Letters to the Editor April 2008
First District Police inaction frustrates resident

To the editor: (Plain Press, April 2008) I read with amusement the article concerning Police Chief McGrath at the Cudell Improvement meeting (February Plain Press). It is my firm belief this man should immediately be referred to a mental health specialist and be tested for drug use. My reasoning being that he weaves a wonderful fairy tale, based on experiences I personally have had from his office (the 1st. Districts Commanders office), regular patrol officers and police dispatchers. I have had police dispatchers threaten me with arrest as I attempted to report a crime.

I had a police dispatcher tell me one day, and I quote her: "What do you think we are, Miami Vice? We don't go out to arrest people that have warrants".

For 8 YEARS I kept trying to get the 1st. District Police to bust the crack dealers house on my street. I finally gave up after watching Cleveland Police take money from the druggies. And I am not the only resident that watched the officers take bribes and leave the area alone.

 I called Police Dispatch, the 1st District, even sent numerous faxes DIRECTLY TO the 1st District Police Station with dates, times, descriptions of people and vehicles, license plate numbers, the hiding places, names and addresses of the drug runners that I knew (all children) to no avail. This house STILL, 14 years later, supplies crack to the 1st District.

 I have been jumped and beaten by these druggies. Police REFUSED to take a homeowner’s word, disregarded the blood pouring from me, and told the "boys", i.e. the drugs dealers that were paying them off, to go home for a little while and be "good boys". Yeah, like I am stupid enough to accost 10 teenagers I KNOW carry guns.

My vehicles and home were constantly vandalized. Police did not/do not care. IF you could get a police car, the officers 9 times out of ten refused to even exit their vehicles. This was, and IS Elton Ave. between West 73rd. and West 81st.

My family finally moved. We found a small house on Hague Ave. Same story. Police refusing to come out and bust the bad guy. It took me that 3 years and around $5,000 worth of damage to my property for the Police to FINALLY bust 2 people. CHILDREN !!!!!

Add another year of having to go to "Kiddie Court", lost wages, parking fee's etc. and lo and behold the kids received PROBATION and had to pay me back a whole $250. Hmmm, lemme see here, I am out 5 grand, get back 250 dollars, Where the hell is my other $4,750?

We had enough there, moved to West 87th. Different street, STILL worthless 1st District Police. Now we have right next door to us a house that has been in this order:
A crack and pot supplier

Prostitutes working out of the house

Thieves that were, maybe still are, tearing the aluminum siding and gutters off homes

scrappers (check out our missing down spouts that were found hidden in their yard that police said they were just "protecting" my property") Awful damn funny those down spouts required no protection while still attached to the house.

Thieves and vandals also violated our flower and vegetable gardens. I am sorry Mr. Police Officer, you may try to blow smoke up my posterior end, but human urine and fecal material are NOT considered fertilizer for my roses and vegetables under ANY circumstances. NO, tomato plants DO NOT "go the way of the lemmings" and commit vegetable suicide, uproot themselves and throw their little tomato plant roots and fruit up on the porch. (I actually had a 1st District Officer tell me this.)

Drunks and just plain pigs threw their trash all over the street. This house is so nasty the driveway would look like it was moving in the summer as the hordes of cockroaches encompassed it.

HELLO Orkin man !!!! Now we pay $500.00 BESIDES house payments to keep the damn bugs out of OUR place.

Building or Health Inspector? I have a better chance of the Pope stopping by for dinner. There are windows that are missing for 18 months now in that house. The driveway is collapsing along the foundation. There has been and is a nice little pile of abandoned car tires in the yard. Not to mention the broken glass and junk. Garbage cans that have only seen a lid on the day of manufacture, IF they are even used once every 3 months and not blowing all over.

 This was last summer and winter. NOW the house has the back of it abandoned and vandalized. (Was a 2 family converted to 3 apartments?) The walls are knocked out and plumbing stolen. Broken and all winter long windows left open. The people that were the original "renters" are gone, now it is full of squatters that are selling drugs and have prostitutes there again.

And I am sorry Mr. Jay Westbrook, (Yes of course I have called his office about this house, so has about 1/2 the street). 15 to 30 new cars a day pulling in and out of the yard for 30 to 60 seconds OR the 20 minute "regulars" does NOT mean they "have a lot of friends"

If that is what you believe Mr. Westbrook, and Mr. Police Officer, why don't YOU move in next door to them and deal with the cars, boom-boom radios at 1,2,3,4,5,6,a.m., and the stench?

 Hey Mister Police Chief, why the hell could I not get a Police car to bust the drunk that had/has no drivers license, insurance and driving another persons truck that wrecked my van on June 21,2007 and arrest the guy and ticket him?

Why did on Sunday morning I go to the 1st District Police station at 9 am to make a report to have to wait over an hour as the Sergeant sat there reading the Sunday Plain Dealer and the officer at the desk played a hand held video game?

