community policing program by funding it with $1 instead of $1 million. "If crime is the problem, seven or ten officers will not solve it. If we are going to have a 'surge,' maybe we need seventy officers."

Bill Leiner: "The evidence is out there. The more cops, the less crime." Leiner noted that when he was Coplay's mayor, he was "stunned" by the number of elderly people who were actually afraid to go out on their porch. "If you don't have a safe community, you don't have a community."

Glenn Eckart: He talked about a pig farmer in Lower Milford who used to get 73 cents for pork but now is getting just 37 cents. The farmer complained to Eckhart, "I'm going to be subsidizing Allentown." Eckhart went on to note that, despite its EMS tax, Allentown still has twenty officers less than it had in 2005.

Dan McCarthy: "When you're attacked in a war, you don't say, 'Now's not the time to respond.' When you're faced with an unusual situation, you have to step outside the box. ... It's about a dollar per resident to try and combat crime." McCarthy also addressed Eckhart's argument that suburbs will be funding the cities. "Criminals do not respect municipal boundaries. We have to find a reason for them to get out of the Lehigh Valley."

David Jones: In his first speech as a county commissioner, Jones had his own response to the lament that suburbs are subsidizing the cities. "We're all in the same boat. If there's a hole in the boat and you say the hole's on my side of the boat and you're not going to fix it, then everybody's going to sink."Jones notes nothing in Lehigh's Home Rule Charter prohibits this grant, and finally argued, "We're fighting to save our future as a county."

Gloria Hamm: Her 89 year old mother lives in Allentown's first ward, and is afraid to take her trash out at night. "How can it be wrong to have ten additional policemen?"

Andy Roman: Concerned that Lehigh's deputy sheriffs are now being outgunned with inferior revolvers, Roman believes "we should look at areas we are already responsible for, before branching out and trying different things."

Sterling Raber: A man of few words, this retired pig farmer just listened.

Before the vote, only Bethlehem police commissioner Randy Miller was heard, and he flatly told the commissioners that a community police program should be "pro-active. If you get reactive, you're in a lot of trouble."

Right now, it's inactive.

Where do we go from here?

"This is not what we expected," is how Frank Kane, a Cunningham aide, quietly reacted to this setback. Cunningham was also perplexed, but still congenial. "You're willing to venture into new territory for IT, but not people." Although Republicans claim they support the idea in theory, they just gutted it.

In the next two weeks, Cunningham needs to persuade one Republican to have a change of heart. Since Dougherty actually claimed police officers fail to solve our crime problem, I'd skip him. Browning claimed, at least rhetorically, that Lehigh might need seventy officers. If it does, then it certainly needs seven. Eckhart also seemed to waver, and had a weak argument, and had earlier agreed to support the program.

I have a feeling this battle is far from over.
Update: The Morning Call's Darryl Isherwood has a well-written, and slighly more objective, account of last night's meeting, noting that the police officers there were unhappy with the commissioners' vote.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

What you are actually seeing is the start of the 2010 gubernatorial race. By and large LeCo has escaped this sort of partisanship, but you kinda felt it coming. The Rs simply can't allow Cunningham to have too many success stories. And yes, I realize Martin is an R. He is simply collateral damage.

Anonymous said...

Don will win this fight at the end of the day. I'm terribly troubled by the short-sightedness of the R's. Eckhert lives in a township that would have benefited from this. If they don't think this will turn into a campaign issue when their next election comes up, they are mistaken.

They voted against more police officers on our streets. It's as simple as that.

Geoff Brace said...

Here's my take. http://gsbrace.blogspot.com/2008/04/county-commissioners-miss-golden.html

I cited your work.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Geoff,

Yours is a fantastic blog! I'll link to it tonight.

Tom Foolery said...

I agree with some of the points made by the Republicans especially the point that the suburbs would be supporting Allentown's anticrime efforts. What a joke. Let Allentown handle their own issues. I don't see how it saves the county money in the long run. If more criminals are jailed it costs the county more money, no? Not only for their housing and board but also for their prosecution. I'm a Dem and i'm surprised all the dems voted for this.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Tom Foolery,

Your argument is based on a misunderstanding of community policing, which does not result in more arrests. It is a proactive approach to crime, ultimately saving the coummunity the cost of prosecution and incarceration. That's why I view commissioners' reasoning as myopic.

As far as subsidizing A-town is concerned, that Fund right now is subsidizing the 'burbs. A lot of the technology is alrady installed in A-town and Bethlehem, and the new technology will benefit only the outlying suburbs, at least so far as I understand the presentation. (I'm not entirely sure about this).

