Home > Tell the People > Archives > 2008 > October > 24 > Entry
Community Blog: Admitting the Truth
Waco is the 7th most violent city in Texas. The billboards leading into the city of Waco are a grim reality of statistical data. Measured benchmarks. Nothing political or misleading. A statistical fact! Decades of neglect within the city limits are apparent. But who’s to blame?
Let’s start with the data. What constitutes violence? Is there an action plan to make violent crime a priority when dispatch is requested? Is there enough patrol to respond effectively? Are the areas of known violence adequately patrolled? Are the same patrolmen producing the same results? Whether it is morale, a limited force, pay structure, or complacency there is a problem that needs review.
What about the internal tiered levels of command? How are they measured? Is admin too top heavy? Is there a culture of complacency? Is training adequate? What about supervisory responsibilities? Is there a new concentrated strategy to combat this known statistic?
And investigations? Are there enough investigators? Do they have adequate training? Are they experienced enough? What are their results? Are the same investigators producing the same results?
And the police chief? Does he have the authority to adequately lead? Does he have the resources to create a difference? Is he willing to make changes? Obviously changes must be made.
Now to city management. Is city management “bottlenecking” issues of major concern? Is the city management culture conducive to philosophical differences although they are in the best interest to the city? Is city management too top heavy? Has city management become too complacent? Is city management unconcerned? How is city management measured? The statistic obviously is a concern to the police force, is it not to city management?
And finally, the city council. The political environment must be revisited. The city’s reputation and image rests on their shoulders as elected officials. Knowing that Waco is the state’s fifth poorest city and the seventh most violent city speaks volumes of governmental leadership. The billboard is a symbol that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. To not recognize this by a technicality or arrogance is not going to solve the crisis. Do something…..NOW! Unless you like the interstate perception that you just don’t care. Tourism and business dollars are depending on you. What do you think? Who’s to blame?
Comments
By Judy
November 2, 2008 2:16 AM | Link to this
Glad to see you wrote about this, I was going to call and ask you to. I think it was a smart move to put up that billboard. They accomplished what they went after…ATTENTION!! They weren’t getting it so they made sure they found a way to be heard!! I say way to go, open your eyes Wacoans…our city is going to hell in a handbasket and something needs to be done…..and just like you say NOW!!!!! Mayor Dupuy was at our class reunion encouraging everyone to come to Waco and listing all the wonderful things to come. Well, if something doesn’t get done based on the statistics we are facing, who would want to come and visit!!! Wake up all you Waco reps and start working on a fix….it’s not going to go away on it’s on!!
oh yea…WRECK ‘EM TECH!!!!!!!! ;)