As we approach another New Year’s Eve, remember that celebratory gunfire is illegal, irresponsible, unsafe, and not needed. It is not a toy but a tool for defense. Let’s keep it that way.
To demonstrate go outside with a bunch of friends standing together and throw a reasonable size rock straight up into the air – who do you think the rock will hit on it’s way down?
Spread the word.
Just a friendly reminder that those big boxes or packages should not just be left sitting beside the alley 300 gallon trash receptacles or left sitting next to your 75 gallon individual family receptacles, please break them down appropriately and if possible place inside the trash receptacle. Additionally they are not to be used as additional trash holdings next to the receptacles.
Ideally since these boxes are cardboard, why not break them down and include them in your bi-weekly recyclables.
Finally leaving these big boxes or packages that identify expensive items received or given for Christmas, makes our community homes a potential target for burglary regardless if the item was from your home or not. Please be responsible.
Kill Your Local Heroin Dealer!
Well if only we could! But seriously, you can make a change. Observe, document, report, followup. Be safe and keep on it! Just one heroin house on your street will increase the crime element in your community 3-fold. Let’s knock them out by networking, engaging and not giving up! #TakeBackYOURCommunity.
City to introduce needle-exchange program to combat heroin, infectious diseases
By Misti Crane
The Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday November 11, 2015 2:02 PM
Combating heroin’s ability to diminish and destroy is a task both daunting and complex.
Mayor Michael B. Coleman and Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Teresa Long are convinced they can help with clean needles, treatment, testing for HIV and hepatitis C and improved access to a naloxone, a drug that can rescue addicts from potentially fatal overdoses.
“There’s an epidemic in Ohio and it’s knocking on our front door in Columbus in a significant way,” said Coleman, who hopes a comprehensive heroin program, including a needle exchange, will become part of his legacy.
His budget proposal, to be released Thursday, calls for $280,000 dedicated to efforts led by AIDS Resource Center Ohio in the Short North.
The program, called Safe Point, likely will begin at least one morning a week in January, said Peggy Anderson, the center’s chief operating officer.
“Being in the HIV arena for 30 years, we’ve been used to dealing with the stigma and shame of dealing with HIV,” Anderson said. “We think there’s a similar stigma and shame that goes along with injection drug use.”
The hope is that the program will serve about 750 central Ohio addicts a year, Long said.
Aside from clean needles, services will include an assessment of the drug user and easy access to treatment and counseling. Some communities have seen about one-third of needle-exchange participants move into treatment, Coleman said.
Heroin deaths accounted for 1,177 unintentional overdose deaths in Ohio last year, according to the state Health Department. That was up from 983 in 2013.
“This is really opening the door to recovery,” Long said.
Exchanges also lower the risk that users will contract diseases that could sicken or kill them, including hepatitis C.
Rates of new hepatitis C infection have nearly doubled in the past five years in Franklin County, from 719 diagnoses to 1,369 in 2014.
And in other places in the nation, HIV rates linked to dirty needles have surged.
Getting an addict into treatment can take time and in the meantime, offering them clean needles makes good sense, Long said.
Coleman stressed that the goal is to develop a safe and respectful place for addicts and their families.
“This isn’t a give-away. This is a treatment effort with hands-on analysis and assessment of their situation,” he said. “We have to build trust between them and us so they keep coming back and we will transition them into substantial treatment.
“Unless we intervene, what we will see is more deaths, more spread of hep C, more HIV.”
The work will include cooperating with others in the community who are focused on helping addicts get clean, including the Franklin County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board, which is looking to expand efforts to treat heroin users with safe, effective detoxification medications, Long said.
Operators of needle-exchange programs in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and Portsmouth helped Columbus leaders develop their plan, which they believe will be the most comprehensive in the state, Long said.
Heidi Riggs, whose 20-year-old daughter Marin died of a heroin overdose in 2012, said the Columbus effort will help save lives and give family members better resources to help addicted loved ones.
Long consulted with Riggs on plans for Safe Point.
“We have too many people who are suffering and not enough treatment,” said Riggs, who lives in Upper Arlington and has become an advocate for prevention and treatment of heroin addiction.
Riggs said she’s hopeful that the program becomes a place of support and education for families as well as a stop for clean needles and ideally treatment for addicts.
The program is a small part of Coleman’s roughly $834 million operating budget proposal for 2016.
The mayor plans to announce details Thursday at City Hall. The proposed budget represents a 2.6 increase over this year’s $813 million budget, which Coleman dubbed a continuation budget.
He wouldn’t give the exact figure of his proposal today.