Also, as McCarthy noted, criminals don't respect municipal boundaries. If you think they will confine themselves to downtown A-town, you are in for a rude awakening.

Tom Foolery said...

I am sure Allentown's criminals have expanded out into the suburbs. That why the suburbs needed to expand their Police Departments in the first place. Each municipality should pay to deal with crime within their own community. You are right about Community policing. Allentown should pay to expand their own department and focus on that. The County suburbs should not pay for that at all!! The problem here in a nutshell is that Allentown cannot afford to do what they need to do so the county is covering their butt. They are going to get casino funds that they do not deserve in the next few years. Let them use those funds for community policing.

Bernie O'Hare said...

They are going to get casino funds that they do not deserve in the next few years. Let them use those funds for community policing.

That possibility was mentioned. The way I look at it, this is a temporary, 3 year gesture. It will cost LC taxpayers about $1 per year. After that time, some other source of funding could come into play and the program could expand.

Anonymous said...

There might be a very real point here. County government shouldn't be funding local law enforcement. If LC has so much money, lower county taxes; so local government can increase their's, for a net-zero tax increase, and more efficient spending of tax payer's money.

"Think Globally, but act locally"

Bill Villa said...

Did Lehigh County DA Jim Martin raise any good points during last night's meeting? He's our county's top law enforcement officer ...

Bernie O'Hare said...

Martin did not attend last night's meeting.

Bill Villa said...

I thought Lehigh County DA Jim Martin and Lehigh County Exec Don Cunningham collaborated on this initiative (?) I always see their names linked together regarding this plan in The Morning Call. Was Mr. Martin ill last evening? Was any explanation given for his absence? As a Lehigh County resident and voter, I am represented by DA Jim Martin, and, given, the choice (which we so rarely are, in matters pertaining to DA Martin), I would have wanted my county's top law enforcement officer present, and participating, at last night's meeting. Why wasn't Martin there?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I can't answer that question. Law enforcement had no shortage of reps. at last night's meeting, but they were sdadly not heard. I think Martin might have made a difference, to be honest.

Bill Villa said...

I just read The Morning Call's account of last night's meeting. In paragraph 7, they say ...

"The crime package presented by Cunningham and District Attorney Jim Martin ..."

... this sorta guides readers into picturing Jim Martin as being there "presenting" last night, doesn't it?

Or is it just me?

Anonymous said...

Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County. The county courthouse and many county administrative offices are there. Doesn't that mean that everyone in the county has a vested interest in keeping this area safe for all county residents who visit there and the employees who work there?

Besides that, Allentown is our area's largest city, and therefore its welfare affects us all, like it or not. How much more of a negative impact on the entire county will come if more businesses and tax-paying homeowners flee?

I agree, it stinks that this sort of measure is necessary, but sometimes that's just the way it goes.

Bill Villa said...

I'm disturbed by The Morning Call's not reporting on DA Jim Martin's extremely conspicuous absence from last night's meeting on a proposal the "newspaper" routinely co-credits Martin with having created. What's up with this?

Bill Villa said...

Maybe DA Jim Martin, being an "R," knew in advance that the "R" commissioners were gonna nix it and decided to stay away last night so that only co-sponsor and County Exec Don Cunningham (a "D") got kicked in the groin? Possible?

And is this the kind of "team ball" our DA Jim Martin plays? Regarding Allentown's #1 Issue: Crime?

I think Mr. Martin needs to stutter up (from prepared notes, of course) a really good excuse for not having been at last night's meeting. And who's gonna press him for it first and hardest?

Morning Call? Anybody home?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Maybe DA Jim Martin, being an "R," knew in advance that the "R" commissioners were gonna nix it and decided to stay away last night so that only co-sponsor and County Exec Don Cunningham (a "D") got kicked in the groin? Possible?

Unlikely. I spoke after the meeting to a few R commissioners and they would have apprciated his input.

As the county's chief law enforcement officer, Martin should have been there. Fifteen police chiefs were there. It is the commissioners who make the decision, but they would more likely listen to a fellow R, who is in law enforcement, than to Cunningham.

Bill Villa said...

"As the county's chief law enforcement officer, Martin should have been there." -Bernie

I couldn't agree more and I want to know why DA Jim Martin wasn't there.

And if The Morning Call won't ask him why, it'll be just another example of how that "newspaper" has shielded Jimbo from all scrutiny and criticism dating back a decade, to 1998, when the Lehigh County Commissioners handed Martin the job of Lehigh County DA.

As a public service, if The Morning Call doesn't provide an answer for Jim Martin's M.I.A. status at last night's meeting in tomorrow's "newspaper," I will get the answer out of Jimbo myself.

