Thanks for helping us to help you!

By Gallatin Police Chief Jim Wycoff

I would like to congratulate our graduating high school seniors and thank them for their very responsible and safe behavior over the weekends of prom and graduation. We experienced no crime nor other incidents involving any seniors or other high school students over those weekends. Our observations of activity in town was that everyone behaved very responsibly during these periods.

Thanks again for using common sense. The way you handled these events indicates that you are starting out your post school adult lives on a positive note.

SURVEYS: We began distributing community surveys on March 20. We have had a heartening response with about 50 now on hands. We had hoped for more, but expected less. I intend to send off all completed surveys on May 20 which allows for a complete 2-month response period. If you have a completed survey to turn in, please do so as soon as you can. If you haven’t gotten a survey, complete one so that your input will be included when the surveys are analyzed. Surveys are available at city hall, from city police officers, at the newspaper office and other locations as well. Surveys can be returned by dropping them into the city hall drop box located at the alley entrance west of the city hall building. You may also return them at city hall or to a police officer. I want to thank everyone who has participated thus far. We will probably conduct a follow-up survey in about 6 to 12 months from now to see if the programs we put in place address concerns gleaned from these surveys. Thanks again for your help.

BUILDING LISTS: Starting today we will be going around the community to obtain building listings on businesses, churches and other public buildings that are not open for some period of each day. The listings are to identify owners or others responsible who can respond with a key when we get either intrusion alarms or find open doors or windows while patrolling. Several incidents lately occurred when we were not able to contact anyone to verify if the building had been illegally entered or ir some other crime occurred. This puts us at a disadvantage to detect crime early and to properly investigate and apprehend crime suspects. The listing may also be helpful during after hours emergencies caused by fire or broken water lines, etc. I’m certain business owners and those responsible for these properties appreciate notification as early as possible should an emergency develop. We would prefer to have the listing completed while the officer is there, but the cards also can be completed at your convenience and either dropped off at city hall, dropped into the city hall drop box, or returned to a police officer. These are actually printed post cards and thus can be mailed. A timely response would be greatly appreciated.

HOUSE & BUILDING ADDRESSES: As I mentioned in my last article, we have numerous buildings and houses in town that do not have address numbers posted. In an effort to expedite the process, we will contact owners or others responsible who do not have address numbers affixed to the fronts of buildings. We will attempt to determine when these improvements can be made and assist anyone who has problems with getting this accomplished. Again, these numbers will help us to help you. We frequently get requests to make emergency contacts, and our response is delayed if structures aren’t clearly marked. We want to be there when you need us, and an address number on the building helps us do that.

NUISANCE PROPERTIES: The city has some pretty comprehensive ordinances regarding the upkeep and maintenance of buildings, lots and other properties within the city limits. The Healthy Communities Task Force has identified one of its concerns to be improving the quality of life in the city. Part of that concern is the presence of nuisances on properties. We have begun to more aggressively contact individual landowners and others responsible for property in the city where nuisances exist in an effort to help identify and abate problems. I am pleased to inform you that the cooperation and cooperative attitudes I’ve encountered so far is very heartening. We are trying to obtain cooperation and correction, not enhance revenue by citing people. The system involves responding and investigating reports of problem properties. If the investigation reveals actual problems, we photograph the property and forward a letter with information and ordinance quotations, along with photocopies of the photographs we take to the owners or other person responsible for the property. The letter informs the owner of the observed violation and asks that they either abate the observed problems within 10 days or contact the police department within that 10 days to inform us of plans, with time lines, for the abatement of the problems. Problems include junk vehicles, trash, debris, high weeds, dangerous buildings, etc.

I have sent out 5 letters so far, and the first property was cleaned up in less than the 10 days. Two other property owners have contacted me to let me know they are working on their problems. I also had another complaint that I addressed before this system was developed, and the cooperation and effort to abate the identified problems has been fabulous.

If you happen to receive one of our letters about a problem with your property, don’t panic. We realize that most of you are working to abate the problems. We simply need to know this and the time lines for the corrections.

Thanks to everyone for your understanding and cooperation. I think the improvement of our community and the pride we will all experience will more than justify the effort.