Mayor Henry Missed the Point

Mayor Tom Henry seemed to miss the point regarding the new extension of police powers he signed. Or maybe just his public information staff did.

In either event, his inclusion of a gratuitous negative comment regarding Councilwoman Brown's remarks following the vote on the new ordinance outlawing "discomfort" from a neighboring house's light showed that his office didn't understand that it is the Mayor and the Council members who voted FOR the ordinance who are creating a new burden on 911 and the city police.

Ms. Brown's remarks were a sarcastic reminder that the council members for the new light measure regulating light necessarily created a situation which would result in new, non-emergency calls being placed to the police.  After all, these alleged offenses will be happening after dark and, therefore, after the 311 call takers are done with the regular business day.

Just a reminder of who voted "for" the new burden for our city's thin blue line:

Council members Shoaff, Goldner, Tim Pape, D-5, Glynn Hines, D-6 and Marty Bender, R-at large voted for the law. Council members Brown, Didier, Tom Smith, R-1st, and Mitch Harper, R-4th, voted against it during both readings. 

UPDATE: The News-Sentinel's Leo Morris weighs in at his weblog, Opening Arguments, and notes, in part:

As Councilman Mitch Harper, one of the four council members who voted against the amendment, notes at Fort Wayne Observed, calling 311 to report light violations might be problematical, since the 311 people go home at the end of the normal business day, and problems with lights happen, you know, after dark. Oh, this is going to be such a big mess. Watch how it weighs down the police force with frivolous complaints.

Comments

[Dan Turkette]

What's next?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En4o0QZMUq4

311? 911? 411? - Oh I forgot. By the way, what's the score of the Redwing's game?

[Andy Borgmann]

That's it. I am running for mayor in 2011 ;) Somebody get me Steve Shine on the phone.

Mitch you are doing a fine job. Your comments here are right on. What a petty thing for FWPD to get involved in.

I didn't realize Henry had aspirations of being a neighborhood association President of ever neighborhood in the Fort Wayne area. Because that is pretty much what he just became with all the crap he is going to have to deal with now.

[tim zank]

Mitch, I doubt the Mayor missed the point, rather he was just being a smart-aleck in return for Browns sarcasm. I would think he's smart enough to see this will be a real fiasco enforcement wise, but he didn't have the guts to veto it.

The important thing is, your Mayor and Council are tackling the tough issues! Good luck Mitch.

Fort Wayne just cracks me up!

[Bob Gaul]

Mitch:
At least FOUR of you showed common sense by voting AGAINST this waste of time, money, and resources.
As to the REST of the "gang"?
(shakes head)...I have NO idea how they sleep at night.

Thanks for being a voice of REASON...Lord knows we NEED some here.

B.G.

[Nick Metel]

In response to Tim Zank's post, I don't believe Mayor Henry missed the point, and I also don't believe he was being, as Tim said, "a smark-aleck."

Rather, he was communicating the apparent irresponsibility of the councilwoman's remarks encouraging the public to call 911 to report a violation of the ordinance. If the councilwoman's motivation was even remotely close to what I pointed out in my previous post, then Mayor Henry was quite justified in doing so.