LOCK YOUR DOORS- DO NOT ANSWER

[iwasthere]

what block are you referring to on this blog.

[ForumManager]

Shooting on the same block last night.

[iwasthere]

alan2525 time will tell but i will not hold my breath for dedicated police officers, who are going to work for $28,000 yr and it will take these same officers ten years to make $38,000 yr. williams is anti-labor/ypd: he is a republican through and through no matter how many dems he tries to associates himself with in pic time for the public eye. allan2525 remember how sonny smith gave him $20,000 to keep his warchest for the mayoral's race 2005 solvent. smith is the sameone that brought williams around the board of election's republican workers to tell them this is their man for the mayor's race when there was a republican candidate in the mayor's 2005 race. i cannot trust a politician that says on thing and does another.

[AllanY2525]

iwasthere -


There are others on the force who try their very best, and some who do an outstanding
job in a very difficult environment - so I am not bashing the entire Y.P.D. They do a lot
with a little and I DO appreciate them.... however....

There are older officers who are complacent, jaded and part of the "good old boy" club.
This is something that happens to a police officer over time - not something that most new
officers bring in the front door with them from the police academy.

Some of the officers in the Y.P.D. have just been here too long, and need to go.....period.
Thinning out the ranks of the older, "seasoned" (ie: lazy, set in their ways, un-motivated,
apathetic toward their job, etc) by bringing in young, strong, physically fit, bright
minded, motivated new officers - who also have the very latest in training techniques, etc -
might help to make things better.

Having two officers replace every one officer that took the retirement buyout increases the
number of Y.P.D. officers patrolling the city - something we desperately need in Youngstown.

This is, of course, only my opinion...

[ForumManager]

This May Vindy article about a proposed buy out gave a few details about Police salaries -
http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/may/23/youngstown-police-union-rejects-buyout-plan/
It says among other things that it  was proposed for it to take 10 years instead of 5 years to reach the top salary of $52,500
This article from November also mentions salaries of ranking officers.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/nov/17/to-slash-expenses-further-city-offers-2nd-buyout/

[iwasthere]

allen in your wildest dreams that you will have dedicated police officers who will give you service beyond their capabilities for $28.000. there is bad blood in all government ytown's  city hall employees from the mayor's office to his administration, city council and the city hired employees, these groups do not have any respect towards the office they hold, towards the city residents they serve and you think with a younger police force working for less pay you will have an utopia society? THINK ABOUT IT.

[ForumManager]

Update - Residents aren't even completely moved out - back door kicked in - house ransacked - all locked bedroom doors kicked in.

[ForumManager]

I feel it has gotten to the point that they are jaded and assume the worst right off the bat.

[AllanY2525]

Hopefully, when some of the "more seasoned" officers (making the bigger pay)
take voluntary retirement, we can get some fresh young rookies on the force
who will take their jobs more seriously (not to mention that the city can hire
TWO rookies at the salary that one older, veteran officer makes).

If things are going to get better in this city, we need more and better police
protection.

[ForumManager]

UPDATE
The victim has been asked to go into the juvenile division to give a written statement.
It was assumed the criminals are  juvenile.
They are following through but that still doesn't take away from the fact that no one is being warned about possible home invasions nor does it justify the officers' accusatory behavior.

[ForumManager]

A home invasion occurred on the West Side last night in the neighborhood near the corner  of Mahoning and Belle Vista  3 men with bandannas over their faces and a gun accosted a departing house visitor and forced him to go back and knock on the side door.  There was a struggle and the criminals left.

Please be aware and DO NOT answer you doors.
The police were of no help saying  since no description could be given, nothing could be done.
HOW ABOUT WARN PEOPLE?

It was implied there was something else going on. The young people and their friends had recently moved in expensive band/music equipment and that is probably the reason it happened... but instead the police think they were up to no good. They questioned the young man who answered the door, struggled with the attackers and reported the crime. They asked what he was up to that brought this all on. 

Why do they assume the victim is guilty?

I know someone will respond - they are overwhelmed, overworked yadda yadda... Yeah, you're right but if they got the jerks off the street for good they'd have less work to do.  It's not just them it is the entire system.

BUT regarding the police   - how about NOT BLAME THE VICTIM?  I AM COMPLETELY DISGUSTED.

All three roommates are moving out as of today, staying with friends and relatives.  They left the house last night.  These are decent kids. 

Do the police EVEN GET how serious this is?  Do they GET that other families on the block have young children and should be INFORMED?

I reported gang graffiti on the vacant house and garage next door (TO THE CORRECT DEPARTMENT) ... nothing was done. Another gang painted over it with their crap. We want to paint over it but it is not our house.

DO NOT ANSWER THE DOOR,  WESTSIDERS.  BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS WHEN OUTSIDE AND LOOK AROUND TO SEE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING YOU GO IN AN OUT OF YOUR HOME.