City of Flint Police Volunteer Training Begins August 8th

Are you looking for an opportunity to serve your community? Please consider becoming a member of the City of Flint Blue Badge Volunteer Corps. Blue Badge is built upon the principals of community policing and is the umbrella for crime fighting initiatives organized by the City of Flint that involve active participation from residents.

Blue Badge volunteers play a vital role in supplementing police resources through such activities as neighborhood block clubs, participating in crime watch and crime prevention activities, staffing mini-stations in each of the city's nine wards and assisting in such areas a traffic control, special events and dignitary details.

Beginning August 8th the city will conduct a series of six training sessions for resident interested in becoming police volunteers. Police volunteers assist the Flint Police Department with crowd and traffic control for major events, administrative duties, dignitary details and community relations functions.

It is required that you attend all training sessions and successfully pass a background check before becoming an official Blue Badge Police Volunteer

These training sessions will cover a wide range of topics and all sessions will be held in the roll call room of the Flint Police Department, 210 E. Fifth Street, from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm on the following days:

August 8, 2011
Topic: Policy Procedures, City Ordinances,
and Legal Updates
August 9, 2011
Topic: Traffic and Crowd Control
September 12, 2011
Topic: Personal Safety
September 13, 2011
Topic: De-escalating Conflict
September 19, 2011
Topic: Radio Communications
September 20, 2011
Topic: Report Writing

Space is limited. All participants must confirm their attendance no later than 4:00 pm August 8th by contacting Officer Tanya Meeks at tmeeks@cityofflint.com or (810) 237-6926.

Together we are building Flint’s 21st Century Sustainable Community with safe streets, new jobs, strong neighborhoods and opportunity for all.

Will You Support A Public Safety Millage?

The City of Flint is exploring all options to generate new revenue to maintain a high level of public safety services in this community. One idea being considered is a Public Safety Millage. There are two proposals being considered.

One would levy an additional tax on real and personal property in an amount not to exceed four (4 mills). This would generate approximately $5M in the first year.

The other proposal calls to levy an addiitonal tax on real and personal property in an amount not to exceed six (6 mills). This proposal also includes the Flint Fire Department and would generate approximately $7.5M in the first year.

What are your thoughts on a Public Safety Millage? Would you be willing to pay more to maintain public safety services in Flint? You can share your thoughts about the Public Safety Millage proposals with Mayor Walling via email at mayor@cityofflint.com.

Below is the actual language of the two proposals being considerd.

Four (4 Mills) Proposal:
Shall Section 7.201 (A) (4) be added to the Charter of the City of Flint to authorize the City to levy an additional tax on real and personal property in an amount not to exceed four (4) mills for 6 years, from 2011 through 2017, for the sole purpose of paying for public safety services, including a city wide community police program and operation of a city jail? It is estimated that 4 mils would raise approximately $5,000,000 in the first year.

Six (6 Mills) Proposal:
Shall Section 7.201 (A) (4) be added to the Charter of the City of Flint to authorize the City to levy an additional tax on real and personal property in an amount not to exceed six (6) mills for 6 years, from 2011 through 2017, for the sole purpose of paying for public safety services, including a city wide community police program,operating a city jail, and provide fire department services? It is estimated that 6 mils would raise approximately $ 7,500,000 in the first year.

City To Begin Fall Leaf Clean-Up November 1, 2010

The City of Flint will being its annual Fall Clean-Up program on Monday, November 1, 2010 through Friday, November 26, 2010.

Yard signs will be posted one week in advance of when city maintenance crews will begin
clean-up in a certain area. City crews will only go through an area once for leaf pick-up. Any remaining leaves should be bagged and placed at the curb. Bagged leaves will be picked up with regular scheduled compost pick-up. Compost collection ends November 27, 2010.

City crews will perform the fall leaf clean-up from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. In an effort to maximize clean-up operations residents are asked to not park vehicles on the street between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. during the week fall clean-up is scheduled in their area.

City Hall To House Criminal Division of 68th District Court

The Criminal Division of Flint’s 68th District Court is temporarily relocating to the lower level of Flint City Hall beginning at 8:00 am Tuesday, October 12, 2010.

