Sometimes, crime rates are all about how you interpret the numbers. Former Mayor Joe Ganim, responding to Mayor Bill Finch’s claim that crime is down, contends the number of shootings has doubled from last year.
“Last year from January 1st-June 30th, there were 24 shootings,” Ganim contends in a statement. “So far this year, there have been 52 shootings. That’s a 100 percent increase. Bridgeport residents who have been shot in the city … feel that the Mayor is out-of-touch with voters on the issue of public safety.”
Retired Police Lieutenant David Daniels, for years Bridgeport’s face of community policing, tells OIB “Most believe that violent crime has risen, more than 50 people have been shot in Bridgeport since January.”
Finch on Tuesday, at a news conference for public safety initiatives, announced that “Bridgeport today is safer than it has been in about 40 years, but we can and must do more.”
Police sources say that the department is undergoing a six-month review of crime statistics for this year that will provide a clearer picture of crime rates both short and long term comparisons.
Crime stats can be open to debate. Shootings may be up but other violent crimes such as armed robberies, assaults and rapes down. Sometimes it depends on the spin.
Finch is the new Pinocchio. You have been caught telling a very big lie, Finch.
Mythological update: Pinocchio has a twin sister and her name is Maria Pereira. Instead of growing a nose, she grows a broomstick.
Darn! I am just heading to work and I just walked out the door and someone stole my broom. 🙂
I wouldn’t say he’s lying, per se. Overall felonious crime has been down. On the other hand gun violence and street muggings have been way way up. The Finch campaign is engaging in a bit of obfuscation, obscuring and darkening the truth without having to lie about it.
Okay, so who has the better press release today? Foster or Ganim? Which one gets the anti-Finch vote?
I am not sure how many more of these Trumbull Gardens pictures are going to make the citizens believe he is just pandering to one group. Being joined by Foster? What would happen if they had to deal with the taxpaying citizens? Ladies and gents, this is the image, the new face of Bridgeport under new leadership. Nothing like putting on Bridgeport’s best face. That should attract voters. Let’s walk the 135th and tell the people they only thought Bridgeport was getting better but it really sucks, but does it? Does it suck more or less than when Ganim was Mayor or did it suck more or less watching the corruption trials?
Thank you, Mayor Joe. Finch is just a habitual liar!
Joe Ganim would never lie. Ever! Never ever ever!
This is what happens when you promise a $600 tax cut you know you cannot deliver, as candidate Finch did eight years ago. It handcuffs your credibility–on the budget, on taxes, on city services.
Steve, your comment would lead someone to believe you would accept a lie. My friend, what many do not understand is when an elected official carries the title of “HONORABLE,” WITH THAT COMES A RESPONSIBILITY. A “traditional” responsibility, when you give a commitment, your word to them on a specific subject, it is your bond. I would wager there is no one on this blog who can say Joe Ganim made a direct eye-to-eye commitment to me on a specific subject and lied.
So Hector, I guess when Joe Ganim sat in the witness chair in Federal Court and told 12 jurors he did not commit any of the crimes he was on trial for, he was not lying? Is that what you want me to believe?
Or was it when he stood in East End Baptist Church and spoke of the mistakes he made, he was lying then. Is that what you want me to believe?
Because he had to be lying then or now. No doubt about that now, is there.
HAS he ever given you, Bob Walsh, a commitment to your face and not held his word?
Hector, he looked me in the eye and stated he would never sell or lease the golf course if I broke the tie vote to sell Beardsley Park to the state for funds to bail out the city. Joe Ganim leased out the golf course and the city received nothing for two years. So Hector, the answer to your question is YES.
Hector, again I say G-d bless you. Joe Ganim lied to 140,000 people. Stop acting brain dead. Let’s just be honest and move on.
“Police sources say that the department is undergoing a six-month review of crime statistics for this year.”
When will this review be published? Nov 4, 2015?
Steve, I have to give you one. What I remember most about Joe Ganim’s crime fight was the Jersey barriers on a lot of streets on the East and West side to slow down the drug traffic. They were all broken and painted with nice graffiti and the colors of the Latin Kings. Just sayin’.
Quentin Dreher, I remember very well that approach; I was serving on the City Council. The important aspect of your post is “were they effective.” I admit they didn’t look good, and caused some traffic inconvenience, but do the research, did they make a difference while they were up?
Lisa, I hated those Jersey barriers because at that time I was a pumper engineer at Engine 10 on Putnam St and we had to know where all the working fire hydrants were but with those barriers you just couldn’t drive straight there, you had to go around and at times we had to put the fire hose over the barriers. Then there were times the fire hydrants were off duty so now we had to figure out where our next water supply was and we had a lot of fires in that area. It was hell.
Ron, I do remember they were a nightmare for first responders. I remember how difficult they were for drivers just trying to get where they were going. But it was an approach to try to make it difficult for rampant drug situations in those areas. I wonder if it made a difference, I don’t remember the outcome. It was a nuisance, but it was a try.
I was a part of the process that brought those Jersey Barriers to Bridgeport’s East Side. We saw them on a trip to Phoenix Arizona, That was my first year in the Community Services Division, we partnered up with the National Guard, the DOC and the East Side community to make that program work. At that time Bridgeport had experienced 62 murders most of which occurred in that area through gang and drug turf violence, and led the nation per capita in stolen cars. Yes that is one program along with Community Policing program that was instituted by Chief Tom Sweeney. Sad to see the police department in the condition it’s in now, but that came with a heavy dose of the current occupants of city hall controlled by Adam Wood over Police Puppet Gaudett. It can be fixed with a little TLC and strong leadership, by the way the year after those were implemented, crime in Bridgeport did go way down, after which people began to complain about the barriers and they were removed.