Letters
September 2005

Takoma Park police force should be disbanded

The recent CNN/Money Magazine report on America's "Best Places to Live" confirms what many Takoma Park residents have known for some time--the city is a relatively unsafe place in which to live.   As part of its quality of life assessment, CNN/Money examined each community's crime risk.   Takoma Park's personal risk score of 138 and property risk score of 135 both are significantly higher than the national average of 100 and risk ratings assigned to other Montgomery County communities.   For example, Silver Spring achieves a personal risk score of 61 and a property risk score of 78.

The CNN/Money results are the latest contribution to a growing body of evidence indicating that the city's system for policing simply isn't working.   The city is the only community in Montgomery County which provides full police services in lieu of county-provided policing.   This model results in the highest officer per capita ratio in the county by far and costs the city's taxpayers about double what it would cost if police services were provided by the county. ºAnd yet, despite this huge expenditure and higher police density, the city's police department remains unaccredited and produces a public safety environment far less secure than found in our neighboring communities.

This situation has persisted over the years despite the city police chief's and city officials' repeated attempts to reassure the residents that the situation is being addressed.   Given the increasing costs of police services and the poor outcome, it is high time to reevaluate the model of self-policing that the city has adopted.   It may be that disbanding the expensive and inefficient city police services and transferring to the county all responsibilities for police services would be less costly to the city taxpayers while improving security. ºOur property and personal safety are at stake and the city political leadership needs to address this issue in ways that break with their past approaches .

Complete CNN/Money findings pertaining to Takoma Park can be found at <http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/snapshots/47479.html>http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/snapshots/47479.html .

-- Jack Carson
Takoma Park, MD
-- Alain Thery
Takoma Park, MD

Fight Global Warming

Thanks for the great articles in the August 2005 Voice on Mike Tidwell's fast to stop global warming and the good news on wind power article, which will also help reduce global warming pollution.

My daughter suffers from breathing problems and these articles sure hit home with me.   Hot summer days are the worst for smog/breathing.   That's why I was pleased to hear about the new bill sponsored by a lot of environmental and health groups, the Healthy Air Act, which would get Maryland to join with other Northeastern states that have already formed a Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  

The Maryland bill would cut our emissions of global warming gases, as well as other dangerous pollution, sulfur dioxide and mercury.   I have called my state senator and delegates to urge their support at 1-800-492-7122.

-- Charlie Garlow
Silver Spring, MD Takoma Park, MD

Wake up call on gangs

Last month's vicious knife attacks at Wheaton Mall and Springbrook High School should serve as a loud wake up call for those Montgomery County residents and officials who don't believe that we have a serious gang problem in affluent Montgomery County.    We do, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better.º

We can't blame all of our crime and public safety issues on Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County.   We need to be candid and recognize that, in certain communities, Montgomery County's homegrown problems of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, overcrowding, drugs, alcoholism, and cultural separation provide a fertile ground for gang recruitment and gang activity.

The County Council has not given County-wide anti-gang programs and policies the priority attention and funding that they deserve.   When the Council cut this year's $5.4 million budget request from the County Executive for anti-gang activities, they cut funding for new police personnel that could strengthen existing anti-gang enforcement activities and assist in desperately needed community outreach and education efforts to help identify violent offenders and address the growing problem of gang violence.   The unwillingness and failure to fully fund the Executive's request for these new officers and the police's anti-gang unit as well was short-sighted and it needs to be corrected immediately in emergency legislation.   Montgomery County clearly needs more police officers, but importantly, we urgently need more Spanish-speaking police officers to get in touch with the vulnerable and underserved communities that are generally acknowledged to be the breeding ground for the County's gangs.

What more needs to be done?   We have to engage all of our neighbors, parents, teachers, the faith-based community, police, and judges in a comprehensive "war against gangs" and criminal activity.   Let's convene a series of community-based summits to plan and implement local solutions to the gang problem.   We need to educate our neighbors about the threat that gangs present to the community and how people need to respond.   We must clearly show Montgomery's young people that crime and violence will not be tolerated in any form, and that those who threaten, intimidate, use force, and break our laws, at any time, will be apprehended and incarcerated with lengthy sentences.   We must have a zero tolerance for unlawful gang activity in Montgomery County.   Everybody has to do his or her part.   We must not turn our backs on what is a clear and present danger to our neighborhoods, schools, and way of life.

-- Alan S. Bowser
Co-Chair, Neighborhoods Committee
Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board
Silver Spring, MD