Do we need a police department?
I've heard people say that we don't have a need for a police department. Well, I came from a town with significantly less people (about 6,000 between the town and township), and they had a police department of 6 officers. Why? Because it directly affected the amount of crime and violence our town had. It also affects your homeowner's insurance rates for the better! Have you read the Farragut Press police reports section? That amount of crime, whether or not it's petty, deserves better attention by our town leaders. If they are unwilling to communicate with our Sheriff's department and get more than just one sheriff to patrol our beloved town, maybe it's time to fund our own. I personally think if we can get a couple more deputies we shouldn't need a police department. However, if we cannot come to some kind of an agreement with the KCSD, maybe we need to look into it.
Just my opinion, feel free to slam it if you wish....
Just my opinion, feel free to slam it if you wish....
posted by Mike at 1:18 PM
9 Comments:
Maybe Farragut should enact a property tax to pay for more officers...we have greatly increased the suburban sprawl in Knox County thereby stretching resources dangerously thin.
Well, I agree that something needs to be done and soon. Maybe we need a community patrol. I know that several communities have implemented community policing and have reduced the amount of crime in those communites. However, since most of our problems happen with businesses, speeders and accidents, I don't know if that would help. Unless the "officers" were allowed to give real tickets.
Personally, I don't think we need to have a property tax pay for our police protection. If we brought in enough retail businesses to fill up our current vacancies (and of course, we'd have to support those businesses with our $$$), I think within a year, we could fund a police dept.
It seems to me that we could be in trouble with revenue in Farragut given that Turkey Creek/Parkside is in the city of Knoxville and thus garners the sales tax revenue.
One way or the other, our growth is stretching municipal resources thin and someone should have to pay for it. Are we are the verge of a fin'l crisis?
The interesting thing is that so many of us commute downtown daily and quite frankly some of those neighborhoods like Fifth & Gill and Old North Knoxville are looking very appealing.
I heard a new Mall will be built in Loudon County at the I-40 I-75 Split. The TOF needs to get the chip off it's shoulder and get some retail business in this town while it can.
3 offers on the Kmart have been scared away because the TOF will not open it's mind.
What type of involvement does the town have to have? What type of requests have been denied? Empty big box stores are a result of continual sprawl and lack of smartgrowth initiatives...why not use the K-Mart as an extension of FHS instead of wasting taxpayer $'s on new school which will create more sprawl?
why not use the K-Mart as an extension of FHS instead of wasting taxpayer $'s on new school which will create more sprawl?
Here's the obvious reasons why I wouldn't do that--
1. Retail development is usually on a busy road. Do you want kids put in harm's way every time they walk out the door?
2. Speed limits for schools are 25mph or less. How many people would be willing to drive that through Kingston Pike? Especially if you have to have it during the whole school day (which is what would have to happen if you want to make the K-mart a part of the FHS complex). Come on, they drive through there @ 70mph as is.
3. Security. How are you going to keep kids safe when people are constantly coming/going through your school campus?
Anyone got better ideas?
All of this is correctly easily by putting up an elevated crosswalk...there is one above Asheville Highway at Holston Hill Blvd I believe. Then you use decorative fencing and landscaping to address the other issues...heck of a lot less expensive than another sprawl-inducing school.
One way or the other, our growth is stretching municipal resources thin and someone should have to pay for it. Are we are the verge of a fin'l crisis?
Well, according to the budget report printed in the Farragut Press this week, we're not at this time, as more money went into the pot than got spent last year. But I know that they had been dipping into the rainy day fund for a couple years before last, and it's projected that they will be dipping in again next year.
Questions--Is the focus of the town on the right priorities? Are roads, parks and greenways the only things our town should be doing?
Are we as residents getting the right "bang for our buck" by outsourcing services (police, fire, garbage, schools, etc.) to the county and others?
Let me know what you think.
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