No DARE Program in BRENTWOOD ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS
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Did anyone read the South Hills Record today Thursday, June 14. This article says it all...we have 2 officers trained but no DARE program.
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Yeah, I read the record, sounds like nobody at the Brentwood boro building knows whats going on. Same old story with Police and Politics. I personally would be embarassed to say what the Mayor stated, we didnt have any idea, DUH! No local goverment should have credit cards, everything should be aquired through purchase orders and accounts. To say we didnt even know there were credit cards, let alone didnt even know who had them is very poor boro management, not to mention extremly embarassing. The Mayor shouldnt even be trying to explain any of this, he is just as guilty in other ways just like A lot of people up there.As for DARE and the Police, save that for later.
I overheard a conversation today between two Brentwood Borough employees, however was unable to confirm all the facts.... The conversation revolved around the fact that Brentwood Borough Council delivered a new Police car to the Mayor and Police Chief last week. Apparently the car design was changed a bit to assist in a more stealthier patrol tactic and now the car was placed in a borough garage because the Mayor and Chief were not privy to this design change. SOOOOOOO, I guess our tax dollars were spent on a police car that will just sit in a garage while two certain persons sulk over it.
Did I see this episode on the Dukes of Hazard..... Come on Boss Hog and Rosco.... let us see the car !!!!!
Victory,
I personally was looking forward to seeing the new police car. It's a shame what this mayor and police chief are doing to this borough. Another case of not doing their job and the tax payers look bad.
How pathetic!!! By the way I loved the mayor in his T-shirt and tie. He looked great. What a way to represent Brentwood.
I agree and was the mayor the one who called the DA?? If so, why did he wait so long?? Why did he wait until after the election?? Did he open up a huge can of worms that he will now not be able to put the lid back on?? It will be interesting to see what the DA finds out. Everyone in Brentwood will be watching closely. It should be a couple of interesting months.
As for the election ethics I hope the DA investigates the two who just got elected. One of the newbies had alot of nerve asking for the resignation of all of council at the meeting Tuesday night.
Brentwood schools also lack the guidance curriculum that many other districts implement at the elementary level and continue to the middle and high school levels. Bullying, depression, anxiety, social skills are all things addressed in the American School Counselors Association's guidance standards. The standards can be found on the ASCA website. Our students also need educated about multiculturalism so Brentwood can help promote tolerance in our education system.
Don't you people get it, our mayor has been intentually left out of the loop by certain council members you elected! There is no united front up there that would allow the man to know every little detail of everything. Don't you see the most interesting part is that before MD they used to buy things without credit cards then she got re-elected and they started using them. Then MD stopped the Mayor from signing checks and she had total control. The writing is on the wall on this one! She methodically thought out how she was going to take from the residents of Brentwood! Everyone ?'d why the Treasurer didn't come sooner to anyone at the council meeting... the poor woman feared for her job! Lets see MD first went after Mr. K for NO real reason other than he did not take her crap and luckily he was old enough to retire then once he retired she moved to Bob Butelli and the Mayor because they wouldn't tak her crap. I would bet my life that Mrs. Lane knew what MD was capable of making her life totally miserable as she has attempted with those three men. Brentwood started going down hill the minute Mary Dytko was re-elected and started to spiral out of control when she became president. Hopefully this boro can recover from the damage she has started.
The DARE program will be back it was discussed at the meeting Tues if you were there.
Dear ForSale,
Why is it,do you think,that we have trained officers to teach the DARE program,but that no program exists?
Oh Candleslady please tell me why?? I am so curious as to who will get the blame for this one.
I am not placing blame.I am simply asking a question.You seemed insensed in your earlier blog so I thought you might know the reason why.
I honestly don't know, but we should find out why. The mayor was asked about it at Tuesday's meeting, but he said the high school was happy with their current program. Which is none. The article states we don't have a DARE program. If you find out why please let me know. I'm curious.
I was there when I heard Mrs Schade say that the school wants the DARE program!
