Unacceptable

new here... (0.00 / 0)

New to myDedham.org and new to Dedham, actually.  I noticed there are no comments on this.... Is it because there are too few details? Because people are mostly surprised? Or worse.. .because no one's surprised at all?

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by: didiever @ Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 01:32:40 AM UTC

Why I Haven't Commented (0.00 / 0)

Because these incidents are few and far between, because Dedham is a much safer community than it was a generation ago, and because the town is trending upward in terms of economic status and public safety. Because the town has developed its infrastructure progressively over the last 15 years. Because violent crime is rare and generally limited to a few areas that are well-known to police, who have implemented effective community-policing programs that limit these incidents. Because incidents like this are not commonplace and when they do happen, people say "wow, that's surprising" and not "well of course."

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by: stebivule @ Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 15:33:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Appreciate that perspective (0.00 / 0)

Thanks. As I said, I'm new to the neighborhood. Not usually one to overreact but this incident was pretty upsetting. Your comment was exactly what I was hoping to see here.  

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by: didiever @ Sat Dec 01, 2012 at 01:37:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Low income increasing from 5.9% to 31.3% in ten years = trend downward in economic status (0.00 / 0)

I am not sure if the town is "trending upward in terms of economic status. "According the DOE, during the 2001-2002 school year, Dedham High was 5.9% low-income. For the 2011-2012 school year, the number was 31.3%. To me that looks like we are "trending downward." However, having said this, I think we still have great schools!    

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by: opine101 @ Sun Dec 02, 2012 at 15:36:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not true? (0.00 / 0)

the info I found at DOE has the current low-income population at 23.6% compared to 35.2 statewide

which means there might be something wrong with both your stats

here's my link:
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/p...

could you post yours too?

I'm particularly interested in your 2002 data

thanks

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by: FredCivian @ Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 02:02:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not true? (0.00 / 0)

the info I found at DOE has the current low-income population at 23.6% compared to 35.2 statewide

which means there might be something wrong with both your stats

here's my link:
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/p...

could you post yours too?

I'm particularly interested in your 2002 data

thanks

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by: FredCivian @ Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 02:02:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Stats (0.00 / 0)

DESE (no longer DOE) measures low-income status as "students receiving free and/or reduced price lunch." I can confirm that Fred's assertion is correct - DESE lists Dedham's low-income students at 23.6% for 2011-12.

My impression is that the figures for earlier years are artificially depressed - dramatically so. The DESE doesn't actually count how many children are eligible for free/reduced lunch, they count the number of kids who are signed up for it. Most suburban schools were severely undercounting their free/reduced kids for a long time and have ramped up their data collection over the past decade - especially since the number of kids signed up for the program can have a huge impact on the bottom line of the lunch program.  More kids on the free/reduced rolls = more funding from feds = some pressure reduced locally.  

This goes a long way to explain why the state's overall number of "low-income" students has increased from roughly 25% to 35% since 2001.  Another issue is that DESE's data collection was HORRENDOUS back in the early 2000s, hell, they don't even have free/reduced lunch figures for many cities and towns before 2006 - including Boston!! - and the figures they do have are sketchy at best. Garbage In = Garbage Out.

So, relying on these data sets to compare Dedham's relative economic status is probably an enormous mistake. I'd rather look at median income, here's one analysis:

Dedham median household income is $80,865 in 2006-2010 and has grown by 31.06% since 2000. The income growth rate is higher than the state average rate of 22.91% and is much higher than the national average rate of 19.17%.

http://www.usa.com/dedham-ma.htm

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by: stebivule @ Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 02:51:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

My figure of 31.3% is correct (0.00 / 0)

Please note that my post refers to the stats for Dedham High (low income = 31.3%) - not the school district.

Please see the data at the link below:
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/p...

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by: opine101 @ Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 11:40:29 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

I see now . . .   thanks  .  . .  FYI, I have no luck finding older data on the state site  . . .

Just to understand better: are you saying that Dedham is trending downward in economic status as a whole? Why does DHS data help to understand that economic status better than other measures (like the District as a whole? % households below poverty line? median HH income?)

