Let's talk about it and hold more meetings to talk about it. That's how Kelly has decided to tackle crim in Halifax.

Haven't we talked long enough?

While Kelly talks, crime walks.

Post edited by: admin, at: 2007/08/25 12:18

Post edited by: admin, at: 2007/08/25 12:28

Former Chief of Police Dave MacKinnon, a highly principled individual who ran afoul of Peter Kelly precisely because of those principles, had a plan to deal with some of the major crime issues in the city. (Let's face it, a zero crime rate is not going to happen).

Dave, God rest him, wanted to put more officers on the street...beat cops. He wanted more bike patrols. He wanted more officers involved with community organizations, particularly those assisting youth and those involved in domestic violence situation.

Appearing at a meeting of the Police Commission, Chief MacKinnon was asked (I paraphrase because this was a few years ago) what he would do if the city gave him an extra $450,000 in his budget...he was expected to answer in the context of how many extra police officers he could hire. Instead, he said wisely..'I wouldn't hire any more officers, I would put that money into good recreational programs for our children.'

Now there spoke a wise man. We know absolutely that active, involved, busy youth equals a substantial lowering of a large number of certain types of crime....break and enters, shoplifting, petty theft, assualts, swarmings etc etc. Funny how council never really listened to that message.

Just about every police officer in HRM will tell you from experience that idle hands make the devil's work so to speak. They rarely run afoul of young people who are busy playing hockey, basketball, baseball or swimming or rowing or paddling etc etc. If we relieved our police force from the unhappy task of playing truant officer to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, then they would have the time and resources to tackle more of the heavy duty crime in the city.

Peter Kelly, as per usual, would rather talk a topic to death and then send it to staff for a report and then send the report to a committee for "discussion and debate amoung all the stakeholders" than actually do anything about it. Good God people, what we have here is Nero fiddling and Rome burning......WE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS...WE HAVE NAMES AND FACES AND VOTES....

Just my opinion of course

Well put 'Voter and Tax Payer'

It's interesting that you referred to former Chief MacKinnon. It shows the crime problem has been an issue in this municipality for far to long now. But under Kelly's watch it has become a growing problem.

MacKinnon did have a plan and he did make it known. He was largely ignored by the powers that be, including Peter Kelly. Today we hear about stabbings and assaults on an almost daily bases.

And Kelly wants more talk.

Here's an example of Kelly's attack on crimme in Halifax!


Is this the face of a criminal?
Park patrol writes up $222 fine for walking pup on wrong path


That’s one expensive walk in the park.

When Dan Barnhill took his puppy Diesel for a walk at Point Pleasant Park, he had no idea he would be told to shell out more than $200 for walking down the wrong path.

The park patrol officer who came up to them didn’t ask, " ‘Are you aware that you’re not allowed here and you’re subject to a $222 fine?’ " the Whites Lake man said.

"It was just, poof, you’re getting it."

The 14-week-old Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever apparently enjoyed his stroll — on a leash — and elicited several admiring comments during his first visit to the south-end Halifax park on Thursday. But then Diesel and his owner met up with the park patrol officer while heading back to the car in the main parking lot near Black Rock Beach.

The officer wanted to know who owned the dog.

"I just figured he was going to check the dog licence or something, so I gave him my driver’s licence," Mr. Barnhill said.

But the park patrol officer "whips out his ticket book and he says, ‘You’re getting a summary conviction and a fine for $222 for being here with him.’ "

When Mr. Barnhill asked why, the park patrol officer told him that dogs are not allowed in the area between the beach and the Sailors Memorial after 10 a.m.

The park officer couldn’t tell him when the rule went into effect, and when Mr. Barnhill told him he didn’t see any signs, the park officer responded: "That’s not my problem, sir."

The only sign Mr. Barnhill saw was along the path from Cambridge Battery to the beach area where he and Diesel were walking. It was near the edge of the grass near the monument.

"We just figured, OK, we’re not allowed on the grassy area here, so we just turned and walked directly down the path toward the main parking lot, and that was where he (the park patrol officer) met us," Mr. Barnhill said.

Upset by the ticket and what he described as rude treatment by the officer, Mr. Barnhill went back to look for the signs.

He found one at each end of the banned area but said the postings are not as clear as they should be, especially given the fine.

"If it’s a student or an elderly couple on a fixed income? I mean, that’s a big kick in the teeth — $222 for walking your dog," Mr. Barnhill said.

When asked on Friday morning about the man’s complaint, city official John O’Brien e-mailed a copy of the municipality’s dog bylaw and a news release from May 2000 that announced the dog ban in that part of the park.

Section 11(4) of Halifax Regional Municipality’s current dog bylaw states: "No dogs shall be permitted in a municipal public park area where the area is designated by signage as an area prohibiting dogs."

Anyone who breaks any part of this section is subject to a fine of $100 to $5,000.

In an e-mail to The Chronicle Herald on Friday afternoon, Mr. O’Brien said he visited the park Friday to check the signage and wrote: "There are two signs posted, in good condition and in plain view at Black Rock Beach as you enter from the parking lot. There are numerous signs as you enter the area from connecting paths as well. In my opinion, there is no lack of signage at this location."

Mr. O’Brien said he was trying to contact a park patrol representative about issuing tickets instead of warnings, but he wrote: "We do get calls at the park office on a regular basis requesting enforcement of the posted rules."

Diesel’s first visit to Point Pleasant Park may be his last, "just based on that experience," Mr. Barnhill said.

"I think they need to find a way to make people aware of it. And if it’s somebody’s first offence and they don’t know, then they should give them the benefit of the doubt and they should give them a warning. I think that’s pretty reasonable."


http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/855279.html

Wait until the cat bylaw passes. There will be civil war in HRM.

Cat bylaw? I thought that was settled years ago????

TLC wrote:
Cat bylaw? I thought that was settled years ago????

Nope. Moron Coun. Jim smith and his cronies have revivied it again and it is far worse than ever before. Any cat at large can be rounded up and killed by the city. Or your crazy neighbor can trap your cat and have it killed by the city.

Public hearing upcoming, I believe Sept. 11th.

Does Peter Kelly have a stand on this or is is just saying, "Whatever Council Wishes" ?

It's intriguing how person that would like to be viewed as a leader can claim to be a leader without taking a position on items like this.

Am I being too harsh?

Do you all remember the scene in the movie "Best Little Whore House in Texas" where the Governor sang "Do A Little Sidestep"?

That character and that song are Kelly to a tee........he NEVER takes a stand or a position on anything. He has to consult legal counsel, he has to consult with the "stakeholders" (he seems to forget it's us who are the stakeholders and who are asking the questions) or he has to request a report from staff...or or or or or .....

No, my dear Admin, you are not being too hard on him at all.

No cat or dog safe under Kelly's watch. New motto for his worship.

For the first time in my life I'm very afraid to walk the streets in my own hometown.

Hasn't crime in halifax been talked about long enough. Halifax needs someone with the strength to stand up and take action. Kelly stands up to shake hands and consult. It's time to end this ineffective reign.

They too tied up dealing about cats peeing in flower beds and puppy dogs in PPP to deal with crime

Peter Kelly lives in Bedford where there is little crime . He should live in Dartmouth or Sprfield to get a taste of what its really like