Archive: Opinions

I liked Rudy Giuliani's 2002 biography, 'Leadership'.  The thing that really turned me on about the former New York Mayor's book was the part where he described how his administration 'cleaned up' the city.  His Compstat program used computers to collate crime statistics to pinpoint areas that were most troubled.  By moving police resources out of safe areas and into crime areas he was able to significantly lower the crime rate in New York City.

This week Tompkins County took the same approach on a smaller scale.  Legislator Peter Stein took the lead on getting statistics compiled and analyzed, while Sheriff Ken Lansing got his own and fellow law enforcement agencies on board with targeted speeding enforcement.    At a press conference last Friday they characterized the program as a way to use dwindling resources and funding in a targeted way that is expected to yield maximum results.

Both men stressed that the purpose of the program is to make life better in Tompkins County.  Stein pointed out that most of the money from speeding tickets goes to the state, with a small amount going to the law enforcing jurisdiction, and none to the county.  Lansing said he hoped not to catch anyone speeding, and that awareness of the program would make the county safe so people can go about the things they enjoy doing.

Unless they happen to enjoy speeding.

Most people, even those who speed, don't like speeding in their neighborhoods.  At least they don't like it when they are not driving.  I remember a few years ago some people from the North Triphammer Road neighborhood asked then Sheriff Peter Meskill to post a patrol car in their neighborhood.  Meskill agreed to do it, though he noted that the people most likely to be caught were those who live in the neighborhood.

Be that as it may, one of our own local councilman's children was hit by a car in his neighborhood last year.  So this isn't a theoretical problem.  Speeding is real in Tompkins County, and it has real consequences that impact our lives (no pun intended) in real and serious ways.

The current governmental budget crises have diminished resources for law enforcement as well as other programs.  Using data to find out where bad things are actually happening is a great way to maximize their effectiveness.

This week our company replaced an aging computer, one that is showing the first signs of an early death.  I agonized over spending the money for the replacement machine.  I was told that a computer is a heck of a lot cheaper than an employee.  That more or less clinched the decision to get the darned thing so we could go on with our actual work uninterrupted by the sudden death of a vital piece of equipment (which is what happened a few years ago -- it was a miracle that the Lansing Star came out at all that week).

Compstat analyzed crime statistics on a daily basis to pinpoint crime areas and cut off trouble before it started.  Giuliani's team held individual police officers responsible for buying into the program, forcing those who didn't out.  Murders alone were reduced by 67% over an eight year period.  Pretty cool use of modern technology to make a real difference in people's lives.

The fiscal crisis, we hope, encourages creativity so we can have the same level -- or at least quality of services we are accustomed to and deserve.  This speeding enforcement program shows that our representatives and law enforcement officials can be creative by using a 'cheaper than an employee' approach to provide a better level of service than before.

While three people spent about a year pouring through local data to identify the worst speeding areas in Tompkins County, my hope is that if this initial program is successful the Legislature will budget for a computer system that will make it easier to track crime statistics going forward.  And share the data with all our communities.  That will make all our local law enforcement agencies more effective, getting us all a lot more for less.  Not just more, but really important more.

If this program is successful it will make Tompkins County a safer place to live, and everyone's lives here will be better.  Well... except the speeders'.

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