Go read the article in the record Mr. Hawk. We don't have a program. WHY???? Do you know. You seem to know everything else.
It says in the article that the police department doesnt have enough officers to let the DARE trained officers take the time to conduct the programs.That is not the Mayors fault.Should council look at replacing some of the officers who have left or the many who are on comp?
Candleslady,
There has'nt been a DARE program since Officer Caputo retired! Do you know how long ago that was? It's a pretty long time. Are you going to tell me that we have been short handed for that long. If that is the case someone needs to hire a few officers don't ya think. How long does it take 10 years? Again, the article is embarrassing look at all the other communities that are having the kids meet the police. Our police need to be involved in riding around and talking to people and kids and getting to know everyone. It used to be that way, what happened?
Frank Caputo retired in 2002.The school district was not interested in the DARE program since that time.The police department is working 3 officers short.One left and wasnt replaced.Two have been on comp for almost a year each now.This combined with the lack of dispatchers makes things tight.
If they have time to sit in local eateries, sit in their cars in the park, or sit in the borough building. They have time for the children. No more excuses
Candles lady,
I have to ask..... you seem to have alot of insight and opinions into these matters. I noted that your profile includes "Wife of a Brentwood Police Officer". If my guess is right, then allow me to ponder some thoughts, if I am wrong then I deeply apologize !!
You are aware that the Mayor is in charge of all Police Departments, according to Municipal Borough Code. This "power" is limited to the day to day functions and is not ALL inclusive. I understand that the Mayor now claims to control the schedule, and I think we all know that this is a blatant LIE. I know that you are aware of lawsuits that the borough has lost due to the Mayor and Chief using the schedule as informal discipline (10K ooopsie). Brentwood last Police Chief was demoted for reasons I am sure list long and many, and I'm sure you dont need an explanation. This demoted Chief, now an officer who sits in the station, usually in the Chief sight, to aid what the Chief can not seem to get accomplished. Did that last 3 Chiefs, need this help and that of a daylight secretary. If you add up these cost, "aid and secretary", would that cause the light bulb to burn bright?? I hear that Brentwood's crime is higher than ever before and that the busy shifts (afternoon and weekends) are being cut short so that this prior demoted Chief can work as an extra daylight patrolman / aid. ..... with weekends off. Can you ask your husband to allow you to reveal how much overtime this is causing? Ask... well thats funny, you don't have to ask do you ??
Can you give some insight to any corruption? Drugs, alcohol, money laundering with corrupt previous vendors. ( need help, come on, really, how about testimony from some of the past borough lawsuits, they did admit to these right)? How about sleeping on the job, visiting "friends" out of the borough and blatant looking the other way by some of the Brentwood Chief's on rules and regulations. Is this "Golden Apple" something new ??
A car and a cell phone, the Borough is 1.5 square miles, has any other Police Chief required either of the two ?? How do you feel, does a chief of this size town need these, at the taxpayers expense. Should any employee have a take home car and use this car, gas, wear and tear at the tax payers expense, while any employee works another job, where this car is used to drive 100 miles per day ??? Is calling from the WV casino's long distance ?? What is your opinion from experience on these issues and failure to respond to critical incidents when required to?
DARE - yes correct on Caputo, how about the other trained officer at Brentwood on DARE? Should Brentwood Police, who as you feel is understaffed, have an investigator and or DARE Officer, or should be continue to allow the demoted Police Chief be sit around the station and be an administrative aid ??
Good Luck on the Candle Sales - remember your Uncle on April 15th, give him what he deserves. Then you can question and judge others without some people thinking "What a Hypocrit".
Victory,
I am sorry if you find my having alot of opinions offensive.I thought that was what this sight was about-the ability to gracefully express them.I have not judged,insulted or been a hyprocrit in any of my statements.You ask about testimony in past law suits-sounds to me by the aggressive tone of your blog that you are already aware of what you ask.Living with this everyday has a tendency to give you many opinions.I thank you for the well wishes on my candle sales.That is very kind of you.