City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian sent Coleman his final revenue estimate of $834.8 million available for the city’s general fund earlier this month. Roughly two-thirds of the budget is funded by income tax revenue.
Coleman said he didn’t anticipate earlier in his time as mayor that a heroin program would be the signature program in his final budget proposal.
“We have a problem and it’s only going to get worse. And so I came to the conclusion based on empirical data, the experience of other cities.
“This is the right thing to do for our city and it will save lives.”
Reporter Lucas Sullivan contributed to this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Curious Observation: So how many heroin addicts are going to actually be cognitive enough to plan and go and take the time to exchange their needles? Seems if they are conscientious enough to be aware of using contaminated needles they will be cognitive in using clean needles. My point, both take some cognitive effort and conscientious planning.
This program has been going on for decades in various cities. I’m not saying it is a bad program, just that as usual we apply a band-aid to the problem in hopes that the heroin users feel the same way we do in doing the program mostly to prevent the spread of diseases and HIV; not that we are specifically concerned about the individual heroin users well being.
This pyramid of life or hierarchy of needs is a common concept when attempting to better one’s community. Not everyone is on the same level of the pyramid and thusly you will not get much community-helping-sharing within that community when most are still on the foundation of the pyramid, i.e.: food, water, & shelter. Those whose foundation has already been built need to realize this when attempting to better the community they reside in. Additionally, one’s foundation is not always built solid and can crack or crumble at anytime, thusly falling your upper point on the pyramid that you may have been at before.
Slumlords need to be exposed – The Columbus Dispatch
Home Opinion Letter to the Editor
By DAVID A. YOUNG, Worthington
Saturday January 14, 2012 3:10 AM
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/01/14/slumlords-need-to-be-exposed.html
Recent coverage of abandoned, derelict, uninhabitable houses and apartments brings to light the extent of the problem in our communities caused by slumlords and greedy property owners. Average- or low-income residents, college students and others are victimized by the sleazy maintenance, safety and health hazards present in the properties they rent or lease. Property owners and neighbors are victimized by the derelict houses in their neighborhoods. Taxpayers are affected by the lowered property-tax rates and increased cost of police and fire protection.
This was brought home to me by the experience I had while assisting a good friend to establish his home-repair and maintenance business. My friend was contacted by a man who offered a considerable amount of work at a good hourly rate to paint, lay tile and do minor repairs in a number of properties owned by him and his wife in various communities around metropolitan Columbus.
The property owner took my friend to see the properties he wanted “repaired,” emphasizing that he wanted them to “just look nice,” applying paint to touch up, caulk to patch, windows repaired and other minor tasks for rentals primarily to students and other young adults. Accompanying my friend and the property owner on the tour of properties to be repaired, I was appalled at the condition of the apartments and houses. Leaking and damaged roofs, broken and boarded-up windows, mold, unsafe wiring, bad plumbing, trash, water mildew, accumulated trash in yards and falling-down garages.
The owner made it clear he wanted to do it “on the cheap” — just make it look good, dress it up so he could quickly rent them. Building codes and inspections were to be ignored; safety and healthy living conditions were of no concern. Just make them look nice. When we tried to suggest things that needed to be done, he became angry, telling us he knew more than we did and saying that if we continued to criticize his maintenance, there would be no working relationship. This man was a greedy slumlord.
From reading the newspaper for the past week, it is obvious that there are many greedy slumlords in our area, but they live in Upper Arlington, Bexley, Dublin, Worthington and other upscale communities that enforce building and zoning regulations and standards. But the slumlords actively contribute to the deterioration of other Columbus communities such as Clintonville, the university area, Grandview Heights, Franklinton and the Hilltop. Many of us have slumlords among us, living in our neighborhoods, pretending to be good citizens, belonging to clubs, playing golf and attending church, while participating in the deterioration of properties and jeopardizing the safety of residents in Columbus and other neighborhoods.
The slumlords need to be exposed, be held to health and safety, zoning and other regulations enacted for the betterment of our neighborhoods and be prosecuted for thumbing their noses at the laws and regulations intended to protect us. Where are the inspectors? Where are the courts? Where is our sense of decency, respect for our fellow citizens and preservation of neighborhoods? Expose them, post their names on websites and hold them accountable for their shameful business.
