http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981978980
by George McNaughton
Member since:
April 30, 2006
Towards a plan for Springfield
July 01, 2014 12:47 PM EDT
Town of Springfield
Policy Strategy Regarding
Community Problem with Drug Addiction and Crime
The following steps should be part of a strategy for the immediate tackling of the hard drug addiction and crime situation in the Town of Springfield, Vermont.
1) Restoration of Public Confidence in Police Leadership. There has been a distinct note of lack of confidence in the municipal police department. This stems from repeated reports by citizens that tips and observation of suspicious activity or outright observation of illegal activity related to drug trafficking is not being acted upon, and no reporting back of follow up is occurring. This may be in part due to the transfer of the information to the State Police Task Force. While a good working relationship with the State Police Task Force is a must, it is also important that public confidence be maintained. As a result:
a. A log is to be kept of all tips and observations from the citizens should be maintained;
b. Unless a specific reason is known that the tip or observation is not credible, or it is specifically known that to follow up on the same would disrupt an undercover sting operation, all such tips and observations shall be followed up upon within three days, if the activity is ongoing at the time of the observation, and if feasible, police will follow up immediately.
c. A report back to the tipster or observer shall occur within 24 hours of the follow up activity, and be duly noted in the log.
2) Police Presence. Projecting police presence is critical in curbing and disrupting occurrences of public drug-trafficking. Regardless of whether such presence results in actual arrests, it restores public confidence and disrupts illegal activity. As a result:
a. Slow and repeated cruising of known hotspots for public observation of drug trafficking should be customary activity for all police patrols not called out upon special assignment.
b. Foot patrols of areas of especial concern such as the downtown area should be maintained at irregular intervals on a 24 hour basis.
c. Periodic night time patrols of public parks, and school grounds should be a routine practice.
3) Amplification of Police Presence. Since it is not possible to have police present everywhere on a 24/7 basis, steps should be taken to increase the ability of the police to observe.
a. The Selectboard should investigate the cost and utility of surveillance cameras in the downtown areas, and public parks.
b. The Selectboard in partnership with the Plan Commission and public oriented business groups, should encourage private business owners, especially those with large parking facilities which are known to be the venue for drug traffickers to invest in and install outdoor surveillance camera coverage of their parking lots.
c. The School Board should be encouraged to investigate the cost and utility of surveillance cameras to cover their playgrounds and public outdoor facilities.
d. A member of the municipal police department should be specifically assigned to work with each neighborhood organization to be informed of crime problems in the neighborhood.
e. Public lighting policies should be revisited in the event of crime spikes in certain neighborhoods, and to assure that public parks are illuminated during the night time.
4) Pre-empting Development of Drug Dens. Certain multi-family and residential units develop reputations, sometimes deserved, of being the location of drug trafficking. As a result:
a. Where there is strong suspicion that such is the case, the Police Chief or a high ranking police officer should visit the apartments and do a knock and greet of the people within. A polite monologue should be developed for the officer to deliver which indicates that the unit is developing a reputation for such in the neighborhood, and the inhabitants should be politely advised that the community takes a dim view of such activities, and if they are occurring they should stop immediately. They should be informed that if there are persons who have drug abuse problems in the household, confidential arrangements can be made for treatment.
b. All sober houses, or so-called half-way houses, within a neighborhood should be identified by the police and a close working relationship developed with those who own or operate the same. The owner/operators should be encouraged not only to keep the exteriors and yardage of such accomodations immaculate, but to be actively involved in any neighborhood organization in which the such establishments are located. The neighborhood organizations should be encouraged to develop such relationships with the owners.
c. To the extent legally feasible, all formal transition houses should be established only in areas where they are relatively isolated and can be easily monitored by the police.
d. Police should follow best practices and accompany probation and parole officers on checks on released convicts.
e. Known residences of persons released on conditions pending trial for drug related offenses should be patrolled on a regular basis.
5) Neighborhood Clean-Up. Blighted areas, poorly run apartment houses, and the division of large homes into apartments can result in high crime districts. Declining property values are an indicator of problems in a neighborhood, especially if homes become unmarketable in an area. As a result:
a. Careful attention scrutiny of the Town Plan, and zoning ordinances should be made to prevent the development of such problems, and to ensure rapid enforcement should problems develop. Police and other town personnel should be trained to spot violations and report the same to the Town Zoning Official for action.
b. The Selectboard should review and update ordinances regarding unkempt yards and building exteriors, including trash, tire, car part, and rubbish accumulation, and broken windows or doors which face the street or are visible to the public. Broken windows should be required to be replaced or in appropriate instances bricked up, unpainted boarding up of windows should not be permitted except on a very temporary basis. Such ordinances should be enforced.
c. Neighborhood “meet and greets” and festivals where the neighbors get to know one another should be encouraged.
d. Vandalism should result in arrests and restitution.
e. The Selectboard and other community groups should adopt policies and strategies to get vacant buildings brought up to code, and converted to functional uses. The occupancy of downtown store fronts with businesses should be a high priority, as well as vacant factory buildings.
f. The riverfront should be developed as a community focal point, and bike and pedestrian paths made a priority, pressure should be brought to bear on overcoming obstacles to the same.
