bigshrimpin, video cameras would be useful in certain areas but the police department can't even afford to replace hub caps that fall off police cruisers nevermind buying, installing, and monitoring sophisticated surveillance cameras.

TBL wrote:

bigshrimpin, video cameras would be useful in certain areas but the police department can't even afford to replace hub caps that fall off police cruisers nevermind buying, installing, and monitoring sophisticated surveillance cameras.

Do you think folks would object to raising taxes and deal with those problems?  Seems like a healthy police dept should be a priority for the town.

THE THING IS BIGSHRIMPIN I WOULDNT GIVE THIS TOWN ANYTHING IN ITS CURRENT FORM. PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THEIR TAXES RAISED WHEN TENS OF THOUSANDS ARE BEING WASTED THROUGH LAWSUITS, LEGAL FEES, COMPUTER "AUDITS" NO SIR MY TAXES WILL NOT BE RAISED WHEN THE CHAIRMAN OWES 181,000 DOLLARS. I PAY MY TAXES AND ITS PEOPLE LIKE HIM THAT THE TOWN, STATE ARE IN THE FINANCIAL SITUATION THEY ARE IN.

Last week you wanted to fire all the police officers. Now you want help, seems like a common theme around here.

(((Almost every company and government agency have acceptable use policies that prohibit storing this kind of sensitive information locally on a computer.  Usually these policies are derived from Laws like Sarbanes-Oxley (Banking), HIPAA (Medical records) and others that pertain to management and storage of sensitive data.   I don't know what the PD uses . . . but I can guarantee there is some kind law prohibiting storing sensitive data locally (on a PC).  Generally speaking . . . violation of an acceptable use policy is grounds for immediate termination.  If the police were careless and storing any sensitive data locally on their PC . . . they should be fired immediately.)))

Big Shrimpin this is from a post of yours 2 days ago. Though others on that thread offered valid arguments to that opinion.  thus far you have not offered an apology for any part of it. I believe you do have some good points. But implying that the officers of the WPD are careless is unfair especially since by your own admission you have not lived here that long. I may be mistaken but I think that is what SDA's anger is about.

Big Shrimpin,

Welcome to Wareham! Where do you hail from?

The first step to understand what is going on in Wareham might be to attend a few
BOS Tuesday meetings - you know, see the WHITES of their eyes.  Second, register to vote. Third, Volunteer for some kind of Service, Board, or Committee.
Fourth, Read all the back issues (three years)  of ALL the papaers that carry Wareham news.  Fifth, visit all the facilities, Highway Dept., Water Dept., playgrounds, schools, libraries, and beaches.  Talk to all kinds of people, employees, coffe shop crowd, gas station attendants, anybody that you might run into.

But PLEASE, don't knock on Bruce's door.  You sound young and may not have heard some of the words you may encounter.  His neighbors hate him - except his relatives and even they are having second thoughts.

Oh, I forgot, use your own bathroom before you leave home; there are no such things at most public beaches.  Also, take swimming lessons at the Y.  Wareham cannot afford lifeguards.

Please report back your findings.

Maybe some of the other bloggers have more suggestions.

Last edited by waterview (2009-06-18 17:27:07)

WHEN THE BOS CALLS AN OFFICER A RACIST AND A GUTLESS COWARD ON PUBLIC TV IM SURE HE GOES AND GIVES IT HIS ALL FOR THE TOWN EVERYDAY. OK BACK TO REALITY NOW. THE POLICE HAVE NO CONTRACT, THEY GET BEAT UP IN THE RAG EVERYDAY. THE BOS BEATS UP ON THE POLICE EVERYDAY ALONG WITH THE PUPPET THE ITA. YEAH IM SURE THE POLICE ARE GIVING THEIR ALL FOR THIS TOWN. THATS WHY EVERYONE IS LEAVING. THIS TOWN WAS NOT LIKE THIS YEARS AGO. THE RAGMAN AND THE BOS CALL WHATS HAPPENING TO THIS TOWN PROGRESS? A POLICE DEPT THAT HAS THEIR REPUTATIONS DISMANTLED BY THE BOS, NUMEROUS DEPT HEADS FIRED OR MOVED TO OTHER JOBS, MAINTENANCE WORKERS LAID OFF, EMPLOYEES TAKING FURLOUGH DAYS, BOS MEMBERS DISPARAGING TOWN EMPLOYEES. YEAH THIS IS PROGRESS.

searay240 wrote:

Call the State Police next time they will come and help you.

Welcome to town, we came here for the same reasons.I know how you feel having gone through the same issues. You need to call the State Police eveyday and night you will get results.

I'm not so sure about that. The state police are not just going to start patrolling neighborhoods in a city or town without an invitation from the local police. The state police have a special unit that patrols high crime communities when requested. But that unit has been cut in half because like most police departments the state police have not hired anyone in a few years. So that special unit is tied up in places like Brockton and New Bedford. They don't have the time or the manpower to bother with Wareham. Right now there are probably only two or three state troopers patrolling the state highways between the Fairhaven line and the Barnstable line. Wareham can get limited outside help when it is needed but we have to provide for our own police protection.

bigshrimpin wrote:

Hello – I am a new resident of Wareham.  It’s clear to me that Wareham has a huge drug/crime problem.   Does anyone know if the town has considered adopting any of the new Video Surveillance systems to help deter crime in "known" problem areas.   


http://www.policeone.com/police-product … veillance/

You cant honestly believe this is a good idea, i know wareham is getting bad with drugs and crime, but putting an entire village under surveillance is in every way unjust, and would be a complete invasion of every persons privacy that lives in Onset.

http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/stor … _p-qg.cspx

Crime victims often feel vulnerable, but for some it is empowering.

