Safety in Lakewood

[Joe Ott]

At some point when the negatives outweigh the positives you just cut your losses and leave.

That's what it comes down to Dee.

I like the points Mr. Galvin makes. Sure would be nice to hear more about BPO's. I agree with Brian Pedaci too i.e. ** applause **

A worthwhile alarm is going to cost $500 to $1000 a year, and it would not have stopped the Master's encounter, nor the Library encounter. The police levy for equipment, training, and 29 more police is $300 per $100,000 as we figure it. Seems like a no brainer to me. You buy a burglar alarm, and you the only people that know are you the alarm company and maybe the guy breaking in.

What? That makes no sense at all. I was forced to get a security system last year after two break-ins on our street. The police can't be everywhere. Not even 30 more (I understand what the presence of added officers mean and so on). Even a LKWD Police Sargent told me they are worthwhile and the pd takes the calls seriously from the alarm company and respond immediately. $300 per $100000? Not so sure I'm a supporter now. $25/month. Double it (most people I know are paying taxes on property valued around 180 to $200,000). On top of that we have the latest school charges, another one soon on top of that and you know they are due to ask for an operating levy. What about the county tax Ryan Demro warned us about? Wow. How far can tax payers be pushed before they move? This is getting ridiculous. And for what?

The cost of living in Lakewood is getting to the point where it just isn't worth it. I'm on the fence, but about the only thing keeping me here is the schools. Well, that and the fact houses aren't selling. People, for some reason, keep putting Lakewood on too high of a pedestal.

When we start making comparisons between Lakewood and other Greater Cleveland communities, I still beg an answer to the question where is this safe haven.

Those are not fare comparisons. I pay ridiculous taxes in this city. I expect the best here. Period. I don't care about the other cities. True, there is no safe haven.

What we pay in taxes in this city, we should have the best. I think our PD is pretty darn good like I've said in other threads, but if you eliminate waste in other areas, could we add resources to the PD? I don't know. Before raising taxes, before adding more levies, prove to me city hall has done all they can to reduce or eliminate waste. Wasted salaries, wasted time, wasted labor, wasted resources and so on. I'd like to see any city hall administrator last a week in the manufacturing environment of this country. City hall should adopt Kaizen and strive to eliminate Muda.

I feel sorry for Dee, her family, and every other victim of crime in this city. For what we pay for protection and services from this city, there's little excuse.

[Jeff Endress]

Todd

First of all, I agree with you. Been here all my life, intend to stay here (as I hope that someone develops some single floor, slab condos for us boomers who may want to avoid stairs sometime in the next decade).

Perception is reality. Which City is safer than Lakewood? Well, it's all in the eyes of the beholder. You'll get a different answer from Danielle than you might from me. Crime exists in every hamlet. Meth labs in the styx. Pot farms on cul-de-sacs. In my mind, we reach the tipping point when the frequency of activity gives us the perception that the situation is on a downward spiral. If you live in Westlake, you ignore the drug bust at the Marriot....it's an out of town issue. Imported crime. It doesn't change your perspective or your perception. And no matter what the statistics, until things happen "close to home" people really don't want to acknowledge the existence of the problem.

What we're seeing may not be a statistical rise in crime, but is a precursor and a perception driver. It is "close to home". Graffiti. Thug behavior. Trash. Abandonded shopping carts. Lack of common courtesy. Missing basketball hoops. Unmaintained playgrounds. Potholes. Vacant store fronts. Check cashing stores and manpower storefronts. None may be criminal. They don't impact the crime stats. But, they are symptoms of decline and decline is the precursor to more lawlessness, which will eventually be reflected in those stats. We need to be ahead of the curve so that the perception does not become the reality.


Jeff

[Todd Shapiro]

Taxes are too high everywhere!! And if you ever find that Nirvana where government is not bloated and corrupted let me know because I'll go with you. For some reason I think I'll probably drop dead before either you or I find it.

[Joe Ott]

Taxes are too high everywhere!! And if you ever find that Nirvana where government is not bloated and corrupted let me know because I'll go with you. For some reason I think I'll probably drop dead before either you or I find it.

Ha ha ha. I let you know Todd!

[Jim O'Bryan]

[

OK Lat's play the game Dee started and I think is good.

These choices are out there right now.
Malls or Homes?
Gated Community(Lakewood) or Regionalism Cleveland's large burrough?
City Buses or Regional Buses?
Education Grants or Section 8?
Help criminals or eminent domain?(Farris family, trust me on this one)
Hire more Health Workers or More Police?




.

It wasn't a game. It was a sliding scale series of questions that I believe are asked over kitchen tables and pillows every night around northeast Ohio.
Maybe some people talk about regionalism with their spouse late at night after the kids are in bed, but not me.
If you dont believe that a thousand times a year, a Mrs turns to a Mr and says, "maybe we should think about moving" youve lost a bit of touch with your neighbors

Dee

Please, I am not blind. I can give you a long list of friends that moved out of Lakewood for a variety of reasons. I also have a list of 16 that moved back.

