Article # 39

Members & Friends:

Our initiative is beginning to morph into an organization with roots and an ever-growing membership. Per member feedback, we have reduced our projects in number, from 11 down to 3. We have had a good response for volunteers, but are still looking for anyone who would like to volunteer in any of the following 3 main areas of concentration. Please email rebecca@saveoursavannah.com if you would like to be more active.

Our three projects are:

1. Immediate Action Items – Hire new police chief, funding, technology, citywide cameras and lighting, computers for police cars and other new ideas. Plus any additional ideas the committee would like to add. Committee chair will be selected by committee members.

2. Policy and Community Involvement – Parole hearings, Public Housing, Participation at City Council and County Commission meetings, Working with Neighborhood Associations, SOS speaker presentations, Website, Advertising and Marketing. Plus any additional items the committee would like to add. Committee chair will be selected by committee members.

3. Community Education – Police Department Issues, College & University Collaboration, Public School Collaboration, Victim Assistance, Development of community-wide “Think Tank”, Media coverage and Progress. Plus any additional items the committee would like to add. Committee Chair has been selected: Dr. Dan Lockwood.

SOS can make a difference if you participate. Maybe you do not have the time to serve on a committee, but we need you to ask a friend to join. Fortification through increasing membership is the key to success in November 2006 and other coming elections.

Giving our police department the tools to fight crime is a primary goal of SOS. Funding is required! We’re not asking for your contribution – we are seeking your help to inform your elected officials that you are demanding that the highest priority for the new SPLOST funds is crime prevention. Excluding the jail, we estimate that we can bring about an immediate reduction in crime with 12 or 15 million. These funds could be allocated to CrimeStoppers, and spent on lights and cameras all over Savannah, more electronic bracelets, car thief computer checkers, new computers to monitor cameras, night surveillance equipment, the Juvenile Assessment Center and so much more. CrimeStoppers has the accounting systems to handle the funds as well as the expertise to ensure that our tax dollars are wisely spent.

Over the last 5 months at least 1000 of you have asked what you can do to help. As I said before, the time will come. NOW is the time! Please contact the City Manager, County Manager, City Council and / or Chatham County Commissioners to let them know you care and that you want real crime reduction in Savannah to be the highest priority.

Thank you.

Martin

P.S. – Please don’t forget the “Scientific Methods for Determining What Works in Crime Preventionâ€? Presentation with speaker Dr. Dan Lockwood at the Desoto Hilton at 5:30 pm June 14th. The whole presentation is less than one hour. Anything more would be questions after the meeting. See you there!