The 100 or so area residents who turned out to Wednesday’s Police Commission Community Meeting at the Ingleside’s Paul Revere School came away with some good news on crime in their area, new information on how to connect, directly, with the police in their area, and some new insights into the life of a departed officer.
Ingleside Station’s Captain David Lazar made a presentation on the current state of the District, including details on the District’s neighborhoods, demographics of the District and station personnel, and complaints made to the Office of Citizen Complaints. Lazar also went into great detail on the crime patterns occurring in Ingleside, as well as ways in which the crime patterns are being addressed. Key point: from 2008 vs. 2009, there have been decreases in every type of Ingleside-set crime but rape. He attributes this downward trend to an increase in police staffing and to the work of the Problem Solving Team, Ingleside Stations crime analysis and planning committee.
Lazar also reviewed the Phase 1 Implementation effectiveness study, the stated goal of which is “to reduce crime and improve quality of life through community and police partnerships.” Its current status in the community was reviewed, as well as the proposal’s plan for the next 90 days.
As part of this partnership with the community, Lazar provided emails for all the officers in his station, which they are required to check once a day. He also announced that every officer has voicemail through which community members can contact them.
The Police Commission Community Meeting’s most touching moment came at the short ceremony honoring deceased officer Michael Walsh, who passed away on July 2nd of a heart attack. His family was present at the meeting and received a shadow box in honor of Mike, which contained his star as well as some awards.