I have no doubt that couples talk of this all the time. My favorite story of this is one Paul Tepley told about a guy that wanted to get out of Lakewood because it was doing down the tubes. When asked what happened to the guy, Paul answers died 30 years ago.

I grew up in Lakewood, I have been watching the flea to the West and South. All I asked was that they do a comparison first, don't run. PLEASE understand I realize that Lakewood is not for everyone, some could grow tired, not look forward to the time ahead of us. Want a big lawn, and a pond. All legit reasons.

I have had the pleasure, I will say of spending time in a lot of other cities this past year. Speaking with CDCs , Chambers, Mayors, Council people, business people, residents in depth. In Northern Ohio you will have to look to get the same what alone better.

I wish I could tell you or my wife, let's move... it will be better. It does not exist. Ask Dan, just traveled heavily, ask Ken he travels the east coast, ask Dustin, or some of our West Coast posters. There is no running, only different.

For me, it boils down to at best the same, and loose my network. I think Danielle would understand this and she has the hardest decision of all of us. Her life was invaded. In Lakewood from what I know of Danielle, she had a strong network of friends for support. I have seen her, Suzie and others come together to shovel walks, and other purposes. So do we move, and destroy the very networks that make Lakewood unique and is our greatest strengths?

My wife and I have given up on moving, we have decided we are happy here and here we make our stand. We see tremendous upside, New Schools, New Library, Paper owned and run by residents, new civic groups popping up everywhere, and and engaged citizens.

It might not be for everyone, that I understand.


.

[Jeff Endress]

Joe

The cost of living in Lakewood is getting to the point where it just isn't worth it. I'm on the fence, but about the only thing keeping me here is the schools

And, of course the schools are one of the reasons that the tax rate is high. But, this ongoing "taxes are too high" always looks at the RATE and not the dollars paid. Can you find a lower rate? Absolutely! But when you apply that rate to a a residence that costs twice as much and requires triple the commute what is your REAL cost of living? To get ahead of the tax curve you're going to have to do one of 2 things.....find a community with lower rate AND a house worth what your Lakewood home is worth OR find a community with a similar rate and a house that costs LESS than your Lakewood home. Good luck. I think Wooster or Apple Creek might fill the bill.

But that is off topic. When long time residents start looking for justification to leave, rather than reasons to stay, we have a problem. We will always have a level of itinerant Lakewoodites. That's the nature of the community. So what is the answer? You give people a reason to stay. The faux actions of council are transparent "see! we're doing something!" efforts, when they are meaningless symbols. They are counter-productive because they magnify the perception of the existence of a problem without effectively resolving it.

Reasons to stay? Clean. Safe. Give us a city we perceive to be clean and safe and not only will people stay, but more will come. Don't provide more ordinances that can't or won't be enforced because there is insufficient manpower for an ever increasing workload. Don't leave garbage cans unemptied, parks unmaintained. If we need a larger Police presence (and we do) don't play the issue for political gain...work to make it happen. Give the residents concrete efforts to actually do something that will turn the tide of the precursors of the downward spiral. Perception is reality. I would love to perceive that someone "gets it" and is willing to get it done.

[Chuck S. Greanoff]

The "information age"--text messages, the internet, this website--creates its own reality--and distortions. Now, when a crime occurs, instead of learning through the paper or word of mouth, we get first hand, hot, accounts, right away--which triggers commentary, other war stories, etc. etc.. Pretty soon, a new reality is created, complete with its own narrative. Now, the accumulative experiences of others help make us feel unsafe, even if our own experience belies this feeling. Nothing wrong with this, per se, except that few mention their uneventful walk down Detroit or that 1,000,000,000 planes landed without incident.

At the same time, sorting out perception from reality is no easy task. Jim and others do us a service by putting the incident litany into historical context, but the image of one teenager with a knife will always trump the "image" of rich suburban kids slowly developing both a sense of entitlement and alienation, or quietly doing coke in their parents basement.

Having said all that, however, the collective folk wisdom of our community, as typified by Jeff Endress, is that crime is begining to threaten our sense of safety, quality of life, etc. Is it really? Well, if enough people believe that it is-it is. I'm not thinking that this community is wanting to study the problem until it magically "goes away" or until we establish an ellusive scientific certainty.

Thankfully, we have the wisdom, the perspective, and the love of our community to forge an action plan. For instance, the notion of "clean, safe and fun" would be an excellent guiding principle for leaders who would care to take it up. Within that framework specific remedies have been proposed that would enhance our quality of life. A true leader will ask people to invest in their community, to convince them that time and money spent will in the long run pay off. This "plan" will be very specific, telling the public exactly how the money will be spent. If is is police officers and housing inspectors, the public will know the cost and the exact numbers to be hired. Good leaders emphasize hope over fear, are solution focused, and encourgage short term sacrifice for the long term good.