Rental move-outs are neighborhood eyesores. Neighbors upset at trash piles on curb. – The Columbus Dispatch, 08/28/15
===========================
The landlord blames the tenant and the tenant blames the landlord. You’ll note that the tenant is nowhere to be reached regarding this issue and of course the landlord/property manager refuses to comment. Rest assured though that the tenant and their destructive behavior have moved on; perhaps to a rental property on your street. Rest assured they will repeat the process as they have no intention of staying long. Rest assured the new landlord with happily rent to them. Such a sickening symbiotic relationship. Both parties pray on each other. Process repeats. Unfortunately this pathetic symbiotic relationship which is understood hurts each other but alas the real victims here are the communities that have to put up with this. Landlords cry it is not their fault and it’s not their responsibility to haul away their tenants trash and debris. The tenant states that because they were “done wrong” they have no guilt in destroying the property. So the process continues and communities continue to fight and advocate that rental properties maintained by inexperienced or unscrupulous property owners, especially on the Westside-Hilltop mostly provide no economic value to our community and time and time again we have these landlords praying on families desperate for housing that will accept housing conditions that you and I would never accept.
Landlord states I’ve been hurt financially, tenant states I’ve been “done wrong”, communities continue to pay via taxes, increased water, trash pickup costs not to mention having to deal with the unsightly properties and perhaps shady elements that get brought into our communities.
This needs to stop and shouldn’t be the burden of the communities to constantly have to monitor and report on these properties. Ultimately it starts with a responsible property owner. Owner-lived properties have a vested interest in that property and the community it resides in. They will advocate and partner in the community to ensure their property remains safe and maintains it’s value. Owner-lived properties can’t just write off a property or move away when the community gets bad. Investment rental properties on the other hand, especially those bought up cheap and rented indiscriminately to turn a profit, will just write off that property as a loss and benefit from further deterioration of that property all the while living in a nice neighborhood with a median income double to triple the income of that investment property. We don’t need nor want you in our communities and rest assured we are watching, we are researching, and we will expose. You state that all landlords are not bad? True that, but you’ll note it’s never the good landlords that have a problem with tenants or with the communities their property resides in. You’ll probably never even know of that good landlord with that rental property on your street because the tenant treats the property as their own and the whole issue of landlord/slumlord becomes mute because there is no issue. Just people living striving to maintain a safe, secure, clean, and vibrant community. We all play a part to this success, I think I’ve made my point clear, which one of you I don’t want in my community.
In our me, me society we make our demands and get agitated when our freedoms are perceived to be violated. We make it known by strength of voice, verbals, and body language. How you communicate this returns a favorable or disfavorable response back towards you. Some people especially law enforcement professionals are trained to read these indicators and act accordingly. Unfortunately our society as a whole no longer is taught how to appropriately use these indicators and which indicators return which response. I hear time and time again someone saying that they were treated a certain way and my gosh how could someone have treated them that way. We tend to no longer evaluate an interaction prior to communicating and speak right from the emotion instead of the logic.
Every interaction with another human being returns an interaction. That is communication. Effective communicators formulate their response and have already anticipated your return response and is already formulating the subsequent response. Not everyone is good at it, some are great at it, and some just have the ability to wing it. There are many training sessions regarding this in the work environment, church, and professional organizations. If you have never attended one, perhaps this may be a great opportunity to do so. These resources are available and most times are free.
Something to reflect on when we are treated a certain way or form our own conclusions from what we absorb from the media.
==========================================================
What to Do If Stopped by Law Enforcement
August 31, 2011 at 1:25pm
From the Officer’s Perspective
Often, a person who has been stopped by a law enforcement officer forgets that the officer is under a unique and challenging set of circumstances. They are trying to enforce the law while at the same time attempting to ensure your safety as well as the safety of those around you.
When stopped by a law enforcement officer, the average citizen may become angry, fearful or nervous. The officer’s training and experience teaches them to look for and expect these same emotions from criminals they confront. These emotions are often an indication of criminal activity and may be precursors to flight from, or assault on, the officer.
If you are stopped and issued a citation, understand that it is part of the officer’s job. Officers have a duty to regulate traffic and enforce the law.
In all law enforcement encounters remember the Golden Rules
1. Do Not make sudden movements IE: for your wallet, coat, towards your waistband, etc.)
Until you have informed the officer of your intentions to do so and the officer has given approval.
2. Do Not carry weapons (Unless you have a permit) or make a joke about having
a weapon in you possession.
3. Do Not reach for or display your weapon if you are a CCW permit holder.
Comply with the officers orders. Advise the officer that you have a weapon and where it is located if you are detained.
4. Do Not touch the officer or invade his or her personal safety space (3 feet rule)
5. Do Not be argumentative, Being uncooperative will only prolong your encounter.
6. Do Not immediately demand an explanation. Comply first, and then seek an explanation from the officer or the officer’s supervisor.
