Scribbles in my busy notebook:
More layoffs and changes are all but certain at Akron City Hall .. and don't be surprised if they go as high as cabinet members or department managers. Lifeguards and law clerks will only save so much. As for how many police officers may go -- either via layoffs or from the buyout incentives -- that's anyone's guess. I did speak to a 30-year veteran who was taking the buyout because "I'm tired of the younger officers who don't want to work for what they have and want everything handed to them." His words, not mine.
Lately I've seen some local parents who have set me off. First, a woman walking her young child to school (good so far) while wearing a jacket with Scarface on the back holding up a few handguns. I mean, what heck kind of message is that to show your child? Second, I saw a woman with her three children on Exchange Street and she was wearing a shirt that said "Do I look like a F*(*)()*g People Person?". Again, here's a mom who has her young children walking beside her, and that's the message she shows the world? Note to parents -- your kids see what you do and how you act! So wake up!
I keep getting emails about an unreleased 911 call from the Lux fight. To date, everyone tells me that it doesn't exist, so I'm starting to believe it was urban legend that got away from people who were looking for a smoking gun. For the record, the initial tips that I received about the incident alleged that Mayor Plusquellic used much, MUCH stronger language in his 911 calls. As we've since heard, that wasn't the case. If another call of substance truly exists, it's bound to come out. If not, let's move on.
The Ernie Tarle-Dave Reymann debacle is just that. Regardless of who was right or wrong, it makes our city look bad .. and it makes a great many voters ask "just who the heck is running for council these days?"
I had a chance to take in the Hall of Fame Game Sunday night. Hot and humid, but a lot of fun. Before the game, I had a chance to shake hands outside the stadium with an interesting combination: Fred Biletnikoff and Eric Metcalf. One is a Hall of Famer and the other is a Browns player who just couldn't find the right niche to be effective but who did provide some electric touchdowns. Both men were very nice and shook hands with a lot of fans.
My days have been busier with no end in sight. The ever-changing business requires me to shoot video and even edit sometimes (four out of five days last week for example), which reduces the amount of time to blog, twitter, and write on Facebook too. It's a busy world for journalists trying to feed so many platforms. Want to see my shooting skills in action? Click here and take a look at this photo from the Plain Dealer. You can't see my face, but it's me in a shirt and tie and sporting a camera. That story ended up as our lead story at 7. Guess that makes me a "full service" journalist.
More later ..
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
911 calls released from city hall
Call #2 .. Mayor speaking with Radio Room Sergeant
Call #1 .. Mayor calling in initial incident
Call #3 .. Mayor receives call back from Dispatch
Mayor's response to downtown fight .
I'll have the 911 calls up in a minute, but for starters, here's the mayor's statement released at 9:25 a.m.
Statement
Mayor Don Plusquellic
August 4, 2009
On Saturday evening, August 1, at approximately 10:50pm, I met friends at the Bricco Restaurant on South Main Street. Earlier that evening, I welcomed audiences at our Ballet Summer Festival at Glendale Cemetery, and at the 9:00pm concert at Lock 3.
I exited the restaurant shortly after 2:00am, and walked north on Main toward the place where I had parked my car.
A friend who had been in Bricco came outside to continue our discussions for several minutes. Suddenly, I heard a commotion going on around the corner at Main and Exchange. Someone was yelling “fight.” I immediately walked in that direction to see if I could help. A large crowd of people came rushing past me, and continued around the corner where they proceeded to carry on a fight that apparently broke-out on Exchange Street.
I attempted twice to call 9-1-1 when the fight first started, but was placed on hold. Given all the people running around, and not being able to determine how to physically help, and believing I could have been hit while holding the phone, I hung up.
While I was blocked from seeing the faces of the combatants, I became aware that someone had been punched and was lying in the street. I witnessed a person kick the victim lying on the ground but was unable to see his face.
As people (combatants and witnesses alike) scattered, and police started to arrive on the scene, I called 9-1-1 at 2:38am for the third time, to get EMS to the scene. I was advised that they had already been called, and I informed the 9-1-1 center that I was concerned about having been put on hold earlier.
