Q1ity of J\usouia

CONNECTICUT 06401

BOARD

OF

ALDERMEN

MEETING 2ND TUESDAY

SCHEDULE OF THE MONTH

ALDERMANIC

CHAMBERS P.M.

June 22, 2011

7:00

Dear Alderman Marini: Thank you for your letter of June 21 concerning vandalism in the city of Ansonia. In that letter you request a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen so as to have the Board take action to prevent the "vandalism spree from continuing." You further encourage the Board of Aldermen to exercise its powers under Section 92 of the City Charter to "offer a monetary award for information leading to the arrest of the vandals." You have also made these requests through the media and you appeared at a neighborhood block watch meeting in a ward other than your own that was organized to pursue an improved block watch. While these efforts on your part have gained you much personal political attention, they have done little to deal with fundamental and substantive underlying issues of police protection and neighborhood safety. As you may know, the Board of Aldermen is the legislative body ofthe city government and exercises no executive powers which are vested by law in the Mayor and the various department heads. The Mayor and the police department have and are working diligently to provide strong police protection and public safety. The crime statistics in Ansonia show a decline in reported crime in our city during the tenure of this administration. This has not been accomplished through press releases and new rewards for crime solving. Rather, the progress has been made through diligent police work by officers and detectives who work closely with the community to solve crimes. While this does not gain headlines and press releases, it does make Ansonia safer. Although it is unlikely, I want to assure you that if we have a request from the police department to offer a monetary award related to these particular crimes, we shall convene a special meeting.

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However, this might create a precedent that might not be in the best interests of the city. Further, while I feel strongly on behalf of the victims ofthis wonder why you have chosen this particular set of incidents which your ward to inject yourself into the crime solving system. I do not concern when a young man was gunned down in a homicide which ward. rash of vandalism, I occurred outside of remember a similar did occur in your

We will continue to work hard on protecting the public and supporting the work of our police department and neighborhood block watches which is the real way to accomplish these goals. I encourage you to support the dedicated police while avoiding interference in their professional efforts to solve particular crimes. With very best wishes,

Steve Blume President, Board of Aldermen

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