Candles Lady,
I do not find your opinions offensive at all. I may find them sarcastic and one-sided and maybe even evasive, but no.... not offensive. As far as being a hypocrit, well come on, you of all people should understand that those in glass house should not throw stones. I only bring up so many issues from the past that you share with the borough that you never lived in, because I was hoping that you would discuss the issue of recent bloggers in the history of looking the other way, wasteful expeditures of tax payers dollars. You will agree that stealing via credit cards is not far from stealing in other ways such as services (work time and quality) and equipment (cars and gas). I feel that you defend those that are the model for what is wrong in this little town. How can that person have golden apples that ALL seem to have such a sordid past. Can that be the other saying we all live with, birds of a feather....
Funny how you speak of the police schedule when you benefit so greatly by the failure of its proper implementation.
Come on, tell us what you know as you stated, "Living with this everyday has a tendency to give you many opinions" - please share them with us, explain how what is going on today is not new to this "bedroom community".
Dear Victory,
Aah,it appears that you DONT know everything about me and my family after all! You see,I did live in that borough for several years.I am not sure that I like the glass houses comments.Are you comparing anyone close to me with the president of council who is accused of breaking the law?If so,you dont know much at all,do you?
I was raised to believe that stealing is wrong.It is a value that my husband and I have instilled in our children.Benefit from the schedule?How little you DO know!If you were so smart,you would know that shift rotation,week-ends,and holidays are still a part of daily life.
As far as sharing the "gossip" about the police department,you dont need me to spread rumors and hurtful crap about people.There is already enough of that going on.
Really,who is sarcastic and evasive here?
Victory,
"Bedroom community" is a great description since people have gotten screwed by politics and childish games in this borough for years.
Anyone with any knowledge about the police department in general knows that there is nothing "golden" involved for anyone.Apples get a bad rap-poison apples maybe,certainly not golden!
Donkey,
Since the police officers are allowed to have a meal break while on duty,isnt' it nice that they patronize the local businesses? I think that there is a time period assigned for park patrol and dont they have to "sit" in the borough building to do reports and the other secretary duties now that there are no dispatchers on each shift?
Candle lady,
Do you actualy in your mind believe that there is not, lets say an hour per week to go to the schools for a good program??? I have never seen an officer get out of his car and walk the park. I guess park patrol is secret for sleep time. As for paper work, as often and as long as the cars are parked around the building, they must be writing encyclopiedias. How many officers are doing office work at one time? there are usualy at least 2 cars parked there, sometimes 3 or 4. I understand you have a biased opinion, but if there is nothing to hide, lets investigate and see
Donkey,
You are right-I do have a biased opinion.I guess it would be impossible not to.I agree-if there is no wrong doing or a better way to do things,an investigation would be appropriate.
there is a "dispatcher", if you want to call them that, 7-3 and 3-11, still there to do clerical duties,, I havnt A problem with them having A break, but A third of the shift at Carabou coffee is A little much.
I just got done reading the South Hills Record and in reading so I counted 11 court cases in one week that were brought to the magistrate by Brentwood police alone. If they are sitting at all the coffee shops and sleeping in the park then why every time I read those pages in the SHR I am constantly seeing "filed by Brentwood"??? With those arrest there is lots to be done, you don't just arrest someone and not file a report. The arrested person also needs to be taken to County Jail. They don't get their by themselves now don't they? This doesn't include all those problems that do not require arrests but still require reports! I know things are getting worse in Brentwood as well as EVERYWHERE with the crime but if all those lazy police officers were doing nothing there wouldn't be any people being sent to the Magistrate now would they?! I just love how people complain about them sitting in Bobby's parking lot or other places doing their job and now they are complaining they don't do anything but sit and drink cofee, eat donuts and sleep in the park. Which is it? Make up your minds!
When sitting on my front porch, I often see our patrolmen on my street many times each night.
I just wish they would get all the speeders and stop-sign runners.......but they can't be there every second....but they get alot of them when they are there.
And seeing the new Bike Cop was refreshing.