The Washington Village Development Association started fighting back and they say look at their Pigtown neighborhood; they're winning.

"We've been saying this is enough for three years now and we've had tremendous success down here," said Dan Cosgrove

Cosgrove is the president of the at times gutsy, and brazen WVDA. In three years his organization has gotten tough; tougher than criminals. The group’s latest weapon in the battle is you tube.

The idea is as simple as it is daring.  Post a video with pictures, date of births and state ID numbers of who they call known drug dealers in the neighborhood.  Cosgrove says it gives the tools and accuracy for people to call 911.

"There are a lot of people out in the community who have had enough and they're looking for leadership, looking for people to do the right thing.  Once we started putting videos out 6 months ago, we have more people joining us all the time."

It is safety in numbers and results through vigilance.

ABC2 Crime Checker
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"If you were standing here on this corner four years ago, we wouldn't be able to film here because there would have been five or six guys slinging, a line of junkies coming  through the alley assembly line fashion like you see on ‘The Wire’ where you would see them hand them out, hand them out, hand them out.  Guys would just be running by, you would see those sorts of people.  This corner was just untenable...it just wasn't safe to be here," said Vice President Sebastian Sassi.

The WVDA’s effort is more than just videos.  The association has installed its own cameras throughout the neighborhood that members can monitor from their homes.  There is also a data base they created to track repeat offenders and then there is their presence; an in your face walking tall type approach to let everyone know in just what direction this neighborhood is headed.

It is an approach not all appreciate.  As we were shooting this story, members of the association were walking the streets and confronted a juvenile who they say was recently picked up on a gun charge.  It was a loud and threatening confrontation that continued for several minutes and was eventually directed at our camera as well.  (Click on the video portion of this story to view.)

WVDA was not phased.  Bothering known offenders they say is the point.

"Early on we decided we weren’t going to be intimidated and we aren't, we stand up for what is right and it succeeds," said Cosgrove.

Confrontations aside, it is this type of community involvement and ownership that ofte iis the key to help police.  Commissioner Fred Bealefeld consistently stresses the point.

"It remains true here.  It can just be about police doing more about kids, it's got to be about parents, it's got to be about businesses, it's got to be about every stakeholder along the way," said Bealefeld.

It is a steady drum beat other neighborhoods are hearing as well.

The Mount Vernon Belvedere Association is also thinking creatively.  After a rash of random assaults by teens, community leaders there are printing glossy club type flyers urging teens to turn in other teens at a bounty of one thousand dollars.

"We decided the best way to get to mostly the youth that are part of the problem in Mount Vernon is to advertise and do exactly what the promoters for these organizations are doing," said MVBA member Jason Curtis.

http://www.abc2news.com/mediacenter/loc … avCatId=14

I have camaras all over my property.  Push buttons over my headboard to view different angles.   Works great.  Records if I want it to.  Actually caught someone doing summin they shouldnt be doing. Busted.    I love it.  Kids in this town never bother me. Never have.

billw  now lets not get freaky here.  :)  and dont put any ideas in my hubbys head.   Actually thats scary.  cuz we are a little old.  :)

PinkPanther wrote:

Bigshrimpin .This town does have a couple cops. Always looking for trouble.  They love it.    Your new you will figure it out which ones they are soon enough.    These cops are not overwelmed.  This town has plenty of cops.  Leave your house youll see plenty. Especially if you go out after 10:00p.m.   Drugs are everywhere.  The crime rate here is so low compared to other places its unreal.  I wonder whre you moved here from..   There are some good cops I know a few.   From what I understand the cops hate onset and feel really picked on.  A few months ago they where blogging we ain't gonna work there no more.   They get paid pretty good for this easy gig.  Don't let anybody fool you.   Theres a couple really cool guys on the force though.

PinkPanther, your post could not be more wrong. The only police department in Plymouth County that is busier than Wareham is Brockton. This town does not have plenty of cops there are only about four or five on duty each shift unless you count the eight weeks that there are summer police officers on babysitting duty in Onset. The patrol beats are huge too. For example only one officer is responsible for patrolling from the Bourne line on Cranberry Highway all the way up into Shangrila to the Plymouth line and all the side streets in between those points. God help you if you live in Shangrila and someone is busting through your door and the cop assigned to your part of town is responding from the Indian Mound neighborhood.

They don't make much as much as you think either. The starting pay for police in Wareham is only about $40,000 per year. Sure they can make much more than that if they want to put in many extra hours but it comes at a big price because they have to sacrafice their personal and family time to make that extra money.

Last edited by TBL (2009-06-29 09:12:05)

TbL   I did what you asked me to do.  I will review and research.  Thank you.