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by: FredCivian @ Tue Dec 04, 2012 at 02:30:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The original post was about a violent crime that occurred in our town. (3.00 / 1)

Typically, communities with greater poverty rates have higher crime rates. Thirty-one percent of our teenagers come from families living in low-income households. Ten years ago, only 6 percent of our teenagers lived in low-income households. Now it is 31%. I would say that indicates a major shift in economic demographics. In one study (by the CDC), drive-by-shootings were most likely committed by teens ages 15-19. Therefore, I reported on (economic) demographics of teenagers rather than elementary school kids. However, despite our changing demographics, Dedham remains a very safe town with an excellent school system. Hats off to our police dept, our teachers, and to the families of Dedham!

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/previe...

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/p...

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/p...

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by: opine101 @ Tue Dec 04, 2012 at 23:20:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Did You Read Anything I Wrote? (0.00 / 0)

Thirty-one percent of our teenagers come from families living in low-income households. Ten years ago, only 6 percent of our teenagers lived in low-income households.

Those stats are rooted in bad data and should not be used comparatively by anyone, for anything. Seriously. I urge you to stop spreading misleading information masquerading as fact.

Our police do a very nice job. But they are not dealing with a five-fold increase in the proportion of low-income youth from 2001-2012. I would bet money that the proportion of youth living in low-income families (as measured by a generally accepted statistical benchmark) in Dedham has gone DOWN over that time period. Hell, I'd give odds.

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by: stebivule @ Wed Dec 05, 2012 at 01:41:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sorry. I did not pay attention to your post. (4.00 / 1)

I am not a frequent visitor to this blog. I read portions of it about once a month. I usually skip or skim past your posts because I find you to be rude and pompous.  

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by: opine101 @ Wed Dec 05, 2012 at 03:19:12 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh well (0.00 / 0)

You wouldn't be the first, and you won't be the last. Not sure if what I say is ruder or more pompous than someone who willfully and repeatedly posts misleading information, but I suppose we all have our line.

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by: stebivule @ Wed Dec 05, 2012 at 03:57:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

May I Interject? (0.00 / 0)

To Stebi and Opine101,

I feel you both provide some very useful information.

Opine tried to supply info. from sources he/she thought to be valid.

Stebi, you were quick to point out that such source or sources were now outdated, that may be the case, but sometimes you make it seem like everyone should know this and it could come across as a being a bit overbearing.

Please try to cut a little slack sometimes, thanks.

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by: OakdaleLifer @ Wed Dec 05, 2012 at 04:35:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Fair Comment (3.00 / 1)

Thanks for the feedback, I think that after an election I have a particularly hard time remembering that some blogs are populated by people who are not all agenda-driven ideologues. I feel like I've been conditioned to believe that anyone who posts something twice despite evidence to the contrary is being willfully obdurate, when in this case it was likely something else entirely.  

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by: stebivule @ Thu Dec 06, 2012 at 03:19:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

No Problem... (0.00 / 0)

I know how you feel, you do a great service providing very good detailed info. on this blog, keep on plugin, Thank You!

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by: OakdaleLifer @ Thu Dec 06, 2012 at 22:34:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Addressing Your Supposition Directly (0.00 / 0)

Typically, communities with greater poverty rates have higher crime rates.

A real and reliable source of poverty data is SAIPE, the U.S. Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates site. They've been collecting comprehensive nationwide poverty data since 1989, and they handily break up the data into school districts. Their two primary measures are Total Children Ages 5-17 and Children Ages 5-17 Living In Poverty.  For Dedham:

2010: 3,818 Children Ages 5-17, 240 in poverty (6.3%)
2001: 3,754 Children Ages 5-17, 181 in poverty (4.8%)

http://www.census.gov/did/www/...

I found it interesting that there was a slight bump upward in the percentage of children in poverty, I did not expect too see that. However, this very modest increase truly debunks the NOTION that Dedham's poor youth have increased by a factor of 5 (or 4, or 3, or even 2). And I would still stand behind the idea that the overall number of "low income" children - which includes kids living in families who are not below the poverty line, but still struggle to meet basic needs - is likely lower in 2012 than in 2001.  This is based on the median family income increases seen over the past decade in Dedham, which outstrip both state and national averages. And it's not like we've had boatloads of millionaires moving in here, throwing off the curve. It's middle-class families doing better.