6) Responsible Treatment and Parole Policies. It should be understood that access to residential substance abuse and mental health treatment is essential to a permanent solution to the drug and crime issues. As a result:
a. Persistent political pressure should remain on State officials to fund sufficient residential bed capacity such that police and physicians can procure immediate placement of individuals into residential rehabilitation without evaluation delay.
b. Efforts should be made to assure that both genders are treated equally with respect to the length and time of residential treatment to assure that persons are not being released prematurely.
c. Persistent political pressure should remain on State Corrections officials to make sure that all rehabilitation treatment, required education courses, etc. are completed by inmates before, rather than after release from prison.
d. Probation and parole officers should as a rule meet with the released inmate at their place of residence rather than at the parole offices. Rules applicable to missed appointments for released inmates, should also apply to probation and parole officers – a parole or probation officer missing a scheduled appointment without ample notice to the released inmate should result in discipline, except with serious exigent justification.
e. The few after release classes required by persons on parole, and parole and probation appointments should be scheduled in such a manner as to not present inordinant difficulties for released inmates to obtain and retain employment
RE: f. The riverfront should be developed as a community focal point, and bike and pedestrian paths made a priority, pressure should be brought to bear on overcoming obstacles to the same.
ReplyDeleteWay to veer off topic! Another reason that Springfield can't accomplish a damn thing, because any attempt at "planning" turns into a politically correct wish list of boutique niceties that are both unrelated to the primary objective and unaffordable to an impoverished town.
Agreed! Focusing in shops and store fronts? Really? That should be in a later article entitled "what to do with downtown after we cleaned out the Woolson Block and other areas"
DeleteInteresting, yes possibly off course, but such pathways have also been an instrumental component of various towns which have successfully reinvented themselves and rid their communities of blight. Lot of other thoughts contained in the proposal. Should have had more focus on education, it seems to me.
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DeleteAnd one example of such a "reinvented town" would be....???
Oh, and more focus on "education"? Sure.
The two magic answers to every socioeconomic ill - bike paths and education! Voila, paradise!
And let's just truck in a mountain of beach sand and declare Springfield a "beach resort community", too!
Relax, these are some really good ideas including the riverfront idea. Updating and utilizing river landscapes has been a hallmark of many New England towns' revitalization projects. Regardless of it's economic value it will in the very least make the town look nicer, which can help in deterring crime. In a town like Springfield, where the geography doesn't lend well to economic development (numerous hills, oddly located schools, businesses, and event venues, often with limited parking space) we should try to leverage our river into an asset. Keep it up George!
ReplyDeleteYou need to add the number one inhibitor to the town's economic development to your list: "oddly thinking citizens/voters" - of which you should be considered a prime example.
DeleteThat is just mean spirited to say! Stop calling people names! Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I am tired of hearing the name bashing, derogatory and cruel remarks. And before someone says "then just don't read it", I read it for the news and to hear opinions, not nasty remarks.
DeleteI hope you plan on raising Springfield's tax's to cover your wish list. What you say in this article is pleasing to the ear but extremely unrealistic in a town with a population of less then 10,000 and decreasing.
ReplyDeleteWhich of the article's proposals require extra taxes?
DeleteHow's a 2.1% tax increase for a start?
DeleteEvery one of the proposals his lists require additional resources and work which costs money.
Delete"A" for effort. It's a proposal........
ReplyDeleteYou are obviously grading on a curve!
Delete" and the division of large homes into apartments can result in high crime districts. Declining property values are an indicator of problems in a neighborhood, especially if homes become unmarketable in an area."
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. Where the HELL was the town Planning and Zoning department 20-25 years ago when entrepenuerial real estate agents were buying up single family homes and converting them from residences to commercial properties with no regard for off-street parking, maximum occupancy or even habitability? Closing one eye and looking the other way, perhaps?
Same place the voters were when the Town passed the referendum call for repeal of the Rental Inspection Ordinance, perhaps you should inquire of David Yesman.
DeleteI'm with Jean; we need some new people in the Planning and Zoning Dept who have at least a little forward looking vision to avoid the situation we currently find ourselves in. Also, I agree with the commenters supporting some additional work on the river downtown; if there were more legitimate people downtown, especially in the evening, the criminal element would shie away. This idea has actually worked in other cities; look at the Fanueil Hall Market Place in Boston, that area was a no-man's land prior to the redevelopment of the area in the early '70s.
DeleteHow about the towns people elect conservative representatives instead of bleeding heart liberals who want to coddle the criminal element.
ReplyDeleteActually, hasn't the Selectboard been dominated by conservatives? or are you referring to the State legislature?
DeleteThe selectboard has been dominated by preservatives, which is why the status quo rules and the town's decline continues.
DeleteSo, 3:05, it's all about the riverfront and "legitimate" people, is it? Such simplemindedness is what has led Springfield to the abyss in the first place. Perhaps the town can hire David Copperfield to perform one of his grand illusions and make all the decay and drugs disappear. And to compare Springfield's situation to that of Boston? Truly, your head is in the clouds. A little more critical reasoning, please.
ReplyDeleteYesiree, we need more, "It can't be done here, thinking." Why how can we possibly preserve our fair city's ambience without plenty of "it can't be done here." Why look how that type of thinking has turned us into a thriving metropolis.
DeleteYou resemble that old adage about who's the boss, anatomically speaking. And of course, that's also where your cranium appears to reside! I guess 40 years of misery, decay, and decline just isn't enough to convince you that without a major in the town's leadership and electorate, not only can't it be done, it won't be done!
DeleteI think Springfield should change the town's name to Pleasure Island ala Disney's "Pinocchio". The Lampwicks of the world could wreak havoc on the town as they are now already doing and hopefully in the end become evolved into something useful; donkeys! The town management and school board have already evolved into aquus africanus asinus so the bad boyz will fit right in.
ReplyDelete