Why did on June 21st the Cleveland EMS, Fire Department and even a Cleveland RTA Policeman show up at the accident and we could not get a Zone car?
And PLEASE do NOT try to placate me by stating there was a fatality at West 130th or 150th and EVERY SINGLE POLICE CAR IN THE CITY was sent there as your Dispatcher told me.

That was a 2 vehicle accident that occurred 3 HOURS before my accident, besides, "every" Police car? I think not.

Thanks to YOUR Police Department’s malfeasance and ineptitude my Insurance has now gone up $25 a month or $300 a year.

That is A LOT of money considering the taxes we pay already to be "Protected and Served".

AND, now I am told I have to go downtown to pay for a copy of a Police report that was NEVER investigated!!!!!!!!!! That is WRONG! Who was protected here? Surely not myself or family. Who was served? Oh I was, I was served a Insurance Increase letter.

 Do I expect to see this letter in print? Not really. I would HOPE someone would FINALLY hold the Police accountable for their actions. Keep in mind I am only one little voice in this City. Also keep in mind it is little voices like mine that VOTE and have a LONG memory.

Edward J. Maltba

Call for reaction to closing of Fire Station 21

To the Editor:
Open letter to Chris Garland, Executive Director Tremont West Development Corporation

(Plain Press, April 2008) When I attended the Tremont West Development Corporation (TWDC) Board Meeting, I was surprised that the critical safety and security FIRE issue would be placed in “committee” by board president Mr. Samuel Catania.

Leadership is a subject that I have instructed in every branch of the U.S. Military and an example that I used is ‘FIRE!” When “FIRE!” is discovered, in my opinion, it is NOT the time to submit the subject to a  “committee,” as Samuel Catania did at the TWDC Annual Meeting. DIRECTIVE Leadership Behavior is the only appropriate Leadership style to “immediately evacuate the area!” But what would I know? “I’m just an old semi-retired guy living quietly on a pension.”

“FOR EVERY ACTION – THERE IS EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION!” –NEWTON. TREMONT’S FIRE STATION #21 BROWN OUT = THE ACTION

I am affiliated with a fortune 200 financial services company with more than $110 billion dollars worth of assets! The organization has extensive financial interests in Cleveland and the safety and security of our neighbors and neighborhoods.

The actuaries for the fire insurance industry evaluate single properties, blocks, neighborhoods, towns, villages and cities for fire insurance rating purposes by employing fire rating factors, such as (but not limited to): boundaries (changing); Fire Station locations, brown outs, closings; and changes in equipment, personnel and training.

The Browning Out of Station #21 in Tremont places our neighbors, businesses, schools, hospital and properties at risk in Tremont and surrounding neighborhoods! The Browning Out of Station #21 in Tremont places our firefighters at greater risk! The Browning Out of Station #21 also places portions of our near west neighborhoods’ fire protection in a position of being unable to meet even minimal national fire codes.

AND NOW… “AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION! … . DRAMATICALLY INCREASED INSURANCE COST TO EACH HOMEOWNER!’

With the information that the insurance industry actuaries now have it is safe to estimate Tremont homeowners and other Clevelanders can expect a dramatic increase in their homeowners fire insurance rates.

It is only prudent for a responsible financial services (fire insurance) company to protect all their fire insurance clients from other catastrophic losses based on increased risks in other neighborhoods by raising their fire insurance (homeowner’s) rates based on new and updated data resulting from the actions of inaction of Cleveland City Council members Joe Santiago and Joe Cimperman and other City politicians beginning with Mayor Jackson.

And, because the fire insurance rate increases will occur, individually, one-by-one with each and every homeowner and business spread throughout the coming year… it may be some months until the overall impact of “BROWNING OUT”  Tremont’s Station 21 and the several other fire stations will have on the entire City of Cleveland. (NOTE: Were you aware that five Cleveland fire stations have NOT had diesel fuel on site for their equipment since mid December 2007?)

A LETTER IS NICE…BUT

Samuel Catania’s letter is nice… but I encourage you and your entire TWDC membership to contact the Mayor’s action line, and also write individual letters to: Mayor Jackson (664-2900), Safety Director Flask, Joe Cimperman, and Jose Santiago to DIRECT these politicians to “find the money!” to put Tremont’s Station 21 and others on-line, full-time! It is prudent to inform them, “You (politicians) have placed us, our neighbors, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, hospitals, this entire community and our fire-fighters AT UNACCEPTABLE RISK! FIND THE MONEY!”

A piece of literature circulated during the recent Ward 14 recall campaign states “Councilman Santiago has worked hard to direct, provide or coordinate over $500 million of funding for our Ward.”  Santiago must mean Ward 13 - Tremont, because Ward 14 never saw any of it!

Perhaps Jose could re-direct a few dollars to keep Tremont’s Station 21 open.

Professor Ted A. Thelander

News & Articles | Archives