How to ensure your safety if you are stopped while in your car
1. Pull over to the right immediately upon seeing the law enforcement emergency lights.
2. Remain in your vehicle while the officer approaches.
3. Turn on your interior light if stopped at night.
4. Keep your hands in sight – preferably on the steering wheel where the approaching officer can easily see them.
5. Give your license, registration and proof of insurance to the officer if asked to do so.
6. If you are a Carry Concealed Weapons Permit Holder (CCW), advise the officer “I’m a CCW permit holder and armed” then state where your weapon is located.
7. If you wish to inquire as to why you were stopped or offer an explanation, do so before the officer returns to his or her vehicle.
8. Do not touch, threaten or act in a disorderly manner toward a law enforcement officer.
9. If the officer asks you to step out of your vehicle, do so without any sudden or threatening movements.
10. Give the officer at least three feet of professional space to do his or her job.
11. Remain in your vehicle at all times unless told otherwise.
How to ensure your safety if you are stopped while on the street
If an officer should approach you on the street – it is not because he or she has any interest in upsetting you. If you are detained, keep in mind there is always a reason for which you are most likely unaware.
The most common reasons that cause an officer to stop a citizen are as follows:
1. You might be one of only a few people walking in the vicinity of a crime that has recently occurred.
2. Your clothing might be similar or identical to that worn by the perpetrator of a crime.
3. Someone may have called the law enforcement agency complaining about your presence or that you look “suspicious.”
4. Someone may have pointed you out to the officer.
5. You might be acting in a manner that the officer considers “suspicious” and you act even more suspicious after realizing that the officer is observing you.
The law enforcement officer does not wish to detain you any longer than necessary. As soon as the officer finds that you are not the suspect, he or she will often apologize for the inconvenience and quickly resume the search elsewhere.
Columbus City Police Dispatch restricting calls based on officer availability and level of severity.
This restrictive run business is getting to be for the birds. Poor customer service and I will be complaining about it the next opportunity I get. Yeah not every incident called into the Police is of the utmost importance but seriously? Then give us a list of what calls will be taken for the day when we call in so we don’t bother. Oh and BTW let’s share this no response list with our criminals so they know what day to do what – Like department store sales.
Mon and Wed it’s ok to break into cars – no police action
Tue and Thur it’s ok to break into houses – no police action
Fri and Sat it’s ok to assault someone that lives – no police action.
Sunday well that’s the Lord’s day it’s ok to steal stained glass and air conditioner compressors.
Yeah right this needs to be addressed immediately with our CPD commander!
We can’t expect to educate our community to “If you see it report it” – If no action is going to be taken about it.
[UPDATE: 07/14/15] So been doing a bit of surface research and my concern just got magnified with this recent bit of information that there are contract negotiations in the works for Columbus to start dispatching Upper Arlington (UA) PD calls. It’s far from a done deal, while the issue is on the table. It’s my understanding that Columbus will NOT add any more dispatching staff should this happen — which will in turn, make Columbus dispatchers even more overworked with the added call volume. Many UA residents are against ‘losing’ their radio room and have started a small group. If Columbus starts dispatching for UA, that could potentially impact Columbus residents getting through even more! Apparently calls are already being transferred from UA dispatchers to the Columbus PD. So not only do we NOT have enough Police coverage, now we can potentially face longer hold/handle times when contacting the Columbus Police Dispatch unit. Definitely a heightened concern. I am researching further to solidly confirm my research.
Thought I’d share from Nextdoor.com regarding our police officers being rude, there is no excuse for not being polite. Yes situations can be tense and everyone can get excited but in order for respect to be given it must be earned and that starts with politeness in all of our public servants. Rudeness is indeed interpretive especially with a professional that has been trained to be direct and to the point but nonetheless all police encounters that are disfavorable should be reported to the the 645-4880 Internal Affairs Bureau-Complaint line. Additionally if an officer is an utmost professional and did a great job, call the same line and report the excellent customer service. Remember though being direct and authoritative is not being rude, it is a personality trait that is taught in our police officers and is often considered offensive to most Americans. Please be cognitive of this as you would with anyone you have an interaction with.
Additionally, with any interaction with a police officers, get their badge number or name. I find it easier most times to remember the badge number.
Hope this all helps and understand I am a strong advocate of our police, I thank them often especially at community events, but I will also report bad conduct or inferior service that is not characteristic as to what the CPD strives to be. But I understand; as being a person that is also direct and to the point, I have been called rude on many of an occasion.
Menschheit: A prospective from Stanley E Thornburgh II 