The court’s three criminal judges: Cathy Dowd; Nathaniel Perry; and Tracy Collier-Nix will preside over cases from courtrooms that have established in the basement of City Hall. This temporary arrangement is expected to remain in effect until further notice.

On September 6, 2010 a flood occurred at the McCree Building where 68th District Court is located. The flood made it impossible for the court to continue operating out of the McCree Building. The Civil Division of the court has been temporarily relocated to the Great Lakes Tech Center, 4400 South Saginaw Street, Suite #1250. The Civil Division handles general civil, landlord tenant, small claims and traffic violation matters. The Criminal Division of the court will operate from the lower level of City Hall, 1101 South Saginaw Street. Court hours are from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm at both locations.

Members of the public with court matters should enter City Hall through the main doors off Saginaw Street and take the elevator to the basement level. The court is located to the right of the elevators.

Street parking is available around City Hall on Saginaw Street, Fifth Street, and Seventh Street. Free parking is available at a public lot on Seventh Street, just east of Saginaw Street.

Elias Abuelazam Is Charged With Murder

During a press conference Monday morning Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton announced several new charges against Elias Abuelazam, the suspect in a series of stabbings and murders in Flint and Genesee County.

Abuelazam, who is being held in the Genesee County Jail charged with one count of assault with intent to murder, was charged Monday with four additional counts of assault with intent to murder. These new counts are related to the stabbings of three men from Flint and one from Genesee Township.

Prosecutor Leyton also announced the first murder charge against Abuelazam. The suspect ischarged with the August 2, 2010 stabbing death of Arnold Minor. “The victims DNA profile or blood was found inside the suspect’s vehicle,” said Prosecutor Leyton. The Prosecutor is waiting for results from evidence at the Michigan State Crime Lab to determine if Abuelazam will face more charges.

Abuelazam is suspected of stabbing 14 people in Genesee County, killing 5. He is also
suspected of similar assaults in Ohio and Virginia.

For several days in early August, Flint was a community on edge after police alerted
residents of a possible serial stabber. More than 400 tips were called in to the tip
line about the possible whereabouts and identity of the suspected killer. On August 11,2010, 33 year old Abuelazam was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia while preparing to board a plane to Israel.

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling credits the community with helping investigators capture thesuspect. “Because someone was willing to share information about a crime this community now breathes a sigh of relief knowing this suspected killer is off the streets. “There are many unsolved crimes in our community just waiting for someone to speak up. We need more peopleto come forward and share information about crimes that have been committed.”

South Half of Kettering Gateway Project Set To Open August 2, 2010

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling along with Congressman
Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) and other public officials, contractors, and representatives from Kettering University, will announce the opening of the south half of the Kettering Gateway Project on Monday, August 2, 2010.

When completed the $3M project will connect I-69 to Kettering University through a more direct route from Hammerberg Road to Chevrolet Avenue.

Funding for the project came from federal stimulus funds, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and more than $1M in funding secured by Congressman Kildee through the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

August 2, 2010 Flint Police Volunteer Training Rescheduled

The City of Flint has rescheduled the Flint Police Volunteer Training for August 2, 2010 at 6:00PM at the MTA Downtown Terminal. The new date for the training is Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 6:00PM at the MTA Downtown Terminal in the Rosa Parks Room.

The Flint Police Volunteer Training is a part of the City of Flint’s ongoing training sessions for residents interested in being a member of the Blue Badge Patrol Volunteer Corps. These training sessions also include Mini Station Volunteer Training and Crime Watch Training.

The Blue Badge Patrol Volunteer Corps was implemented by Flint Mayor Dayne Walling. It provides an amazing opportunity for government and residents to work together. Blue Badge is built upon the principals of community policing. Community policing means community members are the ‘eyes and ears’ for police, addressing both crime and quality of life issues. The Blue Badge Patrol is the umbrella for all City of Flint crime fighting initiatives that involve active participation from residents, including block clubs, crime watches, mini station and police volunteers.