Tom Foolery said...

Who the hell cares that the County Courthouse sits in Allentown..Does this mean we should funnel all county tax dollars into Allentown? I think not. When Allentown gets their casino dollars will they be sharing it with the rest of the County? If not, why? I realize the County gets a cut also but that doesn't mean Allentown can't help its neighbors..My point here is that this idea stinks for most taxpayers outside Allentown..

Bernie O'Hare said...

Tom Foolery,

That's the weakest argument against this proposal. First of all, this is a $4 million plan, and only $1 million is dedicated to community policing. No one anywhere has said this money would go to Allentown.

The remaining part of the plan, which is IT, is already in place in A-town and Bethlehem. So their taxpayers are paying to subsidize the crime fighting in the 'burbs.

The truth is that crime is a very serious LV problem, and I commend Cunningham for taking a proactivve approach to it, which might ultimately result in saving the county money in the long run.

Moreover, it is only a matter of time before counties begin to assume responsibilities for all policing in their jurisdiction.

Anonymous said...

sixty-five cents of every Lehigh County taxpayer dollar now goes towards handling crime’s after-effects, in the form of prosecution, defense, incarceration, parole, probation, rehabilitation, and work release.”

How many of these are victimless crimes? Let's get to the meat of the problem.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Hayshaker,

I suspect that drugs, drinking and gangs have a lot to do with crime locally, but I have no stats. Most of those crimes are not victimless.

Anonymous said...

Who the hell cares that the County Courthouse sits in Allentown..Does this mean we should funnel all county tax dollars into Allentown? I think not. When Allentown gets their casino dollars will they be sharing it with the rest of the County? If not, why? I realize the County gets a cut also but that doesn't mean Allentown can't help its neighbors..My point here is that this idea stinks for most taxpayers outside Allentown..

Enough with the whining and the anti-Allentown bias. The fact is that 1/3 of Lehigh County residents live in Allentown city limits. I'm sure they don't want to pay for the other 2/3 of the county either but they do.

Anonymous said...

Drug possession is most certainly victimless. I suspect that a very healthy portion of the prison population (and prosecution and probation) are people busted for possession.

It's time PA enters the real world and decriminalizes possession. It will have a positive effect! We can then focus on filling those prisons will actual dangerous individuals.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Hayshaker, It depends on the drug. If it is a highly addictive drug, the attempts to obtain it often lead to other crimes. If it's weed, I see your point, but so do most cops.

Anonymous said...

Sure, but the actual possession of it is victimless. I'm talking about a cop busting someone with drugs and sending him through the system. It's a waste of money.

Bill Villa said...

... interesting points of view Hayshaker ... and Tom Foolery ... and Bernie, as always, a total pleasure ... but ... I'd sure like to hear some input from Lehigh County's top law enforcement officer, DA Jim Martin. Jim? You out there? Any thoughts? And what's a good time tomorrow for me to drop by your office?

bob said...

Why is it that democrats, as soon as they see some excess money, they must spend it rather than return it to the taxpayer?? I would, also, point out that allentown's mayor hired a consultant to look at the allentown police operation. I would, also, be concerned about the long term costs of added police. I compliment Dean Browning for at recommending that LCC don't jump into something of which they know not the cost. One policeman in Allentown costs the taxpayers an average of $115,000 dollars per year (salary, overtime and benefits.

Anonymous said...

Why is it that democrats, as soon as they see some excess money, they must spend it rather than return it to the taxpayer?? I would, also, point out that allentown's mayor hired a consultant to look at the allentown police operation. I would, also, be concerned about the long term costs of added police. I compliment Dean Browning for at recommending that LCC don't jump into something of which they know not the cost. One policeman in Allentown costs the taxpayers an average of $115,000 dollars per year (salary, overtime and benefits.

Anonymous said...

Better lucky than good, LeCo. More money for what is essentially another way to fund the phony "war on drugs" is obscene. The more money we throw at it, the worse it gets. It is a massive public works project with plenty of enablers at the local level who toss funding around for political gain. Cunningham is a decent enough guy, but he's playing this game as well. It's got to stop somewhere. We've wasted billions while people go hungry in this land of plenty. Absolutely unconscionable. It's the prohibition stupid. Prohibitions don't work. Been there, done that.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Sure, but the actual possession of it is victimless. I'm talking about a cop busting someone with drugs and sending him through the system. It's a waste of money.

Like I said, depends on the drug.

Bernie O'Hare said...

More money for what is essentially another way to fund the phony "war on drugs" is obscene.

Geez, we haven't even established the chief cause of crime in the LV and you're singing that same tired old song. You sound like that Pat Rogers nut who pops up on The Morning Call reader forum all the time.