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by: stebivule @ Wed Dec 05, 2012 at 02:00:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

My post and the DOE's figures refer to "low income" families - NOT families in poverty. (0.00 / 0)

According to the DOE website, 31 percent of our HS students come from low-income families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is a difference between those terms.

Where in my original post did I state that this figure refers to families in poverty? Does referring to the Dept. of Education figures make me a mentally deranged propagandist?

http://www.theatlanticwire.com...

http://www.workingpoorfamilies...

Earning $45,000 or less annually per household is the U.S. Census Bureau's threshold for calling someone "low-income (earning less than 200 percent of the official poverty threshold)," and according to the bureau's latest figures, 48 percent of U.S. citizens fall into this category. 146.4 million U.S. citizens are now defined by their government as low-income -- with 49.1 million falling below the poverty line of $22,350.

If we can't trust the DOE's figures on low-income students, why trust their figures on anything? Maybe they have a conspiracy going on with the MCAS, too. Therefore, how do we really know if the kids passed the MCAS? And do we really know if the teachers are licensed? Maybe it's time for homeschooling and preparing a shelter for the next Mayan doomsday. Enjoy!  

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by: opine101 @ Sun Dec 23, 2012 at 04:35:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

*sigh* (0.00 / 0)

Where in my original post did I state that this figure refers to families in poverty?

You didn't. But then in a follow-up post, you said this:

Typically, communities with greater poverty rates have higher crime rates.

I didn't bring up the SAIPE figures in relation to your original post because you didn't mention poverty then. After you made the connection between poverty and crime, that's when I brought in the poverty data. It's quite simple, really, and addresses your own words directly. If you live in a world where only some of your words count but not others, you should probably declare that to the rest of us so we can know what to ignore and what to pay attention to. Perhaps a green font on relevant speech and red font on stuff to discard would be a handy system.

Nobody here ever said that the DESE's (not the "DOE" if we're being precise here) current figures on low income students are inaccurate or misleading. However, for several years they were indeed inaccurate due to incomplete data collection (which I think I explained clearly) and as a result, making comparisons between the current, accurate data and the old, incaccurate data is of no real value. If you disagree with this assertion, fine. But I think your conclusion would be based on "I don't want to agree with that guy, he's a jerk" rather than evidence.

I don't think you're a "mentally deranged propagandist" but I do think you're being intractably obstinate and willfully obdurate for the sake of being so. Whatever floats your boat.

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by: stebivule @ Sun Dec 23, 2012 at 15:47:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Good advice.. (0.00 / 0)

"I urge you to stop spreading misleading information masquerading as fact". I would say the same to you when you tell someone new to the town that Dedham is a much safer community than it was a generation ago.

Dedham is as safe as any town that borders a large city can be. To say the town is safer because you built a few new schools, put new traffic lights in Dedham Square or read a survey saying the amount of poor children is either the same or less than it was at an earlier time is misleading.

I've been a security consultant for more than twenty five years, first in the military and now as a private citizen. It's given me the opportunity to travel (sometimes more than I would care to) and to be blunt, earn a lot of money. Do I sound rude or pompous???

You're obviously a "numbers" kind of guy and that's fine. Seeing things in black and white makes you comfortable and I've met and worked with plenty of others just like you. However, I could go on for the next 15 minutes telling you how your statement in regards to the town be safer is wrong but that's actually not the point of this post and plus, I don't feel like it or have the time

Most everyone has something they are good at. Yours is obviously sitting in front of a computer looking up whatever it is you need to look up in the hope of correcting someone on whatever it is you happen to disagree with on that particular day. It's evident you enjoy it and therefore better at it than most on this blog. When I read your statement last week I was like "wow" but I was to busy and decided to let it go (although to be honest not before I showed a few colleagues who were also like "wow").

For your own good stop. Try to be nice for once. Might make more people contribute to this blog who otherwise are afraid they may be attacked. To people who don't know any better your just peremptory and arrogant. To people that DO know better you just come across as a fool.

Dont forget to say something witty and sarcastic.. Psych 101. Know you like a book. Also I am on the west coast so if I dont get back, please don't be offended.