AGAIN just stating a fact! AGAIN stop trying to make the Mayor look bad!
The mayor does'nt need my help with that he does it all by himself. Thank you very much.
How can these excuses continue. You mean to tell me that a police officer can not walk into a school and talk for a few moments on a regular basis or walk (not drive the car on the sidewalk) through the park in the summer and talk to the kids. No one is asking for a full time position. I guess this would take away from sleep time in the park or sitting around the borough building. Everyone needs to take off the blinders and quit defending all of the coruption that is taking place.
Donkey,Are you saying that our police officers are corrupt
I believe there is coruption and laziness within all borough departments. I am also sure that there are some fine people in the borough. This all needs to be investigated.
No one one here needs to try to make them look bad, they do that all by themselves. Perfect example, The mayor with those stupid comments to the press, i dont know, DUH. As for the police chief, the mayor is supposed to be his boss, well you can see where its going. The police is at best understrenghed by the most ONE officer. The trained officers should have plenty of time to teach what they know. But the school needs to co-operate to and they are just as bad. As stated before, the police have no DARE, no investigative talent, and absolutly NO drive to do anything for the community. Police should be out constantly patroling, only at the station to do reports, yet some of them are there for almost their entire shift. If the public see's this, then the Chief and Mayor certainly do. It all starts at the top and goes down hill. Fine examples of public safety and politics.
I totally agree.
What does everyone think about hiring police, but mandating that they have 1 year to move into the borough. Like the city of Pittsburgh does. Don't you think our police would then have a vested interest in keeping our streets safe if they lived here? Grandfather in the ones that are already on the force and anyone new has 1 year to move into the borough.
Policing begins at the grassroots. . . with our neighbors. If you don't live here, or within earshot, you lose a key benefit of knowing your neighbors. And they assume a greater role within the community.
It's not easy at times for them, especially when your friends with your police neighbor and he has to make a decision that you don't like.
But in instances like drug dealers infiltrating from the City, having your ear to the street is paramount. And neighbors talk to one another.
If you live here, your a neighbor. And in the end the policemans interests and dedication to the community plays out through their job.
Otherwise, they are just glorified employees that go home after work.......a little better than a security guard.
Ide rather have a neighbor.
Ronjamin,
I am interested in the process that your mind runs through logic. A Policeman who does not live in the borough is not as dedicated as one who does. In fact they are now in "security guard" status. This is so because "they will not have their ear to the ground". Does your ear tell you that drug dealers are infiltrating from the city and will stop if a policeman lives on the same street? - Interesting. I have my ear to the ground and have learned from the past 5 years of Brentwood's increased drug problem. I think that from the days of the Drug Awareness seminars put on my the Library, Crime Watch and a non-resident police officer to todays date, the problem has been well identified, attacked and the best any area can expect..... contained. I spoke with some of these same "Drug Awareness" helpers and it seems that our kids obtained their drugs from sources that do not actually reside in our town. I don't want to break it to our COPS that it's in Brentwood's Best interest if they move to the city and keep their ear to the ground for us.
I spoke with several of our cops as well as Baldwin and Whitehall. The overwhelming majority agree that they feel more available to do their jobs without the influence of worrying about the effects of the neighbors and their own familys safety following the need to arrest their neighbors. Can you imagine their kids next day at school after DAD or MOM arrested a classmates MOM or DAD for DUI or a DOMESTIC ?
Take time to talk to the officers that I talked to and see whats the feel. I was told that 2 officers live in Brentwood and the rest outside?
Could you please cite the resources that you used when you made the statement that police officers that live outside of their municipalities arent as dedicated to their work?I have never seen that statistic published any where.
Victory and CandlesLady:
I think what your missing here is that having community police is itself inherently more effective than hiring people that commute from outside the community.
All you have to do is look to the City of Pittsburgh for your answers. Although officers are required to work in the City proper, they are not assigned to the neighborhood they live in. The net result is that they are in neighborhoods that they don't have a stake in. Indifference is rank throughout the City Police.