The real sources of crime are poverty and ignorance. Community policing, as opposed to the more traditional forms of police work, is uniquely suited to help people who are impoverished and who may lack opportunities.

Anonymous said...

I think its commonly agreed that the "War on Drugs" is a failure and the crime on the streets is a direct result. Addicts looking for drug money and criminals getting rich off of them. Sure, there is other ancillary crime but make no mistake, drugs and their prohibition are the root cause. Anon 4:09 is correct.

I know we all try to convince ourselves that there has to be a better way and that one day we can eradicate drug use. Think again. There is no better way.

Anonymous said...

Based on all these comments about Allentown, I trust that Mayor Callahan's grab at the money for Bethelehem is dead. Especialy with a limited number of officers this program supports.

Police riding bikes on mainstreets excludes most of Allentown's adjacent communities from taking advantage of this money.

Now why would Lehigh County want to give this program money to Bethlhem? Main Street Bethlehem is not Lehigh County. West Broad hardly fits the definition. Bethlehem has a ton of Casino money coming to help fight crime....right?

Blah Society said...

"Bethlehem has a ton of Casino money coming to help fight crime....right?"

So we hope...

Anonymous said...

"The real sources of crime are poverty and ignorance."

Yeah yeah. Heard that for a long time too - usually from the same crowd who're being mugged for drug money while contemplating crime's root causes.

Every new law makes what was legal yesterday, illegal today. Drug prohibitions have made more criminals out of non-violent citizens than any examples of well-intentioned, utterly failed laws.

Illegal drugs are the cause of most crime; same as during Prohibition. Lots of public jobs depend upon this Prohibition. LeCo taxpayers caught a lucky break from their dizzy Rs.

Anonymous said...

Maybe 1/3 of LC residents live in Allentown, but how many are taxpayers. Not the lame 'the landlord pays the RE tax'. If its is Section 8, landlord gets a break and I would guess there is a lot of exempt property.
The City has a nice bump in Casino money, courtesy of Mr.Stoffa signing half of Northamton Countys share over to non-Northampton County governments.
Actually, I think Community policing is a good idea and am very surprised Mr. Martin was not there. Mr. Villa was right, the article made it seem like he was there. I have to believe his presence may have shaken one of the R's free.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 7:49,

This post has nothing to do with the decriminalization of drugs. That's a topic for another day. It's also beyond the purview of any county government.

This post deals with a very proactive program, community policing. Those programs get cops out of their cruisers and closer to the people they protect and serve. They tend to reduce the crime rate.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 8:25, it's funny you would make the same remarks about TMC as Mr Villa. Personally, I did not get that imnpression, but have an explanation about Martin's absence. I'll post that in a bit.

Anonymous said...

It is remarkable that this rolled off as a party line vote. Republicans against; Democrats in favor. The funds are there, the need is clearly there, the Chiefs who know the value of community policing were there, the DA strongly agrees ..... the arguments against the proposal - no money, budgetary future fears, not happy with the Bill's procedures, "I see plenty of cops when I drive through Bethlehem", "pork prices are down", we need more information, this is not a core county responsibility - are unthreaded and thin at best. If you had to take the Republican arguments as your debate positions in a school debate, the event would be over in about 15 minutes. I believe at the end of the day we nine thoughtful individuals will get the information we need to satisfy all 9 and then coalesce and take this bold step forward to fund the Safe Streets Initiative. Someone once said (and, Bernie it was not my friend Sterling) that passing legislation is alot like making sausage. It is messy. The challenge is to preserve decorum, collegiality as we all drift to the correct decision of funding the initiative.

Bill Villa said...

"Mr. Villa was right, the article made it seem like he [Martin] was there."

Thank you, Anon 8:25, stay tuned and you'll see: I'm right about a lot of things.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Mr. Leiner, It is very nice and something of a surprise to see a LC commissioner participate in this discussion. Dean Browning, who you called "very smart" last night, is another who has participated in a few discussions. I have the DA's letter in support of this project, and will publish it.

Anonymous said...

From Dennis L. Pearson

Those who don't know the past are destined to make the same mistakes .... At this time it would be better for the municipalities if they receive grant money for equipment. Former Allentown Mayor wanted to expand his governance by the use of grant money for payroll ... He used grant money to pay for many new employees in fire, police, planning , recreation, etc... The ruling came down from the feds that he could not pay these people as much as he paid his regular employees and the end result was that those grant people who were not made permanent were laid off, even policemen and firemen, and planners, etc.

As it stands now many communities outside of Allentown benefited when Allentown let go many of its grant people because of federal regulations.