Frustrated in A2

Wed, Jan 11, 2012 : 3:33 a.m.

I used this report filing program and it's for cases where an incident needs to be documented and there is no suspect and the report wouldn't be followed up on anyway. I see this as a way to make a report at home instead of wasting your time and driving downtown and looking for a parking spot. It's also pretty easy to use.

SW40

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 7:15 p.m.

AAPD is not under staffed it is disorganized. When you look at many of the surrounding police agencies who are doing more with less what are some of the things that are different from AAPD. Well first and foremost the number of officers versus supervisors (Sgts, LTs, Deputy Chiefs, Chief etc...). Then you look at the number of officers assigned to support duties in stead of patrol, AAPD has lost at least 80 employees over the last few years which is a problem. However the department needs to be restructured. I've asked once and I'll ask again, why doesn't one of the excellent writers at AA.com get a break down of the AAPD so that we may see just how many patrol officers we have, sgts, detectives, lieutenants, support staff, evidence techs, traffic officers, property officers, court liason, school officers etc... Oh thats right, why do any actual research or journalism... Good grief. AAPD are some of the best paid officers in the state with great benefits and I understand that there are many duties a police officer must perform and I love our cops but lets face it, one of their duties is to respond to crimes of the nature mentioned in this article, I don't blame our police officers for the mistakes of their administration I blame Barnett Jones, Mayor and City Council.

Hunterjim

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 4:18 p.m.

This is a direct result of under staffing, not technology. Victims have now become just a number to count. Even with these minor incidents, they can be major to the victim. The Police front desk is now almost off limits to the public. There is no place close to city hall for a citizen to park. Police dispatch will not be from Ann Arbor, but rather a regional center staffed by well trained but very potentianally, people unfamiliar with Ann Arbor. A police officer showing up to your "Scene of the crime" can make the difference between just anther reported crime and a professional who will look for clues, knows of simular crime patterns in his/her patrol district. Patrol officers do make a difference in how well a crime is reported and investigated. By human nature these called in reports will have low priority on follow up. Not important enought to dispatch a car...not important enough to follow up..sorry. We are quickly loosing our Police Department to a complacient administration who view Police functions as dollar signs and budgets to be met, rather than crime fighting.

Tru2Blu76

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 4:16 p.m.

I was scratching my head over this too. But then realized I had just gone through what I believed to be identity theft and had spent days tracking, gathering information and working with my bank - without once thinking about filing a police report. In fact, I only thought I might have contacted Michigan State Police Cyber Crimes AFTER my bank told me they believed the unauthorized charges to my credit card were due to a data entry error. The thought was: I'm glad I didn't act in haste: that would have placed needless burden on police resources. Benefit to me: I put in more secure passwords in all key online locations which had my personal data. A lot of work: but something the police have nothing to do with. Because: it's my responsibility to "prevent crimes" and that means extra work. Bike theft a few years ago: I reported that - even though the bike had little monetary value. A couple weeks passed: I spotted my stolen bike chained up in a public place. Called police - they "eventually arrived." I provided proof of ownership (including serial number & receipt). Cop: "I'd cut it loose but there's no bolt cutter in my cruiser." I went home, got the needed tool and recovered my bike myself. As above: I then took steps to better secure my bike(s). THESE are the kinds of crimes referred to. Highlighting: the responsibility of the victim to prevent and provide one's own security against minor (and major) crimes. So now this new system makes better sense - at least to me.

bunnyabbot

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.

Why not just call them "Citzen Reports" and link them all to DHS where we can report, online our neighbors activities too. Cops are cops because other people didn't want to become cops, we pay cops to do things we don't want to do. Part of calling the police to help us is that 1. we don't want to do it 2. we don't know how and 3 it gives us a sense of its in the polices hands and we can breathe a sigh of relief. I for one wouldn't fill out an online report, I will either call it in or come to the station, where an officer can freaking help me, like they should do as that is their job, not mine.

Gordon

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 3:34 p.m.

Pretty simple. There are just so many officers to go around and the number of crimes exceed the capicity of the department to keep up. We, the taxpayor, are willing to pay for just so much. The time between a break-in and the ability to follow up, as said, is basically an insurance claim with little chance of catching them. Eventually, the crooks get too confident and that's usually when they get caught. So, the effort of the police directed to gathering data and using that collection to make arrests. The priority is similar to the priority the laws of punishment dictate. Misdemeaners to felonies. It maybe become a great system if the citizens get on board and file as quickly as possible because patterns could be discovered and lead to the arrest of the crook.

racerx

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 2:30 p.m.

What a "cop out" (no pun intended). Is the real reason why this is being introduce is for the police to focus on more urgent matters? Like what? There are more property related crimes in the city as oppose to say, murder. Maybe I don't know the law, and I don't play a cop on TV either, but, is breaking and entering a form of vandalism? So, for example, if someone drives across my lawn and takes out my fence, I have to file a report, on-line, give the description of those involved, like the type of vehicle, direction the vehicle left after destroying my property, description of the person driving the vehicle, maybe even the license plate if I was lucky to capture that. If timely reporting is essential to solving the crime, when will this report be read? Will it be as timely as if I called it in and a police officer came out to my house and recorded the report? Is the real reason this change is taking place is because there aren't enough officers? And, if the purpose for this change is for the homeowner to file a report for their insurance company, why would I need to call the police? I might as well just call my insurance company and have them investigate as the police would. This might even save more time since I now have no middleman (police) to waste more of my time by filing on-line! Oh Ann Arbor.....you were once the gem of the midwest.

BornNRaised

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 1:16 p.m.

Oh, ok. Just like Detroit is doing because of so few cops. Good thing Ann Arbor is following in their footsteps. That'll work out great... for criminals.

justcurious

Tue, Jan 10, 2012 : 1:13 p.m.

&quot;According to a statement released by the department, people now can make police reports for harassing phone calls, theft, vandalism, identity theft, lost or damaged property or private property crashes by visiting <a href="http://www.a2gov.org/police" rel='nofollow'>www.a2gov.org/police</a>. The statement said these crimes were chosen because "these reports typically do not require a police interview or follow up investigation but they are often needed for insurance claims or other matters." So you fill in the blanks on a form? I don't understand how this will work in a timely fashion. Isn't there some benefit to reporting these matters quickly and in person so that the perpetrator can be caught? And why wouldn't there be a follow up investigation? I must be really not getting this.