Easy, Important Action: Letter Writing

Hey jail-alternative proponents!

Here are some example letters you can send to your city council members. It is best to
edit them a little, or write something completely from scratch or by using the issue
list below, but any letter is better than no letter - The city council needs our
help to act, and that starts with the number of letters they receive.  A paper copy
is much better than an email. Both 'at large' city council members, and your
ward/district representatives need to hear from you. If you can hand write a letter,
it's even better.

We are also at various events encouraging people to sign these letters.  Consider
coming this Thursday at Phoenix Park 6PM for the concert series, we will have a tent
setup with info to hand out.

Here's that link for letters once again!

slow news day

Hmmm...

From WEAU.com:

New Jail Brings Jobs

Nearly two dozen new jobs will be coming to the area once the new Eau Claire County Jail is built.

Sheriff Ron Cramer says the Law Enforcement Committee approved 19 new correctional officer positions for the jail opening in 2010.

And Cramer says it benefits more than just the jail, since promotions could be made from the jail to put more deputies on the road.

He says the approval will go to the Personnel Committee, which will start recruiting workers next year. end story

County Struggling to gain Momentum

This TV piece makes it clear how hard the County is struggling to maintain an image that the Jail project is moving forward. This is NOT news, this is speculation. Instead of talking to citizens in EC County or nearly half the County Board members that present very clear alternatives to the downtown jail project, or further investigate the recent announcement that it's likely to cost millions more than even a few months ago, this is what we get. When will they stop wasting our money on this failed project and take the high road?

The jail doesn't need to be downtown for the Sheriffs and Police to communicate efficiently. The jail doesn't need to be downtown for detectives to get more room. And the main word in the headline that still reveals the precarious nature of the downtown jail: could (not will!).

From WEAU.com:

Local Law Enforcement Could Soon Share a Space

Plans to expand and remodel the Eau Claire County jail and courthouse could have a big impact on two local law enforcement agencies. In fact, the Sheriff’s Department and the Police Department could eventually share the same space.

Sheriff Ron Cramer says the two department have been talking about sharing spaces since the county started planning big changes to the current courthouse. He says moving-in together would help make day-to-day operations more efficient.

"Communication is so much a part of what we do in our job day-to-day with the public and with other law enforcement agencies,” Sheriff Cramer said. “So, I think that communication will be enhanced."

"Anytime you're sitting side-by-side it's just going to facilitate increased communication,” added Police Chief, Jerry Matysik.

But, the collaboration could mean even more to the Police Department. That’s because Chief Matysik says his staff has been dealing with a space-crunch for quite some time.

"Our detectives are really kind of packed in like sardines back there,” Chief Matysik said. “We don't have proper facilities to do very many interviews at one time."

If this shared spaces plan doesn’t work out, he says the Police Department will have to move somewhere else.

"That would be detrimental to us here at the Sheriff's Department, because we share a lot of information back and forth,” Cramer said.

Sheriff Cramer says combining the two departments also saves the county $2 million on the courthouse project.

He says it would also make this one of the first areas in the state where the Police and Sheriff’s Departments work within the same area.

One Root of the Problem

From TV-18:

New Study Highlights Eau Claire's Tough Justice System

Eau Claire’s chief of police reacts to a new study that shows the county has one of the toughest justice systems in the state.

The study, conducted by the National Institute of Corrections, says more people are arrested and sent through the court system in Eau Claire than in other parts of Wisconsin. Jerry Matysik, Eau Claire Chief of Police, says more crimes are reported in Eau Claire than in some of the other counties it was compared to, and so, naturally, more arrests take place.

Matysik does acknowledge, however, there are some things that can be done to ease the burden on the county’s justice system, which some experts say is operating beyond capacity.

“We can perhaps take some of the more minor offenses and instead of charging them as crimes, look at city ordinance citations, perhaps, that might reduce some of the stress on the system,” says Matysik.

Some of those minor offenses could include disorderly conduct, minor drug possession, and minor shoplifting.

Last week, Chief Matysik shared his ideas with other agencies within the county’s justice system. He says it is too early to know when any changes could take place.