More "City Stats"...

Fort Wayne police are being called to task for targeting central city for DWI arrests. Now while getting ANY drunk off the road is a good thing, there are those that feel that THIS part of the city is being unjustly singled out. Downtown bar owners are calling this the "pink elephant"; an effort by the FWPD to target drunken drivers in ior near the downtown area while neglecting others.
Considering that Fort Wayne is making MORE DWI arrests than INDY (since 2001) speaks volumes as to OUR concern to remove these hazards to others from the roads and streets of our city, and is to be commended. But while this is all well and good, is there a real basis for the bar owners' claims?

With 1142 arrests in the central downtown area, it IS the highest rate citywide. And yet, there are only 23 bars and restaurants that can serve or sell liquor. THAT number is surprising to me, actually. In my area, where we seem to have a bar or food store that can sell alcohol within WALKING distance from anywhere to anywhere else, I would expect the Southeast to have the highest number. Yet, no specific data is listed for the southeast per se. Interesting, hmm? Maybe the JG needed to further define the boundaries for their story?

Downtown is what I call an "honest" venue...easy access to streets, one-way streets, nice square blocks, etc. Sure, that's easy to patrol (and catch people). It's what we called (in Philly) a "gravy" assignment. On the southeast side, you have all these alleys (used for secondary streets), abandoned houses, different sized blocks, winding streets (been there, done that at 70mph on a ride-along...lots 'o fun), and a lot of YIELD and STOP signs instead of traffic lights. It's easier than anything to evade, elude, and escape (until you hit a major cross-street that is). Hell, I"ve got a THREE-TIME DWI FELON at the end of my street...but someone keeps letting his ass the hell back out. How fair to the rest of us is that? The ACSD has a cell with a revolving door on it just for him! And this same scenario is probably being replayed all across the city.

What this blogger finds intriguing, is that the area with the largest number of liquor licenses (Coliseum/Coldwater corridor), has only the THIRD highest number of DWI arrests, after the aforementioned central downtown area AND the Dupont Road corridor (northeast). What these numbers do correctly reflect is the "checkpoints" set up by the FWPD to catch drunk drivers. When you see the PD blotter, it makes sense in that regard at least. Of course there is that "quota" the officers (at those locations) HAVE to make, or lose the assignment.

What makes no sense is that by directing their efforts at these SAME areas, the FWPD misses so many more drunk drivers that simply find alternate routes past these places. In my area alone, I see people drinking WHILE they are driving all the time....and the reason? No police presence...plain and simple. I have several BAGS full of liquor bottles and beer cans (removed from my property and willing to show to ANY city representative or FWPD official) that attest to the FACTS here. Let's face it...if you KNOW where the police ARE, and you want to skirt the law, where DO you go? You go where the police ARE NOT. You go where you can get away with anything. You go to areas the police don't know AS WELL, because they don't LIVE around there. When officers lived in areas they patrolled, they knew the area intimately...places AND people. It's not rocket science people! It's called human nature. And it IS predictable.

Such is just not the case these days. Be nice to see an officer living on MY street (like my uncle in Portland that has TWO within walking distance from HIS house).

The FWPD is missing so many opportunities in OTHER parts of town, its not even funny. I have asked time and again to "just park" a patrol car in my area...and you WILL get citations...by the score! If not for drunk driving, then for other violations such as improper vehicle illumination, noise/music, erratic driving, speeding, and the like. I have stated in other posts that the city misses approx. $60K-$90K per officer per month regarding the number of citations "available" for writing. That is some SERIOUS change, folks!

Other cities have teams such as NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Teams) to provide a more PROACTIVE approach to problems before they get out of hand, thereby forcing the department to become solely a "complaint-driven" agancy. The FWPD is in such a situation now. They are complaint-driven, but it could be turned around.

I am not stating all this to knock the department...quite the opposite. I support everything these men and women do, as well as what they stand for. Coming from a police family back in Philly does that to you. I just believe that much better utilization of resources are currently on the table. All that needs to be done is to sit down, take a look at it, and begin implementation of such things, as to make the entire city more amenable and responsive to the police, instead of being just the other way around. THEY are here to protect and serve US.

It's high time that means in ALL parts of Fort Wayne, & not just where it's "easy" or "convienient".