I took a statistics class in college where my professor convinced a class of more than 100 that the world was flat based on percentages, averages and graphs. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. He produced five charts showing five ways of measuring the average elevation above sea level from Annapolis Maryland to Denver. Because the numbers never when down no mater how far you went toward the "mile high" city the only answer was that was either Denver's elevation was wrong or the world was flat.
He stood before all of us, many with 4.0 GPA’s and asked; “With only the information before you, how many now believe the world is flat?” And everyone raised their hands.
So while citizen’s of Charlotte believe the “numbers” from King Rodney the sad fact is that those who died last year are still dead. Those who had their homes broken into are still recovering and those where robbed, beaten or raped are still traumatized.
RoMo's numbers as he has reported them are here. (For the record I don't want to take anything away from the CMPD officers who do the work, those who make up the thin blue line. What you do is very much appreciated)
Across the US crime is down, something that Chief Monroe now begrudgingly admits.
Violent crime in Los Angeles hit its lowest level in more than half a century last year, one of a growing number of U.S. cities reporting its streets were remarkably safe in 2009.
Washington, D.C., finished the year with 143 killings, the lowest tally in the nation's capital since 1966. San Francisco reported 45 (vs Charlotte’s 56) homicides last year, its lowest in 48 years.
Who would have taught that San Francisco would be “safer” than Charlotte?
Charlotte’s population of 687,000 with 56 murders gives a 8.15 rate per 100 thousand, where San Francisco with 808,000 gives a 5.56 rate per 100 thousand.
San Antonio, Austin, San Diego, Honolulu all cities nearly the size of Charlotte have murder rates nearly 1/2 that of Charlotte.
New York, Chicago, Boston and Dallas also reported dramatic year-over-year declines in 2009 compared with 2008.
Los Angeles had 314 homicides in 2009 -- the lowest number of killings since 1967, Los Angeles also saw declines in rapes, robberies and assaults in 2009, compared with the previous year.
Violent crimes nationwide -- including homicide, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- have been shrinking since 2007, after a slight increase in 2006, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Reported statistics showed the greatest drop in cities with populations greater than a million people.
Experts believe the fall in violent crime is tied to the aging U.S. population.
"The graying of America is a significant factor," said James Alan Fox, Lipman Professor of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in Boston. "The largest and fastest growing segment of the population is people over 50. People over 50 also happen to be the age group that is the least likely to commit crimes. As the group grows, crime rates do decline."
So how does Charlotte stack up to the nation?
Despite what Chief Monroe is saying, his “aggressive” tactics, wild spending, and reshuffling of CMPD staff and funny new uniform is not paying off.
In fact our murder rate (8.15) is higher per 100,000 than New York (5.58) or San Jose (3.04), and our burglary rate is nearly twice that of New York.
So what gives? Well it’s all in the numbers. RoMo is showing you the numbers his way.
We call it "cooking" the books. The only trouble is eventually it catches up with you.
If Rodney Monroe claims a 50% reduction in murders one year and the next year the number of murders return to the prior year’s number, he’ll have a 100% increase in homicides. Leading his detractors to claim that down 50 and up 100 equals an increase of 50% overall. (Aren't Numbers Fun?) Then how many will call for his firing?
The number that Monroe doesn’t report is the number of arrests. More cops, spending more money, should result in more arrests. But it hasn't. A quick check on the CMPD web site shows once again that number is blank.
So where does he spend all the money? I'd guess Christmas parties, funny uniforms and take home cars.
So you have to ask yourself, with all the drama, the hype and the circus atmosphere at CMPD are we getting our monies's worth?
14 comments:
Once again, Cedar, you have hit the nail on the head!!!!!
Excellent piece, excellent, and true down to the last word!
Thank you, again!!!!
Yes Cedar you are spot on.
And from those you have to deal with RoMo's style of fear and intimidation on a daily basis we thank you!
All that RoMo has done is demoralize a once proud department.
Ask anyone who has more than ten years of service, they will tell you they are counting the days.
