The Flint Journal
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. — At least one trend in Flint has moved into desired territory — that being a dramatic decrease in homicides after years of notoriety that comes with being named one of the nation’s most dangerous cities.
The change occurred on Mayor Don Williamson’s watch, which makes it all the more troubling to see him in the position of offering a city budget that threatens to undercut Flint’s crime-fighting success by dramatically reducing Police Department staff.
We know the city faces incredibly difficult budget decisions, but we cannot see the solution as cutting nearly 100 positions from the police budget and closing the city jail.
The mayor is spot on when he says immense cuts are inevitable, which puts Flint in a league with a host of other cities suffering from declining real estate values in a deeply troubled economy. Fenton has been warned by a financial adviser that over five years its general fund surplus could dry up by an incredible 91 percent unless drastic action is taken.
But Fenton might get by with a watered-down police presence, whereas Flint can’t - not with its 2008 homicide record holding at a mere two, which puts the city on track to possibly get off national high-crime listings and win freedom from all the negative flak that they bring.
Even if a spate of good luck is a factor, no way could happenstance account for all of the reduction in violent crime that Flint has seen over the past year or more. This has been a developing trend: 2006’s 55 homicides in the city dropped down to 30 in 2007 and we seem headed much lower this year.
Several strategies have helped reduce violent crime, including so-called “directed patrols” by police, and the reopening of the city jail.
Flint may not be able to preserve policing at current levels, but we urge the mayor and the City Council to cooperate on a budget that preserves as many positions as possible, and keeps the jail open, even if that means considering a reasonable millage request for public safety.
Regrettably, Williamson got that conversation off on the wrong foot by proposing an unpalatable 6.9-mill tax increase that would have partly supported police protection, but also bolstered the general fund. Reaction to that plan was so negative that it now looks like a dead issue.
When it comes to dealing with crime in Flint, there are no easy answers. That’s all the more reason for the mayor and the council to work in good faith toward a tight budget that keeps us on the path of a lower crime rate. Such is the need for leadership in these times.
Copyright 2008 The Flint Journal