   

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by: firstpresident09 @ Wed Dec 05, 2012 at 17:34:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well Then (3.00 / 1)

I've been alive long enough to know when to take bait and when not to take it, and in this case I won't. But firstpresident09 does raise a valid point about the relative safety of the town. However, my belief goes far beyond numbers. A few examples of things I've experienced...

Having lived in and around the Manor for a long time, I've had the unpleasant experience of watching as the neighborhood was overrun by teenagers who wanted to party and wreck stuff. One particularly memorable incident was the exploding mailbox outside of Terri's (oh well, no more mail drop for us). Kids would congregate in the Blue Jay-owned slum lot with jersey barriers, deal their drugs to each other, and then slither off into various homes and wooded areas, often leaving the occasional property crime, noise complaint or minor assault in their wake. Many of the kids weren't even from Dedham - they would pour in over the Boston bridge, dropped off by persons unknown at the jersey barrier rally point, wreck the neighborhood, and (maybe) leave.

That is no more. A group of neighbors working with police literally cleaned up this part of town, and capitalized even further when the bridge to Boston was shut down for repairs.  After the bridge re-opened, the dirtbags failed to re-appear. The neighborhood is noticeably cleaner, and while I'm sure there's still plenty of "action" happening with the kids at least it's all gone underground. It's just a more pleasant place to be, and it feels safer. Hell, it is safer.  Special shout out to Jim M., who is involved in every Manor initiative you can shake a stick at and deserves a lot of recognition for his contributions.

The new Avery School and fields project has done so much more than just improve our facilities. Eliminating the abandoned railway bed has changed the dynamic outside the high school permanently. What used to be a haven for dregs is now a well-lit parking lot and access road.  If you wanted meth, that was the place to get it, and now you cannot. Meth is still plenty available in town, but it's no longer prevalent right next to a school, and there's no longer a daily convocation of debauchery and mayhem just after 2pm.

The environment at the high school itself has really evolved nicely over the past several years. There is no question in my mind that the past and current principals, along with VERY capable assistant principals, have effected positive cultural change in the building. Back even a decade ago, the school had a reputation - unsafe, better send your kids to private school. My girls have had GREAT experiences at the high school, and never reported an unsafe moment, never felt threatened or "bullied." Having spoken with a great many parents, just about everyone I know feels the same way about the school's climate.

Some other things bear noting, like the fact that the businesses in town have jumped up several notches, from the specialty stores in the square to the "lifestyle center" at Legacy Place. And speaking of Legacy Place, if I were to look at crime figures over the past several years, I actually would expect to see the numbers go up for property crimes and assaults - primarily because of the addition of Legacy Place. And while the addition of a major retail center means more shoplifting and more physical issues between wacky drunks on Saturdays, these issues are clustered in a central location that is well-policed and away from residential neighborhoods.

All that, plus the positive economic trend figures, plus the many conversations that I have with officers on the Dedham Police force, lead me to believe that this community is tangibly safer on the whole than it was 5, 10 or 20 years ago.  

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by: stebivule @ Thu Dec 06, 2012 at 03:46:18 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The Boston Bridge? (0.00 / 0)

Please - as someone who actually congregated at Terri's - before it was Terri's - you've got to be joking. The kids who have hung out at that intersection have largely been Dedham kids. Don't be pulling that suburban baloney and blame everything on the big bad city - which we directly abut. This ain't Dover we're talking about.

And by the way - if it is true that you could get meth within spitting distance of the high school as you say, then you've just accused the town's police of gross incompetence. Possession with intent to distribute within a few hundred feet of a school sends you straight to jail to do serious time. If you are right about this, the police chief should be fired tomorrow. Is there anything else we should know about?  

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by: manorman @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 01:17:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not Joking, Really (3.00 / 1)

And I'm not letting Dedham kids off the hook, either. First, I can tell you that I was walking into Terri's several years back and watched as a carful of teens unloaded. A Dedham cop - who was on a bike patrol of the neighborhood, an intervention implemented after several problem incidents - stepped in front of the car and asked them where they were from, and what they were up to. Turns out they were all Rozzy kids, and when they didn't have a decent reason for being there, the officer gently suggested they find a new place to go. Which they did. A short time afterward I spoke with a member of the force who I've known since high school, and he told me that the Boston kids were coming in on a steady stream, with their final destinations being some of the subsidized housing close to the tracks.

