What do Dayton's candidates say about crime in the city?

Community policing supported; concern voiced about possible shortage of officers.

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By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 9:11 AM Monday, October 5, 2009

Editor's note: As voters in Dayton prepare to vote in mayor and commission races, the Dayton Daily News is taking a look at some of the major issues facing the city. This week, we investigate the crime issues and what the candidates plan to do about them.

DAYTON — If crime in Dayton continues its current trend through 2009, the city will experience its lowest crime rate in more than a decade.

According to a Dayton Daily News analysis of Dayton crime data from 1998 to 2009, including projections through the end of the year, the crime rate has dropped from 249 incidents per 1,000 residents to 171.

“Certainly that’s good news for Dayton. I don’t think it’s good enough,” police Chief Richard Biehl said. “It’s a story of decline across the board, but there are exceptions. Gun crimes overall are down over last year, but we’ve seen an increase (6 percent) in armed robbery.”

On Nov. 3, voters decide whether current policies to prevent and combat crime adopted by Mayor Rhine McLin and two city commissioners are shaping the kind of Dayton where they want to live. McLin, seeking a third term, is being challenged by Gary Leitzell, the chairman of the Southeast Priority Board.

Neighborhood activist David Esrati is running for a City Commission seat against incumbents Joey Williams and Nan Whaley. The top two vote-winners get the seats.

All the candidates plan to attack crime, or the perception of it, from different angles.

“We need to show that we mean zero tolerance for crime,” McLin said. “The key is staying on top of truancy, getting neighborhoods involved, getting businesses involved. No one is immune to helping with community policing.”

Leitzell believes getting crime under control is vital for Dayton. He wants a more visible police presence in neighborhoods.

Dayton narrowly missed laying off 11 police officers earlier this year due to budget shortfalls. A $5.6 million federal stimulus grant saved the jobs. Leitzell said it’s ridiculous to consider laying off police officers in a city that has experienced 34 homicides this year.

“Without strong safety forces we cannot have a strong city,” he said.

When a crime does occur, Leitzell thinks the neighborhood where it took place should be identified rather than labeling Dayton as the location.

“To say there was a shooting in Dayton scares people away from the heart of town,” he said. “People think all neighborhoods are bad.”

Esrati wants every neighborhood to have a dedicated police officer. Historic South Park, where he lives, shows that concept works.

Biehl said that partnership is successful because Miami Valley Hospital pays for the officer. “We’ve found, on a physiological level, one officer dedicated to a neighborhood promotes engagement and problem solving,” Biehl said. “Is there a private entity in all neighborhoods to underwrite the cost?”

Whaley said she’s encouraged by the decline in Dayton’s crime rate, but “when there is a crime, the numbers don’t matter.”

She asked the city manager to provide city commissioners with weekly crime statistics .

“It’s the first thing I look at every Monday morning,” Whaley said. “Getting weekly updates on a core service is important. When there are bumps in crime the reports enable us to see what’s going on.”

The three incumbents and Esrati each praised Biehl. Leizell said he doesn’t know the chief well.

“One thing I’m really pleased with is his outreach to the community,” Williams said. “I’m pleased with the way he uses data to make management decisions.”

Williams said data is being used to target enforcement areas that most need intervention.

“I want us to continue to explore technology, to see even more aggressive use to speed up results,” Williams said.

Esrati called Biehl “the best police chief we’ve had in a long time.”

Esrati said, if elected, he would push for an audit of Dayton cases sent to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

Whaley believes partnerships forged by Biehl with the sheriff and surrounding jurisdictions help show the region the city isn’t going to put up with crime. The lack of cooperation Dayton police get from the community remains a problem.

“When things do happen, people need to speak to police,” Whaley said.

McLin, Whaley and Williams said one of the greatest issues facing police is a federal lawsuit alleging Dayton engaged in race discrimination against blacks in the hiring of police officers and firefighters.

The city and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a tentative agreement, but it must be approved by the courts.

“We have a huge number of police officers who will retire in 2011,” Whaley said. “Until that lawsuit is resolved, we can’t hire officers.”

The city will be hard pressed to hold a recruit exam by summer 2010, Biehl said. On average, two sworn officers retire monthly. Biehl estimates it will take 16 months to schedule an exam, then move officers through six months of training. That could leave the department with 32 fewer officers before new recruits are on the job.

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Deadline to register to vote is Monday

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election is Monday, Oct. 5. Get more information and download forms at the Ohio secretary of state’s Web site at www.sos.state.oh.us or at your board of elections.

Leitzell, McLin to debate

The Dayton Daily News, WHIO-TV, ThinkTV and News Talk Radio WHIO will host a debate between Dayton mayoral candidates Rhine McLin and Gary Leitzell on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Cox Ohio Publishing Media Center, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton. The event is open to the public. Registration to attend is required. Sign up online at DaytonDailyNews.com/go/election or call (937) 225-7353 and leave your name, phone number, city of residence and a question for the candidates.

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