Topic: Public Safety

Kick crime to the curb

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 27, 2008 |

I’ve been looking over the two years’ worth of notes I’ve kept for story ideas, all rooted in what I have observed within the Montgomery County boundaries. From a distance, a temporary vantage point in the northeast, and the rest of the time from the porch of my home in Clarksville, I’ve followed the shootings and killings and robberies in Clarksville, the ones that happen in the dead of night, the ones that happen in broad daylight in a Wal-Mart parking lot, and a string of crimes in between. Crimes of inebriation or addiction, crimes of passion or hate, crimes of despair, crimes of rage, crimes rooted in poverty and need, crimes anchored in greed Am I the only one not surprised?

I feel the strongest sympathy and sadness for the families, the residents involved, the innocent bystanders with lives sometimes forever shattered. But I do believe this escalation in violent crime is a tragedy waiting to happen, one that will repeat itself many more times if the city, the schools, the police and all of us — everyday citizens — don’t become involved in our community, if we fail to stand behind a call to get tough and enforce the laws already on the books, and toughen up the sentencing and cut off the “deals” that spew offenders back onto the streets with minimal sentences and penalties too easily shrugged off. «Read the rest of this article»

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Be aware: Summer school zones require caution, reduced speed

June 5, 2008 |

Due to summer programs from June 2-27, some school zone lights will remain on as particular times during the day. Motorists are expected to follows school zone posted speeds in those areas.

The following is a list of the times and zones where the lights will remain on:

Middle Schools: between 8:15-8:45 a.m. and 11:15- 11:45 a.m.

• Kenwood on Peachers Mill Road
• Montgomery Central at 48 & 13
• Northeast at Trenton Road
• New Providence at Cunningham Lane
• Rossview at Rossview Road
• Richview at Richview Road
• West Creek at Peachers Mill Road

«Read the rest of this article»

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Clarksville Police offer ‘Teen Academy’

June 2, 2008 |

The Clarksville Police Department will be hosting TEEN Citizen Police Academy June 16th through June 20th, 2008. The course is free and the curriculum includes crime scene investigation, narcotic investigation, K-9 unit, mounted patrol and much more. The Teen Citizen Police Academy is for teens between the ages of 13-18. The times are 8:00 a.m. for Monday and 9:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, with pick up times at 3:00 p.m. each day.

The purpose of this academy is to create a better understanding between citizens and police through education. A copy of the application can be found at Police Headquarters, 135 Commerce Street, Clarksville, Tennessee. For more information you can contact Officer Joe Newman at 648-0656 ext 2304 or Officer David Cobb at ext. 2210.

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Crime prevention seminar for seniors

April 1, 2008 |

On April 10th, 2008, the District One Community Policing Officers will be hosting a Crime Prevention Seminar, which will focus on senior citizens. This event will be held at the Park Lane Church of The Nazarene, 225 Cunningham Lane, Clarksville, Tennessee and is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm. This is a free event and everyone is invited.

For more information, you may contact Officer Brandon Cain or Officer Booker Dailey, District One Community Policing Officers, at 648-0656 ext. 1011.

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House GOP Review for 03/20/2008

By Tennessee Republicans | March 21, 2008 |

The House GOP Review is a weekly feature that gives Tennesseans an in-depth look at what our Republican state legislators have been working on this week, and a glimpse into what’s planned for the coming week at our state house. 

“Right to hunt” constitutional amendment passes 105th General Assembly

House Joint Resolution 108 passed on the House floor this week with overwhelming aproval. The constitutional amendment would add provisions to the state constitution establishing the right to hunt, fish, and harvest game subject to “reasonable rules and regulations.” An excerpt from the resolution reads:

Hunting and fishing are honored traditions in the state; citizens have enjoyed the bounty of Tennessee’s natural resources from the time prior to statehood, including hunting and fishing for subsistence and recreation; therefore, hunting and fishing is a vital part of the state’s heritage and economy and should be preserved and protected.

Having already passed the Senate this year, the amendment must now win the approval of the 106^th General Assembly next year by a two-thirds vote. The measure could be on the ballot for referendum as early as 2010. «Read the rest of this article»

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Red Light Cameras: Increase crashes, injuries and insurance rates

By Bill Larson | March 13, 2008 |

The City of Clarksville  has started looking at resurrecting their plans to install red-light cameras in our city. They have likely been assured these cameras are safe by those who are profiting from these cameras (redflex and Knoxville) but that is not the case. If we are honest most of us would admit that Clarksville’s primary interest in them is due to the fact that they are a cash cow for cash strapped cities like ours, but one that takes money straight from your bank account.

The fact is that Red-Light and Speed cameras result in the roads where they are present becoming less safe. You are more likely to be injured or killed at a intersection after these cameras are put into place than you ever were before. Read this news report, and the study which follows it, then be sure to contact your city council member and tell them in no uncertain terms that you strongly oppose their dangerous revenue generating scheme. «Read the rest of this article»

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Summer vacation ends in tragedy

By Christine Anne Piesyk | August 5, 2007 |

Just a few days before the start of school, tragedy struck Clarksville again - this time with the accidental drowning of a 12-year-old girl at Swan Lake Pool Saturday evening around 7 p.m. The girl had been pulled from the water and was receiving CPR from a Vanderbilt University nurse, who was present at a private rental event at the pool, when Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene.

City lifeguards were on duty when the drowning happened. Officials did not disclose how the drowning occurred or whether city lifeguards made the initial rescue. No other details were immediately available, and Swan Lake Pool was closed Sunday, the last day of the pool season in the city. «Read the rest of this article»

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Contacts between Police and the Public

By Bill Larson | April 30, 2007 |

While the following report tries to play it down, it’s clear from the report that the fears that many minorities, and younger people have about contact with police, have a basis in fact. They are more likely to be stopped, searched, experience force during their dealings with police, and be arrested. It’s also signficant that of residents who experienced force, 83% felt it was excessive, and that most uses of force are initiated by the police. It’s time for this to change.

Contacts between Police and the Public
By Matthew R. Durose, Erica L. Smith, and Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D. BJS Statisticians
A Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
April 2007 «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics | 1 Comment »