"Increased traffic patrols this year on Wendover Avenue led to fewer accident injuries, police say, but the increase also resulted in a decrease in serious nontraffic crimes, such as robbery, assault and auto theft.
Police say their analysis of data for the two-month Wendover Avenue Initiative shows the benefits of their movement toward “problem-oriented policing.”
Imagine that, Billy Jones was right again. And this:
"• Certain crimes reported along that section of Wendover fell from 362 in the same period last year to 301 this year — a 16.9 percent decline. The crimes tracked were murder, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft.
• The reduction in reported serious crimes continued, falling 10.2 percent in the eight weeks after the initiative ended.
“Because we were so highly visible for such a long time, I wanted to see our effect on crime,” police Capt. John Wolfe said. “A highly visible presence will deter crime.”
You don't say? How could it be that I could have been so right back in 2005 and 2007 and it's just now coming to light? For those who weren't readers then, I ran for Greensboro mayor on an anti-crime platform in 2007. The article goes on to say:
"Police will take lessons learned on Wendover and apply them to the next area the department chooses for the traffic safety program, police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen said.
Officers have pointed to High Point Road, Market Street, Battleground Avenue and Spring Garden Street as possible new locations for an initiative."
Great idea but it begs the question: since we know it works so well, why is the Greensboro City Council not talking about hiring and training enough GPD officers to make this program full time all over town? I guess Council would rather spend taxpayers' money on glitter like downtown performing arts centers and padding the pockets of local elite developers
Give it some thought people: every Greensboro resident that is hired and trained to become a Greensboro Police Officer is an investment in local economic development. They buy homes here, shop here, start part time businesses here, retire here to run their businesses full time and raise families here. Those big time developers and non profit high rollers, they spend your tax dollars on trips to Bermuda.