[Joe Ott]

Apple Creek might fill the bill.

That would be just about perfect. I could go to Troyer's, get an Amish apple pie, sit on a quiet porch and not see people peeing in bushes...

[Rick Uldricks]

What we're seeing may not be a statistical rise in crime, but is a precursor and a perception driver. It is "close to home". Graffiti. Thug behavior. Trash. Abandonded shopping carts. Lack of common courtesy. Missing basketball hoops. Unmaintained playgrounds. Potholes. Vacant store fronts. Check cashing stores and manpower storefronts. None may be criminal. They don't impact the crime stats. But, they are symptoms of decline and decline is the precursor to more lawlessness, which will eventually be reflected in those stats. We need to be ahead of the curve so that the perception does not become the reality.

Jeff

Well said. Thanks, Jeff.

[Jeff Endress]

not see people peeing in bushes

Not because they don't but because the busshes are further off......OR they're using the available outhouses.....

Jeff

[Kevin Galvin]

To Dave Sharosky;

No, Lakewood does not have specials or part time officers. We do have a volunteer auxiliary force. They are a great help but they are not sworn officers and have no arrest powers and cannot be told to come in and work. When they do come in and ride they serve as a back up officer riding with an officer.

DL,

I absolutely agree. My last comment was more jail space with or without extra police.

Mr. Farris is correct. Before I would support an increase I would want it established what percentage of the current budget is allocated to the police dept. The increase must include language that the same percentage of the budget must be allocated to the P.D. By that I mean if we are currently spending 20 cents of every dollar on the police, then we must continue to spend 20 cents of each NON increase dollar. I don't want the increase to replace five cents of that dollar and that five then going to something else.

[Dan Lotz]

Regarding Danielle's incident at her home--a 14year old and a 17 year old, midnight--this is where the new cufew law is intended to intervene: this is a tool that we need to support police to enforce as intensively as they need to to give youths the message that if you are a minor and are out past curfew--you WILL be stopped by the police, who will use thier experience and judgement--and they will realize that it is very risky for them to consider delinquent behaivor after curfew.

And regarding Ms. O'Malley's recent replies about adults perpetrating the crimes in Lakewood--this is an exemplary episode to counter this. If you monitor various crimes across Cleveland, you will see tht minors are major offenders. The curfew law needs to be used as a tool to prevent this from manifesting in Lakewood.

[stephen davis]

CHUCK GREANOFF and JEFF ENDRESS for CITY COUNCIL!!!

You're both drafted.

Steve

[Grace O'Malley]

And regarding Ms. O'Malley's recent replies about adults perpetrating the crimes in Lakewood--this is an exemplary episode to counter this. If you monitor various crimes across Cleveland, you will see tht minors are major offenders.

Hardly.

This is ONE incident; it is anecdotal.

If you look at all criminal activity in any given city or state, juvenile crime is a drop in the bucket.

Obviously, I don't support juvenile crime but I think constantly blaming kids for making our city or society unsafe is ridiculous.

[Bill Call]

A true leader will ask people to invest in their community, to convince them that time and money spent will in the long run pay off.

Sure....lets double property taxes and income taxes, give the employees a bigger raise, more vacation time, a more generous retirement plan and a sweeter pension. It seems the consensus of opinion is that the answer to the decline of the City is to provide more jobs for the people of North Ridgeville.

I don't buy it.

A true leader would benchmark city staffing of 30 years ago with City staffing of today. What do all those extra people do?

A true leader would confront City unions which are slowly choking the life out of the City.

A true leader would demand more accountability and productivity from the City work force.

No police department is big enough to make a city safe if the city is increasingly populated by people with contempt for social norms.

No housing department is big enough to keep housing up to code if the people living in those houses just don't care.

No parks department is efficient enough to keep the parks clean and safe if the people using the parks are intent on their destruction.

The safety, economic strength and livability of a city are determined by the people who live there and not on the number of city employees.

The middle class and upper middle class in Lakewood are being replaced by people dependent upon County welfare programs to survive. If that demographic change continues the City will ultimately reach the point of no return. Proposing a massive tax increase in an already over taxed county will not reverse that change it will accelerate it.

A rescue plan that depends on an annual round of record tax increases to fund an every larger bureaucracy is based on a false premise; that the root of the City's problems is that people have too much take home pay.

The City has been drifting for years. Think of the administration as a guy in a canoe, one foot dangling over the edge, head covered by a straw hat, gently flowing down stream, perfectly convinced that there is nothing ahead but calm waters, olivious to the crowd at the waters edge screaming "There's a waterfall up ahead!"