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<br />project for a long time and what is being discussed now is already in place. He <br />stated that the City has a Police Focus Group and a Police Academy Training <br />Group that people can attend and learn about police procedures and resident <br />safety; another group was unnecessary. Mr. Price also noted that Brighton, the <br />marketing firm for University City, could be responsible for getting the word out <br />rather than a task force. <br /> <br />Mr. Sharpe felt that there are some possibilities of other citizens giving input as far <br />as crime was concerned and recommended taking the focus group concept out on <br />an ad hoc basis to other areas in University City and inviting residents to come <br />with ideas and to express concerns. <br /> <br />Ms. Carr agreed with Mr. Price and Mr. Sharpe and clarified that her first calls from <br />residents, after being elected, were about crimes in the neighborhood. She did not <br />agree that crime had decreased. She noted two incidents involving residents’ <br />homes being burglarized on Gannon and on Cornell in the past week. Those <br />residents in that area have formed neighborhood watch groups because they felt <br />crime had increased. Ms. Carr stated she has been attending the focus groups, <br />talking to Captain Jackson and helping residents start neighborhood watches. Ms. <br />Carr said that people perceived differently, but her perception of alarms in homes <br />would benefit police because a very small fraction of those homes actually <br />experience an active crime. She also said Chief Adams put remedies for home <br />protection forth in his report. She stated her perception was that there had been <br />more crime activity in the community and believed more citizen participation was <br />needed. <br /> <br />Mr. Glickert appreciated everyone’s comments and made a motion for Council to <br />initiate a Citizen’s Task Force on Crime Prevention and Awareness in conjunction <br />with the University City Police Department and was seconded by Mr. Kraft. <br /> <br />The motion failed with four Nay votes from Mr. Price, Ms. Carr, Mr. Crow and Mr. <br />Sharpe. <br /> <br /> <br /> Mr. Price stated that after discussion on his and Mr. Sharpe’s agenda items, he <br />would like a roll call vote on each one of the items discussed. <br /> <br /> Police strategy and action; Brighton marketing strategy for crime prevention <br /> <br />and awareness (police focus group, police academy and community forums) <br />Mr. Price explained the community forum mentioned in the police report was <br />divided in areas by crime zones and the City would use Brighton’s marketing <br />strategy in those areas to get resident participation in the community forums. <br /> <br />Mr. Price made a motion to have Brighton research marketing strategies for <br />crime prevention and awareness and was seconded by Mr. Sharpe. <br /> <br />Mr. Kraft questioned whether Brighton was hired to work for the City Council. <br />He stated that the Council approved a contract and Brighton works for the City <br />through the City Manager. His suggestion would be for the Council to ask the <br />City Manager to work with Brighton on marketing strategies regarding crime <br />12 <br /> <br /> <br />