Brentwood has had many great officers that have lived in the borough. Their greatness stems in part from the fact that they are not only policemen, but our neighbors. They participate in the community in ways that supersede their official position as a police officer. They shop here, they walk here, enjoy our park, coach baseball-football, they enjoy their lives here. We go to school with their chidren. There is a built-in respect that comes from this that is immeasurable. An officer that lives away from our community is not connected 66% of his time. Thats 66% lost opportunity to build bridges, project leadership, listen.....
And just to bring up another public servant, a volunteer servant, look to our brave volunteer firemen. They are our neighbors. And they are required to live very close. Otherwise, what would be the point? The same logic applies to our police officers as well.
My response wasn't so much to address the desires of the Policeman, but of the community. A community is better served when it's police force is part of them. It's being a public servant, in the truest sense. The law enforcement branch of local government. To be from the outside lessens the overall effectiveness of the officer.
And as stated before, if they are not from the community, they are basically hired guards that go home after their shift.
Dear Ronjamin,
The principle of officers "being close" doesnt apply like it does to firefighters.It is known that even on 9/11,no police officers were called in from home.The desires of the police officer is every bit as important.Safety for them and their families are major factors in some areas.Certainly not Brentwood,but others.Just because you work for Giant Eagle,does that mean you cant shop anywhere else? Or that you arent a good GE employee?
I dont think that its so much if they live in the boro or A required distance from it.Its that they should do there job enforcing on A day to day basis. Drug problem contained? Hardly, any high school kid can show you who sells the drugs by the library every day. And when there are multiple kids saying this the DARE police should be picking up on this. But as mentioned we do not have A DARE program. Drugs have been found in school this year so how can anyone say the problem is contained?
My personal opinion is this...If my kids are going to school and the police officers also have kids in the same school, I just think they would have more of a drive to clean it up.
I think if people were speeding down the streets that their kids play on there would be alot more speeding tickets. And if cars are parked illegally near their homes, they would also have tickets on them.
I just wonder what happened. It seemed that when the rule of residency changed our police department changed. I have a feeling that someday's it's just a paycheck.
I suggest that those advocating the residency requirement for police officers read the many studies done in Law Enforcement on this subject.The "plantation" mentality is so outdated.In 2001,the Penna Legislature passed Senate Bill 485 that eliminated this requirement for teachers.Why? So that the best candidates were available for jobs,not just those near by.Most states have eliminated the residency requirement for police officers.
The idea that having a police officer in a neighborhood makes it safer is a proven myth.They choose not to get involved in neighborhood issues for fear of retaliation.Getting involved in off-duty issues is career suicide.
Keep It Simple Stupid!!!!
We can cite a million different "studies" that say this or that. So, we might be able to "hire the best"......... if Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, or Fox Chapel doesn't get them first!!!
Their is no myth about the benefits of resident policemen. Brentwood has had many over the years, and they have performed superbly. They didn't hide in their houses as you allude, but were involved in many aspects of community life: coaching, working elections polling places, being involved in the church.
All governance and politics are local. This also applies to our police. It's common sense.
I totally agree that having police living in the boro is NOT a good idea. Growing up I knew every single police officer in the boro personally. I went to school with most of their children and I also was a neighbor to some of them. I do not feel that having those police officers living in the boro did anything to help out, it only hurt. I got to see their personal life LIVE AND IN COLOR and some things they did was not pretty which caused me to lose total respect for them. Things are different today and these kids out there don't have any respect for themselves let alone a police officer. How do you all think that are for this to change back will make things better! What if a police officer on his off time has too much to drink or a fight with a loved one that gets loud?? How do YOU think it will be portrayed in today's society. Every person, even the President of the USA, has the right to privacy and living amongst those that YOU work for is not a good mix. All it does is open a can of worms that cannot be closed. Just ask Officer Vojtas and how his kids got slammed for all the things he has been in the paper for. If he lived in say Pleasant Hills the parents may not have talked about it where so many of those little ears could hear them and then go to school the next day and verbally and sometimes physically abuse those innocent kids. NOT a good idea all around for us and for them but most of all their families.
