The City Council's discussion of the spending plan for a law enforcement grant prompted some criticism of the Durham Police Department's role in combating crime at a Monday night council meeting.
Since 1996, Durham has received a biennial law enforcement block grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance and recently received the grant for this fiscal year. Interim Police Chief Steve Chalmers explained the police department's spending plan for the grant, pending the council's approval.
Sixty-eight percent of the $337,476 grant will fund crime reduction programs while the other 32 percent will pay for new police equipment, a change from the past plan, in which less money had gone to prevention programs.
City Council member Tamra Edwards expressed concern over the methods employed to handle Durham's crime and the police department's relevance in improving the situation.
"We need to look at how we can be more proactive in addressing these issues both punitively and rehabilitatively," Edwards said. "What are we doing to look at what is causing [our youth] to go in that direction in the first place?" Edwards said the "reactive" police department may not be the right vehicle to provide progressive services to the community.
Chalmers also fielded comments from Erica Peterson, a local community resident and the only speaker from the audience who criticized the police department. "When do we become important?" said Peterson, claiming that the police department has been ignoring the African-American community in its efforts to improve relations with the Latino community.
"We are making sure that we provide the same level of service to Latinos as we do across the board," Chalmers said. "I don't see a difference."
One crime reduction program that benefits from the grant is Project Safe Neighborhood which responds to crime by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data on gun violence.
"You need to have all the information before you do anything," said Rev. Robert Daniels of St. John's Baptist Church, praising the program.
IN OTHER BUSINESS: A.T. Rolan, director of the Environmental Resources department for the city, announced that the reservoirs were full due to the rain received in October.
"We would like to thank our customers for their efforts," he said, noting that water usage was reduced by 25 percent from June to October. Rolan added that environmental officials continue to investigate future contingency measures, including possible scenarios involving water allocation from Cary. The city is also working to acquire the Nello Teer Quarry as an additional water storage facility. According to Rolan, this past 12 months has been the driest in the city's records.
North Carolina Central University officials detailed a rezoning plan for a site on which a new dormitory will be built and received public comments. The property, located on Fayetteville Street, was rezoned from a residential classification to a general office and institutional classification.
"It will serve as a magnificent beginning to the challenges that [NCCU] faces in the twenty-first century," said Dr. James Ammons, the university's chancellor. He said NCCU students have suffered in the "deplorable" conditions of 50 year-old dorms for too long. In response to concerns of some residents bordering the site, Ammons' administrative staff met with many community members. The ordinance passed unanimously.
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