The Scoop...June 27, 2011
The Lima Rotary Club heard from the top law enforcement
officers in
They talked about
the cooperation between the two departments, bath salts, concealed carry and
the crime situation. Rotary members were invited to call Crish or Martin if
they were interested in “riding along with an officer” during a shift to get an
idea of what officers see and face each day.
“Over the last few
years, cooperation has been better than what I have seen throughout my entire
career,” Martin said, giving credit to Crish and former Police Chief Greg
Garlock.
Crish said the
two departments don’t compete against each other, but instead, now work to
solve crime together. “The public
doesn’t want us to compete. Those days are gone,” Crish said.
The spirit of
cooperation is one of the reasons that 2010 figures show crime has dropped..
Crish said that his deputies and Lima Police officers began showing a joint
presence in high crime areas last year. “When you have a police presence
throughout the community, your numbers are going to be fine,” he noted.
The impact of
the relationship between the two departments and others in the area is maybe
best seen through the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force. Several law
enforcement agencies chip in money and in return get a grant to keep the unit,
which mainly tackles the area's drug problem, going, Crish said.
The task force
was launched in the 1970s, but the city withdrew from it, thanks largely to
animosity between former Sheriff Dan Beck and Garlock. When Crish moved into
the sheriff's post, relations improved and the city got back on board.
The task force,
consisting of 13 people, handled 471 cases in 2010. The biggest problem in the
area is crack cocaine, Crish said, adding that heroine is on the rise.
The unit, Crish
said, was one of the first things he and Martin talked about when Martin became
chief.
“I am a firm
believer that we are making a difference in this community,” Crish said, adding
that road patrols and information from community members also helps.
Eighty percent
of crimes committed are drug related,” Crish said. Of the 230 currently in the
county jail, most are for a drug-related offense.
Rotary members
asked about synthetic drugs such as those sold as “bath salts” recently banned
in the city. Police have charged a few, Martin said, since Lima City Council
approved the ban a week ago. Martin hopes state legislation will help the
effort.
“The problem is
it is not illegal outside of the city,” he said. “Until we get a state law
passed, it makes for inconsistent enforcement.”
On the new
concealed carry law that allows registered gun-owners to take guns inside a bar
or sports stadium, the two differed.