Crime and Punishment

Well, I think I'm getting ready to head down a rather interesting road and I thought I would take the time to document the process on here as it happens in the hopes that maybe it will help someone else out there.

Background: We have lived on the west side of Bloomington for several years now. For the most part, it's not bad. You get the loud boom cars once or twice a day, and sometimes in the middle of the night. There are apartments nearby that look nice but seem to contain folks of a rather undesirable nature. I have not wanted to admit this, but I think it's time. About a year and a half ago, I owned a soft top jeep. I never locked it because I didn't want the top torn up. Well, finally someone decided they could really use my stereo, and trashed my dash in the process. After replacing it with a factory unit, it was gotten into again, and so was my wife's vehicle. Each and every time we called the sheriff to make a report.
--NOTE-- The apartments around us are under city jurisdiction. We are technically county because we have not been annexed. Therefore, the city WILL NOT answer calls to our home.
Anyway, our vehicles had been rifled through a few times, but we only suffered the single theft. This morning my door was ajar ( I had forgotten to lock it) and there were a few items in the drivers seat that shouldn't have been. Yep. Again.
So now I've had enough. I have been told several times that there are ever only about 3-4 sheriff deputies on duty at a time. They are responsible for any and everything outside the city limits. The Bloomington police, on the other hand, have much greater numbers and are only responsible for activity within the city limits.

SO...that brings us to today. What I've basically been told is that a car would drive by if it could, but it was unlikely. The sheriff receives pretty paltry funding, except for seat belt enforcement. Don't get me started on that. I made a point to check into the county commisioners office as well as the sheriff's office. A lady at the CC office took my name and number and would have someone get back to me. She also had me speak to someone in the auditor's office. I then went to the sheriff's office to see if it was possible to obtain crime statistics so I would have some hard numbers to go in with.

My goal? I would like to get funding for at least one or two officers, preferably during the night. Will I have to make a stink? Probably. Am I ready? I sure as hell hope so.

So at this point, I am awaiting a call from a county commisioner, and I need to call a woman who works in the office at the Monroe County Sherriff's dept. I have her name and number, now it's a matter of remembering.

I'll do my best to document the experience on here. Will I need a petition? Will I need to attend meetings? Will I get shot down before I even begin? I don't know what it will take, but I've had enough. I'm surely not the only person this is happening to. Bloomington calls itself a "Safe and civil city" but that has yet to be determined. Judging from the amount of graffiti, it's certainly a decorated one! Stay tuned!