The Dedham kids, on the other hand, preferred to congregate in the woods on and around the Striar property. They would leave "MNR" tags wherever they could (I remember them on the basketball backboards at Capen) and generally tried to act as tough as suburban punks can act.  And ever back in Ye Olden Dayes of the Internet, they used online methods of organizing parties. The Dedham cops would monitor AOL chat rooms (which always had names like "MNRBoyz" or "MNR4EVA") to find out where/when the parties would be, and then go bust them up.

As far as the drugs by the high school, it's not like there were shady drug dealers hanging around in trenchcoats waiting for school to let out. But to suggest that dozens of kids weren't there consistently handing off a litlle here and a little there to their friends - whether it was weed, meth, club drugs, or booze - is a bit naive. I used to use the old practice field to train for the Bay State Games in track, and every day I went there brought new surprises in the tall grass - always new broken booze bottles, sometimes some very sketchy looking empty baggies and the occasional spoon (were the kids eating yogurt on the practice field? probably, yeah).  

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 01:39:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

First of all... (0.00 / 0)

I don't bait (unless I'm fishing). Men call other men out or take them to task but they never bait. Please remember that for future postings.

Second;

I've been traveling, I'm  tired and not in the mood for this but here goes anyway for better or worse.

2005 Dedham police respond to 13,182 calls for service.
2011 Dedham police respond to 16,203 calls for service.
A difference of just over 3,000 calls in 6 years (didn't check this year). Normally I would break these down by call type but like I said, not realy in the mood for this. Maybe some other time or I  do know a guy who likes to look things up online...

The department has 60 members according to the town.
C O P
4 Lts
9 Sgts
46 PO's
While it appears the brass seems to be up to staff the patrol force has suffered from a chronic shortage of between 10% and 20% over the last 10 years or so. As of today the website showed 39 officers if memory serves me. I also know that Paul Crump who is listed is no longer on the department and I think there may also be one or two other officers listed that have since left.

So..

At a time when the police department is responding to more calls than it has ever had to before, AND, at a time when "the positive economic trend figures" has forced the town to have the smallest amount of officers working the streets in over 30 years you feel the town is a "much safer community" just because there is "still plenty of action" but you can't see it and your mailbox hasn't blown up lately. OK.. Moving on..

I can only imagine the face of a client if I turnnd in an assessment based on the term paper you wrote above. I can tell you this. They'd stop payment on my check quicker than OakdaleLifer rating one of my post as a zero.

Next order of business is.

Business in Dedham Square which was hurt a great deal this summer by the construction. It did not "jump several notches". Ask them at the Centre Deli or Dedham House how their summer was and be prepared to run. Also. Seeing you brought up Legacy Place lets explore that for just a moment. Upscale stores, the types located at LP are notorious for NOT reporting crime unless they absolutely have to. Bad for business. The management at Legacy realizes this and also follows the same practice to protect their tenents. Typically less than 30% of crime is reported at these shopping centers. Also. The location is NOT well policed as the police are shorthanded (see above paragraph) and these upscale malls do not want a highly visible police presence as they feel it has a negative effect on shoppers. Ultimately if the police are summoned it's only because the situation has become so out of hand that more than one officer is needed depleting an already shorthanded shift as they proceed to a "central location away from residential neighborhoods" that might also need the police but will now experience a slower response time. Do you still feel safer than you did a few years ago? Do you still safer than you did before you read this post? I hope for your sake you don't.

I to have also have spoke with many officers who although they love their job say the shifts are constantly under staffed. None have ever said the town is safer than it was a generation ago. They do say the job has become more difficult over the last ten years as the population continues to change as more people move from the city into Dedham. Also in case you missed it, Station 250 was sold to a company named Archstone. This company is based in Colorado I believe and tend to cater to low income tenents. They haven't been popular in other towns and cities where they already own property. Just a little food for thought.

Meth.

Still available you just have to go a little further to get it. Again. OK

High school

Wasn't there just a serious incident at the school that was on the news. I am glad your girls have had a great experience at the high school and have been safe (I MEAN THAT) but I have spoken to several officers. Things may not be worse but they are not better. Different kids from different backgrounds and cultures lead to conflict no matter how you try to avoid it.