An 18 year member of CMPD
The answer to your question is YES, you are getting your monies worth. You are getting exactly what Curt Walton paid for. A disgraced former police officer who was pushed up the ranks due to affirmative action and diversity, and who now applies all he has experienced to your CMPD. Shameful, disgraceful, and above all, disrespectful to the men and women actually doing the work.
Sometimes do you ever get the feeling no one is listening?
Only recently have I felt like the mainstream press is catching on to what Cedar has been talking about for the last year.
Anon 12:10 and Anon 1:49:
Could not agree with you more, it's what I am told EVERY DAY by officers...every day.
Crime is not down..........the last three years the number of arrrested are about the same. ( Approx 43,000). I researched the numbers myself.
The PD pads the stats. They group together larceny from autos and make one report if they are close together. They will clasify an armed robbery as a strong arm robbery. They are all about the numbers and the RAC Sgts will do anything to make their numbers look good when they have to present them to the chief b/c they are scared.
Word this AM is something big in RoMo land is going down. The RIC has been behind closed doors since Wednesday and many of the potential goats are looking worried.
Okay, I give, what is RIC?
RIC Royal Inner Circle or RoMo's Inner Circle.
Pete on WBT must have gotten the same email as Cedar Posts.
What did Pete say on WBT...I cannot listen to 3 hours.
to further explain the grouping of numbers. If you live in an apartment complex and 5 cars get broken into CMPD now runs the report as one theft with 5 victims. On the crime stats it shows up as 1 report. Nice huh. The residential break ins are also being changed to damage to property calls. Thanks to the city manager for getting us in this mess. Many officers are disgusted these actions are going on but there is nothing we can do. If you speak out you are ruined if Romo is still in power. Most are praying for a federal investigation to rid us of this disgrace.
I've been a member of CMPD for close to 20 years. I began under the reign of Chief Stone (an honorable, dedicated, and grandfatherly) figure to us young recruits beginning our careers. He came to the academy and spoke to classes and with his words of "genuine" wisdom, he made us proud and uplifted us and it made it feel as if we were entering the most honorable profession in the world.
Since my tenure,at least in my opinion, the standard of selecting a Chief has been slipping. Nowicki was an arrogant egomaniac in it for his 5 years and the nice going away gift of retirement and a "consulting job", Stephens while he seemed soft and clueless had alot of integrity and was geniune. It's not hard to judge integrity, especially when your daily job is interacting with the public in law enforcement. All you have to do is look into one's eyes.
I am overwhelmingly embarrassed and ashamed of the Chief.
Every year the state of NC requires that all law enforcement personnel take a block of "Ethics" instruction. Although in my opinion I think it is a waste of time b/c if you were driven to the profession like me, there is no need for this type of PC crap.
I think the chief needs to be fired, the city manager needs to be fired, the DA, although he is retiring but it can't get here fast enough. There needs to be some good ole common sense instilled into our city leaders and we need to get on with business of running city government the right way. Who is listening??? Does any of our leaders care? Will the federal government have to come in and take over and run this place after rampant corruption is uncovered.
A bogus degree, changing the directives to suit his agenda, making once well respected colleagues, friends, and decent hard working employees fearful of him. It is sad and it makes me dread going to work. A feeling that I've never had before his arrival. Respect is earned NOT forced, Chief. There are officers that had been here for many years and will be after you leave. Make the CMPD proud again and go away.
I don't know how many of the city leaders read this blog but for those of you that are, here's a request. Why don't some of you come out to our roll calls (like command staff is forced to) or better yet, a place far away from the eyes and ears (or recording devices)and LISTEN to your police employees. All of the coverage on this BOZO is not made up hype. It is true!! You probably should have some idea by now that it is. What does it take??? He runs the department budget into the red with his pet projects, NONE of them make any sense. We can't even get a cost of living raise. My first check of this year 2 weeks ago showed an actual DECREASE in my bring home pay. What kind of incentive to work hard is this? And as for the massive decrease in crime rate.....? What a joke.. Those of us that have been here long enough have never seen crime as rampant as it is. Truth be told, there isn't any amount of officers or any chief that can reduce crime. Crime is a result of society and the times we are living in. The court system has failed us. The repeat offenders are the reason for the crime rate. Stop the revolving door at 825 E. Fourth St and crime will slow down.