At 2:41am, I received a call from the 9-1-1 center asking if I had called in. I told them that I had called-in, and had received a recorded message, and was placed on hold. I asked to speak to the police sergeant on duty. As Safety Director of the City of Akron, I directed him to document the number of calls received in the 9-1-1 center about this incident, and to document what circumstances required calls to be placed on hold. I indicated to him that I would take-up the matter with Chief Craig Gilbride the following day.
This action - stated in tough terms in a stressful situation - was partially in reaction to the incident that had occurred June 27 in Firestone Park -the botched response to the several calls that went unreported for over three weeks following a terrible assault. Even our hard-working detectives couldn’t get accurate and timely information from the 9-1-1 center, which caused a very bad perception of the Akron Police Department.
The Firestone Park incident on June 27 had raised these concerns anew because detectives investigating the assault case after the fireworks, were first advised that there were no other calls, and later learned that there were multiple calls to the 9-1-1 center, some of whom had been placed on hold.
It was essential that this problem be documented so that solutions to this problem can be applied.
During the time that I was on Main Street early Sunday, I spoke to witnesses regarding what they had seen, and I continuously relayed to police officers what others had said to me about the start of the fight. I directed individuals who had seen the fight take place to make their statements to police officers. I did everything I could to help police get the information they needed, so that an arrest could be made.
The police officer who completed the written incident report listed me as an ancillary person to the investigation. The report form provides a box labeled speech, in which the officer wrote the word “slurred.” Recordings of my calls to the 9-1-1 center do not support this conclusion. The recordings are posted on the city’s website.
I have witnessed a number of fights before - as a coach present on basketball courts and baseball playing fields. I have been involved in breaking-up fights, including one on Main Street several years ago. The incident Sunday was much more horrific because of the injury to the victim. People at the scene who spoke to me believed that this was more than a few rowdy guys throwing punches. This is why we were motivated to help police as much as we could.
The truth however, was that from the arrival of the first officer on the scene - who displayed an attitude that drove most of the witnesses away - had I not remained at the scene and encouraged other witnesses to cooperate, the officers who later took the statements that are now being used by detectives, would not have been able to gather the information that led to the arrest of a responsible person, which occurred because of my insistence that they interview certain witnesses to the event.
The president of the FOP has chosen to attack me for getting involved. Anyone listening to the 9-1-1 tape recordings will agree that the story concocted by the FOP president is flatly wrong - for whatever political or personal reason he may have. We simply cannot afford to not have people involved to help police. Without my remaining on the scene, and insistence that witnesses also remain to be interviewed, we could have had yet another unsolved case.
I am never just an ordinary bystander when I am present at the scene of a safety emergency. The Charter of the City of Akron designates me as the Safety Director, and I am in charge of all police and fire matters. Because I was a practicing lawyer and former criminal prosecutor, I also know the importance of gathering information immediately. This was my only purpose Sunday morning - to direct the people who had approached me with valuable information because they knew who I was - to officers who could take down the details to secure an arrest, and hopefully a conviction of whoever was responsible for this horrible beating.
It is always my responsibility to ensure that the police department in all its facets - patrol officers, detectives, 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers - do their jobs properly, so that we never again have an unfortunate situation like the one that occurred in June in Firestone Park.
Statement
Mayor Don Plusquellic
August 4, 2009
On Saturday evening, August 1, at approximately 10:50pm, I met friends at the Bricco Restaurant on South Main Street. Earlier that evening, I welcomed audiences at our Ballet Summer Festival at Glendale Cemetery, and at the 9:00pm concert at Lock 3.
I exited the restaurant shortly after 2:00am, and walked north on Main toward the place where I had parked my car.
A friend who had been in Bricco came outside to continue our discussions for several minutes. Suddenly, I heard a commotion going on around the corner at Main and Exchange. Someone was yelling “fight.” I immediately walked in that direction to see if I could help. A large crowd of people came rushing past me, and continued around the corner where they proceeded to carry on a fight that apparently broke-out on Exchange Street.