With that I conclude as my eyelids are becoming heavy and I need some sleep. Last thing before I forget. I believe that due to budget cuts the fire department on certain days run an engine short. Sleep well.
 

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by: firstpresident09 @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 01:41:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Success (0.00 / 0)

It's pretty much impossible to argue with someone who ridicules an overreliance on data, then turns around and devalues personal experience and mocks you for not using data. You know, the data he wants you to use. Which will be whatever you didn't use. So I won't argue.

But I will say you must have indeed made a lot of money as a security consultant, you have a talent for fear-based propaganda. Manufacturing demand is key for that sector, leveraging isolated high-profile incidents like the one at the high school this year (or the ones at Milton High a few years back) is a time-honored technique to generate big money from nervous administrators reacting to emotional constituents. It's also how political campaigns are won and lost, like when police came out with a last-minute blitz to kill the referendum on alcohol sales in convenience stores ("I'm Officer __ and I know that this is a bad law that will cost hundreds of lives."). People eat that stuff up.

This is not a criticism, it's a compliment. Every generation has its own disease, you've found a way to profit from this one. Congratulations.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 02:23:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Stats 2010 and 2011 (0.00 / 0)

If anyone is interested in the statistical breakdowns of police incidents for the past two years (January through September, so not full year's data), it's posted on a spreadsheet at the Dedham Police website:

http://www.dedhampolice.org/do...

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 02:34:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Success back at ya.. (0.00 / 0)

Don't see where I ridicule you for using data. You went a few rounds about stats with someone else but it wasn't me. Sorry.  I told you I work with numbers people so it's clear I use them. Also I've found it's pretty much impossible to argue with someone that's never wrong. You seem to think Dedham is a safer place to live. I never said it was dangerous. To quote you "did you read anything I wrote"? I said Dedham is a safe as any town that borders a large city can be. I'll wait here while you go back and check. See it? Good. Let's proceed.

I showed you that the number of police calls has increased and man power has decreased. Thats a fact. If you think the truth is propaganda that's your problem, not mine. If you want to make a case for how more calls and less cops helps a community go ahead I'm listening and we can have that discussion. You'll lose but we can have it.

YOU mentioned the Square (not me) and that business is up. I've spoke with these people and they all took a beating this summer. More propaganda I guess. YOU mentioned Legacy Place. I told you how they operate and how it affects the rest of the town. Just because it makes you uncomfortable and debunks your safer than ever theory the easy thing to do is call it propaganda instead of defending your original point. Make a case that a diminished police force being tied up at a place that YOU said was away from residential neighborhoods makes the town a safer place. You can't and you know it so you throw out words like fear-based and propaganda to deflect the real issue. You must of been one hell of a goalie because you spend your entire day deflecting things.

Speaking of scaring people YOU'RE the one who said there's meth at the high school while praising the job administration was doing. Not me. I just asked about an incident that was on the news and mentioned that I spoke with police officers who have siad there are very real problems at the school. Guess the cops are in on this propaganda thing you talk about. I didn't mean to diminish your extensive personal security experience of hearing a cop talk to a couple kids one night or seeing a bit of tagging in a school playground. Like an idiot I travel all the way to Virginia every other year for a week when all I had to do was hang out down the Manor. Don't I feel foolish.

Last thing is I didn't get into this for the money. I don't sell alarm systems or make a commisions for scaring people. I'm paid well because unlike you I can look past my predjuices and admitt when I'm wrong .

And what is all this political crap. Give it a rest. Have a good night..      

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by: firstpresident09 @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 05:30:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Misinterpretation (0.00 / 0)

My statement that businesses in town have "jumped up several notches" was not intended to suggest that these businesses are faring better economically. It was a poorly worded attempt at saying that businesses are more upscale and are geared toward attracting a different client base ... the whole area between the Dedham Mall and the Square has come a long, long way since the days of Benny's biker bar. East Dedham has seen some nice changes too, and even though nothing has moved into Rick's Pub it's addition by subtraction.

My apologies for miscommunicating. And thank you for taking so much time to respond, I know you are very busy and don't have much time for my shenanigans.  