Dear Hawk,
I totally agree.Police officers are human first,police officers second.They make mistakes and use poor judgement at times like everyone else.All families have problems,some should not be food for the gossip mills.The Vojtas children are a perfect example.His family suffered greatly at the hands of the media.Folks werent very concerned about those innocent children.
All of the articles on this subject in Law Enforcement journals tell you that this is not a good idea.Even the city of Pittsburgh comes under fire for the residency requirement.The housing costs in most parts of Pgh excede police officers salary.Would you move your family into other parts of the city just to work there?
Listen, get your head out of the sand. If your in the public service, whether a politician, a borough manager, a fireman, or a policeman, your bound to be held to a higher standard. More reason to have them as an integral part of our community, just like the rest of us. Hiding their personal lives from the community is just burying OUR heads in the sand. And their children would get the same treatment whether here or Pleasant Hills.
You mentioned one officer, who was involved in a highly-charged incident. Yes, he was in the spotlight. And he was also found innocent, with the others. Now, sometimes the job is difficult. Thats the risk you take to be a policeman. Better he be our citizen than someone who is not a member of our community. We know these policemen. If they were really the monsters that others thought, do you really think that WE would have put up with that??????? Not for one minute. They would have been railroaded out of town. These folks were our neighbors and policemen. They got caught up in an unfortunate circumstance. And I think I speak for the majority of residence of Brentwood that despite the media frenzy, we are glad to have them here.
Dear Candelslady:
In your reply to Hawk, I just wanted to say that considering the small area that Brentwood encompasses I do believe that Brentwood would benefit from Officers who reside in the borough. It is only my belief that residing in the Brentwood where you have a vested interested such as the safety and well being of your children would effect how a person can do their job as an officer here.You mentioned Office Vojtas, I know Officer Vojtas very well, as well as the boys, and I know first hand what was done to all of them. But, Officer Vojtas refused to leave a borough that he grew up in and which he knows everyone and loved his job and yes, the boys paid a very high price for his committment to Brentwood. But,
it was not the media alone that subjected them to cruelty and people playing judge and jury, it was also the same people (adults) whom Officer Vojtas stayed in the borough to protect. How many other officers and anyone for that matter, after what was done to Officer Vojtas and the two boys would have remained in this SMALL town? I personally over heard life long residents say in ear shot of these boys " He should just move out of here". Because he lives here and always has, I think he has been better able to diffuse situations with neighbors bickering and kids getting into mischief (now ,please I am not saying there are not bad kids here getting into real trouble)I am just saying I think because he has lived here and can relate better to certain situations especially when he knows the people involved it helps to diffuse the situation. And, this includes knowing the neighbors. He knows my daughter by name and her friends.When he sees them on the streets or in he grocery store he always takes the time to talk to them. ( even off duty) I think this is important in such a small town. I dont think Brentwood can be compared to the City of Pgh. But again, this is only what I believe. And Officer Vojtas living in another community would not have changed how cruel people were to him and his children, I know I saw. (It did not matter at the time where he went and still today, if I say his name in any context, people always tend to want to make a remark about a person they have never met. And, I know that there is also a great deal of respect among the kids I know for the other police officer who has resided in Brentwood his life as well. But to get back to the question at hand, I do believe that Brentwood does benefit from their officers residing in the borough.Thanks for reading this.
Dear Sandi,
I appreciated your comments about Officer Vojtas and his family.Our family also has the pleasure of knowing them well.I know what they went through,and personally,I wouldnt have had the courage and strenghth that he had in staying in the borough.I respect his choice.I just dont believe that mandating residency is right in every situation.
By all the comments being made here, maybe it would be best if Brentwood just gave up its Police force and contracted to Baldwin or Whitehall. Both highly professional departments. Both with long standing DARE programs, Investigative divisions and community policing,plus having respectable and professional Chiefs and Lieutants. Wouldnt be that hard at all for them to absorb tiny little Brentwood.