The shell game that the chief is playing is so easy to figure out.
Here's how he has fooled the public:
For years at the department it worked like this.....15 Larceny from Autos were 15 separate reports. It was determined that we could actually complete 1 report with 15 victims if the proximity of the vehicles were close. ie..apt complex or shopping center.
The Chief has not ACTUALLY lied when he says crime is going down (on paper it is) but he is not telling the FULL truth about how the FBI has told departments that it is alright to classify these as one offense. The CMPD did not know that it could do this before.. The same is probably true for many other cities as well that have showed a REMARKABLE decrease in crime. The officers, like me, working the beat know better..
January 17, 2010 12:09 AM: THANKS for your honesty! We the public KNOW the lies and so do the City! NOW it is up to us to FORCE the City Leaders (if you can call them leaders) to do something about this IDIOT! First of all he LIED on his application, that is ALL that is needed to fire him...he cannot come back at the City because HE LIED! PERIOD...an offence ANY employer can use for firing someone! BUT it is going to take a lot more than just you Officer (unfortunately) to get this done! It is going to take MANY officers standing TOGETHER! I hope you folks can rally together and get this done!
In response to ThaQueenCity 12:09:
I would be all for forming together with other officers but it would have to be planned in secret and a member(s) of the "Brass" would have to be a part of this coalition. I think nearly all of the "Anonymous" posts on here are CMPD personnel. By reading the words it is easy to tell. I guess it is part of our sixth sense. I'm sure the Chief reads these posts too.
There is strength in numbers. I would be more than willing to stand strong with a group but I, just like others know that without someone from the "inside" willing to come forth and stand with us, we would all be re-assigned a night shift walking beat pickup up dog crap in a North Charlotte park somewhere.
I am college educated, and capable of having just about any career that I choose, however I chose law enforcement. Not for the career advancement aspect, not the glamour, not the for fancy white shirts or the dream of authority. I chose it because it is an honorable profession where I can work an honest days wor k and know that maybe I might make a difference in someones life, as corny as that may sound.
With the recent developments by a couple or shall we say THREE idiots (let's not forgot our "Leader") the perception from the public is that of distrust and it shows in their stares and glares.
I wish I could just talk to them and try to explain the TRUTH and bring out awareness. While this is something that I desire to do, I am smarter than to run off at the mouth b/c you just never know who would make that PHONE CALL and drop a dime on you for telling the truth.
Believe it or not, the chief has alot of support from the public. They are usually the libs from the affluent neighborhoods that buy into Charlotte politics or they are the African Americans that are just happy with having a black chief or President for that matter. It has nothing to do with right or wrong or common sense leadership. It's nothing more than supporting one of their own, PERIOD.
I have never been one to make judgements on skin color. I believe that character is from within no matter the color or ethnicity of an individual. I would respect and follow anyone that is of high integrity.
I would love to see the likes of a D/C Kerr Putney or a Captain Dee Faulkner step forward to speak the truth. It would weigh so heavily to the public and the hard working officers that respect these two honest and honorable officers of color...While I truly respect D/C Medlock, his testimony would only reaffirm a certain segment of the populations negative assumption that this is only racially motivated.
The Chief must go!!!! and we need to form together a collective group to protest and get this unethical thug, Rodney Monroe out of Charlotte so this department can be proud again. We have had enough black clouds and suspicion brought about by his "mafia" style leadership.
On one last note:
Several years back we had a mandatory block of training required by the state called "How to eat an elephant" (odd name and I still don't know why in the hell it was named that). It was an Ethics class and my block was taught by then Captain now D/C Harold Medlock.
Each member of the class had to write his/her own obituary.
The purpose of this exercise was to write down what you would want others to remember you by.
It was probably the most valuable and memorable blocks of training I ever had.(it definitely made you think)
I'm sure this Chief would have a really hard time with this exercise. Hey Rodney, try it! I would love to see your response. It would probably be a short obit....
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