Is SmartWater Working?

     SMARTWATER    ….. 

                 

     Smartwater is that space-age, novel approach to fighting crime. It uses an invisible liquid, (only visible under black light), to mark valuables for recovery after a break-in. The theory is that criminals will stop breaking into homes, fearing they might actually be caught! 

     Smartwater has been used in about 400 homes in the most crime-ridden neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, (South Middle River), since the beginning of this year, and the Police Crime Stats released yesterday might begin to tell a tale about its’ effectiveness, and how the authorities might have to tweak the program.


                 

     The good news is that burglaries in South Middle River have been reduced so far this year by 12% (110 burglaries so far this year compared to 125 burglaries – same time last year). 

     The bad news, unfortunately, is Sir Issac Newton.

                                     
 
                          
                         

      ” To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction “, 

     The neighborhood just to the east of South Middle River –
 Middle River Terrace – has had a 14% INCREASE in burglaries over the same time period.

     And vehicle burglaries in South Middle River have jumped a disturbing 36% this year over last year  – (60 so far this year over 44 same time last year) –

   …..  could it be that the criminals are breaking into cars instead of homes, or just breaking into nearby homes in a neighborhood without SmartWater ? 

      There may be some tweaking to do !  

City Misconduct Charge !

     Most readers of this blog already know that the OIG, (Office of Inspector General) for Broward County, has issued a report entitled –

       Misconduct by Fort Lauderdale in the award of the contract for the Design and Construction of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex

                                            

   [  I have been looking into the history of Fort Lauderdale’s different renovation plans for the International Swimming Hall of Fame Complex, and it’s quite amazing, but first a little more about the report – ]
 
                        ……………………………………………………………………………….

       The report from the OIG claimed the City “conducted an inadequate procurement and legal review process” ……. let a contract that allocated $67,000 for unidentified costs …. shielded $1.66 million from audit   ….. said the RFP (request for proposal) was flawed and sent “mixed signals that dissuaded competitive participation“.

                                         
                                                         ISHOF Complex

      The report seems to place a large amount of the blame on just retired City Attorney Harry Stewart, but also criticized City Manager Lee Feldman.

                                         

     Though I agree that these two highly paid employees of the Fort Lauderdale City Commission should have seen the problems with this RFP and publicly counseled against moving forward, I suspect they were trying to please their bosses ( the Commission), and finally get the Aquatic Facility redo done.

     . The tortured, controversial processes of revamping  ISHOF  has seen five Mayors, and has been in the news for nearly three decades, through two different renovations.

                             
                                     ……. five Fort Lauderdale Mayors

       
      Here are some headlines from the Sun-Sentinel over the years about ISHOF renovations

          ………..  Tues, April 4, 1989   ….. Residents Vow to Fight Beach Plan   

           ……….  Wed. June 28, 1989   ….. Pool Funds May Face Veto

           ……….    Mar. 31, 1991  ……….. Gov. Chiles Refusing to Release $400,000

           ……….     Jan. 9, 1993   …….. Aquatic Complex Reopens- $12 million [cost] 

           ……….     Sept 6, 2001  ………..  Swim Center Improvement Plan Gains Support 

            ………     April 24, 2002 ……..    Swim Center Proposal on Hold

            ………     June 5, 2002  …….      Lauderdale Turns Down Aquatic Plans

            ……….    May 6, 2009  ……. Fort Lauderdale Politicians Propose Aquarium (ISHOF)

            ………..    June 3, 2009  …….  Lauderdale Scuffles Aquarium Idea

             ………     May 20, 2010    …… Aquatic Plan makes $76 Million Splash

             ………..    April 7 2011 ….. Ft. Laud. Background Check of (ISHOF) Developer

             ………..     May 4, 2011  .,… Projections Don’t Add Up for Revamp

             …………    July 7, 2011 …. Review Slams Plan for Swim Project

             ………..     Aug. 12, 2011 …. Seiler Wants Revamped Plans for ISHOF Project

            ………….     Oct. 3, 2011  … City Proposes New Vision for ISHOF complex

            ………..       Sept. 18, 2012  … Swim Hall Contract has Price Locked In

            ………..       July 25, 2013   …… Lauderdale Deal Violated Law – OIG says     

                                …..     so, what’s next? ….. Tim   

    

    

    

Neighborhood Watch Fort Lauderdale?

     Does Fort Lauderdale have Neighborhood Watch programs? We certainly have lots of crime in some neighborhoods, but could we have a shooting death like what happened in Sanford if citizens are out there patrolling?

                       Here’s the deal ……

     The City’s Police Department has a program called Citizen’s on Patrol.

            

      These are the active citizens in the program ( that’s wife Cindy bottom row, second from right). They are well trained, drive around in City issued old police cars, dress in official looking uniforms,  and are instructed how to call in problems to Police Dispatch. They take additional training to help in accident traffic control.

     They use Police Radios, have to file a report after each outing, and can’t patrol alone. And they absolutely can’t carry any weapons!

     There is no other official citizen patrolling going on that I know of, but one neighborhood is in the process of forming there own Neighborhood Watch Program.

                       

     LakeRidge President Shannon Harmeling (right), and  board member Juliette Rocque have been working with Police Chief Adderley on their new Neighborhood Watch program.

                                     

     They say the LakeRidge Neighborhood Watch program will have strict rules.

     1.) The participants will have to be approved by the neighborhood Public Safety Committee  and the neighborhood’s Board of Directors.
  
     
2.) They will also have to attend an orientation conducted by LakeRidge and  the FLPD.

      3.) They must do a “ride-along” with a Policeman during the “evening shift”.

      4.) They must attend the Citys’ CERT (Citizen Emergency Response Team) training within a month of being a neighborhood watchman.