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 14:37:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Shenanigans... (0.00 / 0)

VERY GOOD..Can't remember last tme I heard that. You actually had me cracking up..

You and your family have a safe weekend..

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by: firstpresident09 @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 18:07:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Acknowledging versus Overvaluing (0.00 / 0)

Of course there are issues at the High School. There are issues at every high school - and frankly, if you can name me one high school in America where you can't find any drug you want, I'd love to hear about it. The DHS administration has done a really nice job of addressing issues of drugs, bullying and intimidation, and the overall school culture and continues to do so. The current principal and vice principals have done some impressive work and deserve credit. I'm especially impressed with their school-police partnership work and think that the MOU between the two is an essential tool for student safety.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 14:45:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Benedictine.. (0.00 / 0)

That is just one of the many high schools I could list from personal experience.

Win/lose situation;  

As you would say please read what I wrote. I will make this simple. I said more calls + less cops = bad. You ignored that and called it fear- mongering propaganda. If you tried to make a case against that I feel very strongly you would lose that particular argument.

My last for now..

My post challenged your safer than ever proclamation to the people of Dedham and had nothing to do with the needs of the community. I have no idea where that comes from.

Whether anyone is influenced by anything either of us say.. Who knows.

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by: firstpresident09 @ Tue Dec 11, 2012 at 14:10:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Last For Now (0.00 / 0)

You'll lose

I'm sorry you feel like this is a win/lose situation. I thought we were discussing the needs of the community, not engaging in combat or a ballgame. As with every other discussion here, the marketplace of ideas will decide on its own whether or not anyone is influenced by what we say.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 14:47:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Stats (3.50 / 2)

While collecting data for my post on the Fire Department, I also looked at the Police Department.  I had intended to make it into a post as well when I could get around to it, but it seems appropriate to bring it up now given this discussion.  Can you tell me where you got your numbers, fp09?  I have slightly different ones, as you can see below.  Once again, all came from the Annual Town Reports.

As you can see, while the total number of arrests has stayed the same over the past couple years, the police are spending a lot more time on motorists, either when they do something to earn a ticket or when they get into an accident.  Those jumps coincide with the opening of Legacy Place, but I can't say for certain that is the cause without a lot more analysis.  

Just looking at the last five years doesn't tell the whole story, though.  The police have not been as consistent over the past couple decades in what they report as the Fire Department has.  That's not a knock on them - conditions change, and so do the things worth reporting.  One thing that can be compared across the decades, however, is the number of arrests.  Let's look at just that over the past few years.

From this, it looks like all the ruffians coming in to shop at the upscale lifestyle center caused a 10% jump in crime.  Boo for Legacy Place, right?  Not if you remember what Mark Twain said about lies and damn lies.  Take a look back at the number of arrests over the last 30 years.

As you can see, and consistent with national trends, it spiked in the late 80s or early 90s, dropped dramatically, and has been pretty steady ever since.  Incidentally, it seems to have bottomed out around the time I was in high school.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, although I will say that one Halloween I rode home on the hood of a very conspicuous car driven by someone who is now a officer of the law in this town.  Good thing he didn't get caught.

Anyway, I think a strong argument can be made that we need to be putting more resources into traffic enforcement.  While the total number of incidents the police are responding to is up 7% since 2005, the number of citations issues is up 14% and the number of accidents is up a whopping 36%.  Traffic is a growing problem, and we need to do something to address it.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 04:43:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Brian (0.00 / 0)

From the PD

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by: firstpresident09 @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 05:35:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

One More Item (0.00 / 0)

If you look at the spreadsheet I posted, the breakdown of incident trends shows that the most glaring and significan increase is in "request extra checks" - which went from 71 in 2010 to 553 in 2011. These "extra checks" are proactive checks on "areas of concern" in an attempt to identify and stop problems before they start.  It's great to see the PD getting proactive rather than reactive - this and other proactive strategies (like their community policing initiatives) are likely producing tremendous results that often go unnoticed (you'll never see a news story about a crime that never happened because the potential criminal saw the cops in the area).  

