9/25/11
The insider has learned that an email from Deb Kind, Mayor of Greenwood, to the Chief of the Southlake PD announces Greenwood's plan to look at alternatives to the SLMPD for police services. The email states that the reason for this is to see if there are alternatives that offer significant cost savings, not because there is dissatisfaction with the police service. The email acknowledges that Greenwood would have to keep paying its share of the bond debt for the public safety building through about 2023.
Interestingly, at a recent Shorewood council meeting, the Mayor announced that the SLMPD Coordinating Committee had decided to look for another city to join the SLMPD JPA. This was before the email from Mayor Kind was written.
Greenwood's obvious alternatives would be the Hennepin County Sheriff and the Deephaven PD. Deephaven already provides service for Woodland and the Sheriff covers lots of smaller communities. Minnetonka is also a possibility.
Adding a new city to the JPA seems problematic. Deephaven has always said it wants to stay with its own police and not be in a JPA with SLMPD. Victoria is in another county and uses the Carver County Sheriff as does Chanhassen. Minnetrista and Mound already are working on a plan to join forces and Minnstrista's only border shared with the SLMPD cities is on Enchanted Island. Navarre (next to Tonka Bay) is really a neighborhood of Orono which has its own PD. Minnetonka seems unlikely to want to join SLMPD as it has a large PD of its own. Spring Park and Minnetonka Beach seem happy using Orono PD as their police provider.
It's entirely possible that in 2014, the year that Greenwood could be gone, Shorewood, Excelsior and Tonka Bay could be stuck sharing the entire cost of the SLMPD. This, in 2012 budget dollars, would add more than $85,000 to Shorewood's annual budget for police or up to a 3% increase in the tax levy.
Stay tuned for more. It'll be interesting to watch the mayors of Shorewood, Tonka Bay and Excelsior work with Deb Kind (all four comprise the SLMPD Coordinating Committee) to try to keep Greenwood in the SLMPD fold. Will they put the financial squeeze on Chief Litsey? Their track record has been just the opposite. Of course, all this is happening in an an election year (2012 has all the mayors up for re-election) so no telling what kinds of games will get played.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
While Mayor Kind has contributed to the problem by consistently approving the SLMPD budgets, it's refreshing to see she's found religion. Seriously, the mayors have continually approved a "2% fitness bonus" in addition to SLMPD salaries which almost match those of Mpls. Zerby says crime is up .. well lock your car doors and it might go down. Litsey has been given a pass since the Love-Keller days .. open checkbook has been continued by Lizee and LaBelle .. in these economic times .. time for a change ... Congrats to Greenwood for questioning the status quo !!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think Greenwood can exactly quit willy-nilly. I believe they must continue paying for the building until the mortgage is paid off. But it still might save them a few bucks just to avoid the operational costs.
ReplyDeleteAs for the prior comment, I don't care to live in fear (lock doors, lock car, carry a gun) because the government refuses to do its primary job. If you did your job, and punishment were swift and severe, we wouldn't need to live in fear. Why should the innocent suffer so the guilty are not inconvenienced?
Reply to Anonymous ... there is no willy-nilly- they are obligated to pay for the bldg. til approx 2023. Obviously, they're doing the math. To your comment about fear .. seriously.. if the biggest crime wave we have is caused by stupidity of leaving valuables in unlocked vehicles while in DT Excel. heaven help us! Everyone has the job of being responsible - not just government
ReplyDeleteLOL.
ReplyDeleteNot many people lock their doors at night in Shorewood.
Crime is up? Well, I would like to see those figures. DWI is probably up. But double the number of officers on patrol and I bet the DWI rate would double as well.
Mayor Kind has the spine to stir it up. I hope she can take the beating she will be subject to by the protectors of the status quo.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first display of balls, yes balls, I've seen from a politician around here in a long time. Finally, someone looking out for her residents instead of the establishment.
LMAO ... pay attention ...crime figures -- again .. ask Councilor Zerby - it was his quote - obviously he has the stats - lol. Double the patrol? Come on .. we have the Sheriff, Troopers and SLMPD -- who do you want to double up on?
ReplyDelete