New London- we must address the Public Safety decline!

The future of New London depends on our actions today; we cannot live in the past.As the Chair of the Public Welfare Committee and as a member of Public Safety and Public Works Committees I dedicate a great portion of my time towards making the city of New London an economically viable and safe community for all of our citizens as well as for all that visit the city whether for work or recreation. I take my responsibilities as a true voice of the people of New London very seriously.Sadly we in New London are in crisis! Crime is not on the decline as some would have you believe. The public safety component of New London is in a state of continuous decline. This state of decline promotes an environment for increased criminal activity. New London cannot effect true economic development until the public safety component of New London is effective and productive. We have lost a dozen or more police officers since June 2013; these are just the latest in a long string of losses. We have seen issues in our fire department play out in the media recently with respect to personnel; none of this helps New London to move forward.On August 5 city council unanimously passed the K9 ordinance as a first step forward with respect to improved public safety. The mayor has stated he will veto this step forward. Will the council stand together to over-ride the mayor’s veto or will some council members facilitate further decline of our public safety component by changing their position when the council votes on the veto override?There is still a rapist on the loose, it has been weeks and I hear from people in the community that they are concerned, some are scared.  As a member of the council I and others should be informed of what is going on, the administration of the city and the police department do not ensure that the council is informed as to violent crimes or progress with the investigations.  The reality is that we find about the incidents in the pages of the Day or on the evening news.We need to develop New London economically in order to prosper and provide for the services needed by the community, we cannot do that until the city is safe and those that live, work and visit feel completely safe. New London has a systemic problem to address that will when it is resolved stem the negative image and foster an environment where the best deep water port in Connecticut will prosper. We can have a vibrant local economy but not before we take action steps to move forward with respect to public safety.The negativity that has gripped New London for far too long must be addressed. We cannot just say stop the negativity, we have to eliminate the root cause. I am a voice of the people of New London because I listen to and vote for the best interest of the members of the community. Those with personal agendas need to put their personal views and differences aside and work for the people of New London. That is why were elected. The Unanimous vote of the New London City Council passing the K9 ordinance is rare occurrence, I see as a start, I hope it  that we will build momentum from this first step.