I feel very strongly that this evolving approach contributes tremedously to what is a safer community, and these strategies are at the heart of why the Chief of Police is prioritizing new technologies (to create greater efficiencies) and a new police station (which is desperately needed) rather than greater numbers of police officers. I remember reading a Transcript article where the police and fire chiefs were asked about their priorities, and didn't read a thing about a need for more officers, but I did hear about technology and a new station.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 14:32:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Another one more item.. (0.00 / 0)

I've been meaning to return to this article to see if you had posted aything after your "Last for now"  but honestly it just kept slipping my mind. A contractor I work with who finds our little back and forth chats entertaining sent me a text last evening so here we are again.

When you mention the significant increase for "request extra checks" it shows just how little you actually know about any of this. Proactive policing has been in practice for decades. In this world numbers equal money when it comes to budgets. A good example of that was discussed on this blog with all the talk about the fire department now responding to medical calls. The new Chief is obviously following this trend and simply placing on the record what has  been in practice for decades. This is not an evolving approach. Therefore. I know you are STILL trying to prove your point but once again your wrong.

Also..

If you check the departments FaceBook page you will see they have been hiring MORE officers. I think they are up 4-6 officers from last December. Maybe the town saw our little back and forth and agreed with my post and not so much with yours. Just saying.

Last (again)

You mentioned every generation has its own disease. Well. What do you call it when someone can just never admit they were wrong on a subject and they feel the need to get in the last word even when that last word is just as wrong? Never mind answering that. I'll be in Quantico next month. Bring you back a tee shirt.

You also thanked me earlier for taking so much of my time getting back to you and your welcome. You wouldn't want to know what it would have cost if we weren't "freinds"

Have to go there are Shenanigans to get to that can't wait.  

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by: firstpresident09 @ Tue Apr 02, 2013 at 17:36:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Because it's scary . . . (0.00 / 0)

and extremely rare . . .

and scary things are scary to think about.

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by: yorviskalinsky @ Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 16:30:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

More like unfortunate (0.00 / 0)

I don't know exactly what was meant by unacceptable - it's not like you're Miss Crabtree standing in front of her third grade class talking about chewing gum. These things happen. I lived in Roslindale during the 1980s. In recent years, there have been multiple shootings in my old neighborhood. It's a terrible thing to see, but this is the United States - we do gun crime. And not only is Dedham not an island, but it's next door to the biggest city in the six state region.

It is, in fact, an isolated incident. What do you want to do - search cars for guns at the town border? Residents get cancer and die too - is that 'acceptable?' Stuff happens. You can't possibly be surprised that shots get fired in town in 2012. Shots get fired everywhere.  

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by: manorman @ Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 19:39:44 PM UTC

Deception? (3.00 / 1)

I looked at the roster on the police website. While Town Meeting has allowed for, I believe, 46 patrolman there are
only 39 names listed.  Included in these 39 names are two officers that have been retired for 6-9 months and one who
has become a fireman.  I figure that out to be 36 working patrolmen.  Why not let the town know that?  

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by: nllrd @ Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 13:43:18 PM UTC

Not a priority (4.00 / 1)

I don't think it is deception so much as the fact that the website, despite several efforts by the Selectmen, is not a priority for Town Hall staff.  Only a fraction of what is on there is current.  Take a look at the Board of Assessors, for instance.  You would have no idea that Frank Stapleton stepped down and John Healy was elected to take his place -  8 months ago.

The Town does a pitiful job with their website, and the Police Department actually has one of the better ones.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 15:27:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

use Occam's razor? (3.00 / 1)

"Among competing hypotheses, the one that makes the fewest assumptions should be selected."

Laziness makes fewer assumptions than conspiracy.

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by: yorviskalinsky @ Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 16:09:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I would agree (0.00 / 0)

However, an officer who resigned in the last month or two was promptly removed from the roster. The first two names on the roster don't belong there, maybe they should have hidden them in the middle of the pack.

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by: nllrd @ Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 16:51:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Simple Question? (0.00 / 0)

Not sure about this but, if the one retired officer that has now become a fireman, is he/she able to collect a police pension while now being a fireman, or would it be considered "double dipping"?

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by: OakdaleLifer @ Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 21:32:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't know (3.00 / 1)

but this was one of the young kiddie cops that wanted to join the family business(DFD).  I don't think he was there long enough to earn a police pension.  He should be able to transfer his earned time in the pension system to the fire job

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by: nllrd @ Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 22:23:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]