               Should the city sanction, or encourage more watch programs like LakeRidges ?

    

Profiling

     Do you profile?

     A big issue in the Zimmerman trial is whether or not he profiled Trayvon Martin as a criminal, and that got me to thinking about profiling. Do I profile? …Do you profile?

                                 
            

                                            Let’s play the profile game !

     Look at each picture below. Give me the first word or phrase that comes to your mind. Don’t try and beat  the game…just play it honestly and send your answers into the site as a comment –

                                           ( if you dare ! )

          your answer here

              your answer here

                 your answer here

           your answer here 
 

                    your answer here

                     your answer here

                           
                                                      So, do you profile?

Zimmerman

     I don’t often pontificate on matters outside of Fort Lauderdale, but I think I might have some special insight into how this terrible tragedy of the killing of Trayvon Martin  happened.

     You see, I was a neighborhood watch guy.

      Let me start by saying that I don’t believe that George Zimmerman is guilty of murder or manslaughter.  ….. I’ve thought that from the beginning….. And if you’ve never lived in a neighborhood with a lot of crime,  never had to concern yourself with it, I understand why you might not see it this way, but  …

                                    This is my opinion – and here’s how I see it….

                       ………………………………………………

                             

     For almost a decade during the 1990’s, I  spent lots of time with neighbors trying to stop criminals from destroying  neighborhoods. Crime was out of control. We formed anti-crime groups after it seemed the Police were losing the battle with the street criminals. We marched the streets, started bike patrols,  called the press, demanded action. We were mad as hell and were not going to take it anymore!

     The criminals then were mostly drug dealers.  [And yes, there was a racial component then. The dealers were almost all young black men, and the drug addicts (buyers) were most often white guys]. We followed the dealers, (and the buyers), profiled both, called the cops incessantly. 

     We never confronted the dealers, just followed and called the cops. And on a few occasions, the dealers got mad at our meddling into their profitable business and tried to assault us, but we’d back off and call the cops some more.

      I’m glad we did not carry guns.

    In Sanford, Florida, the crime that frustrated the neighborhood was burglary. Even though Trayvon Martin was not a criminal,  Zimmerman thought he was.

                                                

      Zimmerman said as much to the 911 operator – these “fucking punks always get away”. So Zimmerman followed Martin, profiled Martin, called the cops on Martin, made sure Martin didn’t get out of his site. None of that is illegal, but it certainly pissed Martin off.

     Martin told his friend on the phone that this “creepy ass cracker” was following him. I think Trayvon  knew that he was being profiled, that Zimmerman was calling the cops on him. But Trayvon knew he wasn’t doing anything wrong.!

                                      

      Why should he put up with this dude disrespecting him like that? Why should he go run into the house? He had a right to walk there!

     Then Martin’s anger built, and he did what many 17 year-old males might have done  – set out to teach Zimmerman a lesson….. Got the drop on Zimmerman –  clocked him – climbed onto him, not stopping to think things out.

      Zimmerman was armed, he fired, and the rest is just tragedy.

                              

    

   

    
    
                                    

       

     

    

Commissioner Rankled

    

     Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis is not happy.

     Here is Trantalis when elected to a three year term just a few months back, beating incumbent Charlotte Rodstrom by just 18 votes.

                       

     But since then, Trantalis has been upset with a number of  positions the Fort Lauderdale Commission has made, and is making no bones about it!

                             

     The latest decision by the Commission that has made Trantalis angry is Galleria Landings.

         

     The proposed condo on the banks of the Middle River passed the Planning and Zoning Board by an 8-0 vote, but Commissioners have a right to “call up” the proposal for review and have the last say.

     Trantalis made that motion at the last City Commission meeting, but could not get any of his fellow Commissioners to second his motion.

     ” I called up the matter because I do not believe the issues of neighborhood compatibility were properly addressed.”  

     ” the decision not to call up [Galleria landings] is nothing less than a mockery of the process, and a fraud upon the people of this city”

     “If the Commission is not listening to the people, then who are they listening to?”

     ” I know the people are on my side”


                            

      Commissioner Trantalis is not happy.

                I’ll keep you informed …. Tim

 

Colon Update

     Okay  …. I heard from some “friends”, that my posting on my medically private business is not what they come to Tim Smith’s Fort Lauderdale  to read about……

     But listen here,  Bob – Bill – Jean- Steve, and Sissy , there is also a political angle to this post ( I’ll get to that in a minute), so take a chill pill and read on……

    
     First there is good news –

                                                

     I know, you’re grossed out, but remember, it was me who was on the table !!

     I”m turning 57 and had never had a colonoscopy, and I was overdue.

     And my commenters on the last post were right, it’s the prep that’s the worst. They give you a bucket of sand, tell you to mix it with a gallon of apple juice, and drink ‘er up in a few hours .

.     Roto – Rooter  would be embarrassed by the outfall!
                ………………………………………………..
      Back to Politics –

     I wrote that I was a bit concerned when I saw on the referral document that the doctor on my case was Dr.  J. Noggle.

                                    

     Now Mayor J. Naugle was surely a pain in my you know what when I served on the Commission, but still?

                   

     No, it was Dr. J (Joe) Noggle, a great Doctor……

                            ………. and I didn’t feel a thing!

    

    

Medical News …. Odd Twist

     So, I’m turning 57 next month, and figure I can’t put it off any longer – it’s time for my

                                           Colonoscopy

       ……….  but some of you that follow local politics, or followed my political career ( 1997- 2003)  will find the rest of the news either a tad funny, or a bit disconcerting! (the rest of you can ignore this altogether)  …

            …….the physician at the helm ?

                                     

                    Dr. Noggle   …..  no kidding

       ………. should I get a second opinion?