I attempted twice to call 9-1-1 when the fight first started, but was placed on hold. Given all the people running around, and not being able to determine how to physically help, and believing I could have been hit while holding the phone, I hung up.
While I was blocked from seeing the faces of the combatants, I became aware that someone had been punched and was lying in the street. I witnessed a person kick the victim lying on the ground but was unable to see his face.
As people (combatants and witnesses alike) scattered, and police started to arrive on the scene, I called 9-1-1 at 2:38am for the third time, to get EMS to the scene. I was advised that they had already been called, and I informed the 9-1-1 center that I was concerned about having been put on hold earlier.
At 2:41am, I received a call from the 9-1-1 center asking if I had called in. I told them that I had called-in, and had received a recorded message, and was placed on hold. I asked to speak to the police sergeant on duty. As Safety Director of the City of Akron, I directed him to document the number of calls received in the 9-1-1 center about this incident, and to document what circumstances required calls to be placed on hold. I indicated to him that I would take-up the matter with Chief Craig Gilbride the following day.
This action - stated in tough terms in a stressful situation - was partially in reaction to the incident that had occurred June 27 in Firestone Park -the botched response to the several calls that went unreported for over three weeks following a terrible assault. Even our hard-working detectives couldn’t get accurate and timely information from the 9-1-1 center, which caused a very bad perception of the Akron Police Department.
The Firestone Park incident on June 27 had raised these concerns anew because detectives investigating the assault case after the fireworks, were first advised that there were no other calls, and later learned that there were multiple calls to the 9-1-1 center, some of whom had been placed on hold.
It was essential that this problem be documented so that solutions to this problem can be applied.
During the time that I was on Main Street early Sunday, I spoke to witnesses regarding what they had seen, and I continuously relayed to police officers what others had said to me about the start of the fight. I directed individuals who had seen the fight take place to make their statements to police officers. I did everything I could to help police get the information they needed, so that an arrest could be made.
The police officer who completed the written incident report listed me as an ancillary person to the investigation. The report form provides a box labeled speech, in which the officer wrote the word “slurred.” Recordings of my calls to the 9-1-1 center do not support this conclusion. The recordings are posted on the city’s website.
I have witnessed a number of fights before - as a coach present on basketball courts and baseball playing fields. I have been involved in breaking-up fights, including one on Main Street several years ago. The incident Sunday was much more horrific because of the injury to the victim. People at the scene who spoke to me believed that this was more than a few rowdy guys throwing punches. This is why we were motivated to help police as much as we could.
The truth however, was that from the arrival of the first officer on the scene - who displayed an attitude that drove most of the witnesses away - had I not remained at the scene and encouraged other witnesses to cooperate, the officers who later took the statements that are now being used by detectives, would not have been able to gather the information that led to the arrest of a responsible person, which occurred because of my insistence that they interview certain witnesses to the event.
The president of the FOP has chosen to attack me for getting involved. Anyone listening to the 9-1-1 tape recordings will agree that the story concocted by the FOP president is flatly wrong - for whatever political or personal reason he may have. We simply cannot afford to not have people involved to help police. Without my remaining on the scene, and insistence that witnesses also remain to be interviewed, we could have had yet another unsolved case.
I am never just an ordinary bystander when I am present at the scene of a safety emergency. The Charter of the City of Akron designates me as the Safety Director, and I am in charge of all police and fire matters. Because I was a practicing lawyer and former criminal prosecutor, I also know the importance of gathering information immediately. This was my only purpose Sunday morning - to direct the people who had approached me with valuable information because they knew who I was - to officers who could take down the details to secure an arrest, and hopefully a conviction of whoever was responsible for this horrible beating.
It is always my responsibility to ensure that the police department in all its facets - patrol officers, detectives, 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers - do their jobs properly, so that we never again have an unfortunate situation like the one that occurred in June in Firestone Park.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Things you shouldn't say when there's a recording device
If you think you've heard it all in Akron Politics .. just wait .. it's about to rain hard .. really hard ... stay tuned .. Eric
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Further cuts coming to First Energy
The news just keeps getting dimmer for our local electric giant.
An internal release to company employees says that more cuts will be announced next week:
An internal release to company employees says that more cuts will be announced next week:
"Severed employees will meet individually with their supervisors on July 28, along with representatives from Human Resources. They also will have the opportunity to talk to representatives from Right Management, the firm helping us with career transition consulting. Severed employees’ last day on the payroll will be August 27."Don't yet know how any numbers .. or how these cuts will impact the Akron area, but the memo says the reductions come from the combining of its Finance office with its Strategic Planning and Operation folks.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Odds and Ends on a Thursday
Catching up ..
My first day back (Tuesday) ended with Mayor Plusquellic's Press Conference on the budget crisis. I wish I could be a fly on the wall as the five union leaders meet with city hall and with their members to find ways to cut. NO ONE wants layoffs this fall, but serious cuts are looming if enough dollars aren't caught. My jaw about hit the floor when the Mayor was asked how many employees need to take a buyout incentive to meet the goal. He responded with a reference to Summit County's incentive program, which netted about 130 or so .. and then said Akron needed "twice that many."
Mayor Plusquellic has agreed to be my live guest for a FOCUS segment of Channel 3, but we are still coordinating the details for his appearance in an upcoming news broadcast. Stay tuned.
I was amazed traveling west for vacation at how many giant wind turbines are out there. Hundreds and hundreds of windmills generating power in Nebraska, Iowa, etc. Why don't we see more of them here in NE Ohio?
I want to hear more about this racial hate crime involving a group of teens accosting a family in Firestone Park.
I'm looking forward to getting back to NewsNight Akron. Friday's show boasts Ed Esposito, Larry States, and Phil Trexler.
Finally, today's story still has me amazed. If the government can use a proactive virus to search my hard drive without me knowing it, what else can folks find? Check it out:
My first day back (Tuesday) ended with Mayor Plusquellic's Press Conference on the budget crisis. I wish I could be a fly on the wall as the five union leaders meet with city hall and with their members to find ways to cut. NO ONE wants layoffs this fall, but serious cuts are looming if enough dollars aren't caught. My jaw about hit the floor when the Mayor was asked how many employees need to take a buyout incentive to meet the goal. He responded with a reference to Summit County's incentive program, which netted about 130 or so .. and then said Akron needed "twice that many."
Mayor Plusquellic has agreed to be my live guest for a FOCUS segment of Channel 3, but we are still coordinating the details for his appearance in an upcoming news broadcast. Stay tuned.
I was amazed traveling west for vacation at how many giant wind turbines are out there. Hundreds and hundreds of windmills generating power in Nebraska, Iowa, etc. Why don't we see more of them here in NE Ohio?
I want to hear more about this racial hate crime involving a group of teens accosting a family in Firestone Park.
I'm looking forward to getting back to NewsNight Akron. Friday's show boasts Ed Esposito, Larry States, and Phil Trexler.
Finally, today's story still has me amazed. If the government can use a proactive virus to search my hard drive without me knowing it, what else can folks find? Check it out:
Monday, July 13, 2009
Back .. and ready to write!
After a three-week hiatus from all things journalism, I'm finally back .. did anything newsworthy happen other than Michael Jackson? Seems that's all I heard about during a camping trip out west with my wife and boys. One of my favorite parts was stopping at Field of Dreams in Dyersville, IA, and playing catch, hitting a few balls, and visiting the ghostly corn in the outfield (see photo).I can't tell you how many times I came across something during the travels that made me want to write .. or inspired me to comment in some way. As a journalist, it was very, very difficult to not be working the night of the recall election. I mean, that's a BIG news night here in town.
Anyway, after 23 days off, I feel good. It's been a long time since I've felt this refreshed .. and it's a really good thing.
Returning to work at TV3 tomorrow .. and I have lots to catch up on here on the blog. Thanks for sticking with me ...
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