Friday, January 28, 2011

Great Police Work

People always have their opinions about the Troy Police Dept. some are good, some are bad, some well deserved and some not. I have always been pretty much a supporter of the Troy Police, like others I have also had some problems, some have been rectified and some haven't. In a city the size of Troy, I feel for our size and the problems we have been incurring over the past 10-15 years, there is MORE then enough work for our Officers. In fact I feel we need a lot more on the force than we have, but we can't afford them, and that is pretty sad. Our Officers on a daily basis have to deal with accidents, traffic problems, domestic problems, nonsense problems and some very serious such as murders. It is a very mixed bag.

The best officers we have on the force no doubt are well seasoned officers, those who have pretty much been through it all and have the experience of how to act and handle situations as they arise to hope for the best outcome.

When an officer knows his area and the people that inhabit it, who belongs in a neighborhood and who may be suspicious, those who are good solid citizens and those who are the problems he makes a very valuable asset for the department.

Officer Christopher Rasmussen was on patrol when the call came through with a brief description of a car that two young hoodlums were in after a alleged home invasion and assault, with a sharp eye he spotted one resembling the description and with cooperation it was stopped and the two inhabitants of the car were arrested. This officer could have been daydreaming or just cruising, but he was 'Johnnie on the spot' and deserves kudos for his work.

The two punks who committed this crime I feel are lost in an atmosphere of being cool or impressing their friends, or copy catting what they see on TV or the Movies but were clearly on the fast track of ruining their lives and now have reached their destination. It appears from what I read the perpetrators and the victims all knew each other, and I don't know the reason for the Home Invasion or what the beef was, but I do know this is not going to be a happy ending for these two. You have to wonder what goes on in their heads to make them think these types of actions are 'right' or are going to get them anywhere or why they thought they could get away with it. I am lost on this, these kids need to be taught there are other ways of gaining respect and advancing through the roads of life. Go to School, get a job, make some money, buy what you like and impress your friends and family THAT way. but I guess that just isn't cool. Well I for one am not impressed with the method that they chose, and I don't think that they are right now either.

I am impressed though with Officer Rasmussen.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

National Greed

I just read online that National Grid has been approved for a $112.7 Million increase. What may I ask, or who, with any kind of brains would approve anything like that for this company in the state of the economy we are now in?? A few weeks ago I read that they made 1.9 Billion in profit last year. I don't know about YOU but I am sick to death of these 'DELIVERY FEES' attached to my bill. Last month for my house and the one next door (I pay the Gas & Lights there) I was billed and paid $511.24, JUST THE DELIVERY FEE, for this I received NOTHING! My Gas and Lights were separate. Again this is just their DELIVERY FEE for the PRIVILEGE of getting their gas and lights. This is as much as my Mortgage. Your Mortgage you can eventually pay off, this you can't and it is there every single month on the bill.

I called Customer service about it last year and asked for an explanation of this fee. The Representative was very nice and explained it is similar to the Oil company having to pay for the Truck to deliver the Oil and for the driver to drive the truck, they are charging me to get it into my house. I told her no one drives a truck to get the Gas here and she told me I was right but there is a pipe from the street to the house for the gas. I gave her that, but then told her my house was 118 years old so how the heck long do you have to pay for the PIPE!!!

She sighed and said I hear you, what really happened to create this fee was, and application was made for a rate hike and not granted, so in place of a rate hike a separate DELIVERY FEE was added instead. We never had to pay this before this company took over and I have been getting their service for some 39 yrs now. Can someone explain this to me and also tell me how as Citizens we can legally get these charges removed from our bills? It adds up to more than my Property taxes a year, no wonder why we can't pay those.


Comments, PLEASE!!!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Troy Police Vehicle Accident

As of Jan. 6th, 2011 I am still reading comments on the early morning accident of a collison between a Troy Police SUV Cruiser, driven by Brandon Cipperly, an Officer of 3 years standing and a Pedestrian. I have been reading these and probably a good word to use is 'amazed'. I have been on both sides of the Love/Hate debate of the Troy Dept. I admit, not much on the 'Hate' side, but have had some complaints. AND I have to add, the complaints have been taken care of. From all that I know, this Officer has done nothing wrong here. For those who have been bashing him, and I do NOT know him, if you were in his position it would not have ended any other way. For those who have taken a real interest in the story, enough to know where it actually happened, you could NEVER blame the Officer. That area even in good weather should never be crossed! There is the ramp coming off of the Collar City Bridge, a curve in the road and it is a very wide spot there with traffic coming both North and South and a Ramp merge. How much more traffic do you need to keep track of in addition to your own safe crossing, plus jumping a snowbank AND unsafe street conditions? It is not a safe area for Pedestrians. This man should only have been crossing on the corner, with a light and a Crosswalk. He wasn't and he is at fault, plain and simple. The Officer, God Bless him DID see him or it may have had a different ending, he is lucky, he may have taken the full brunt of a collison.

For those bashing the Officer, just try driving through North Central on any day, in good weather and you can find all sorts of IGNORANT PEOPLE walking in the road, walking right out in front of you from inbetween cars, walking at night in dark clothes, standing in the middle of the road talking, double parking, or and just STOPPING their cars in the middle of the road to talk and not pulling over. Just how much can a responsible driver take and keep track of? And this guy is jumping out in front of the Officer's cruiser and the COP is supposed to be at fault?? Maybe those jumping all over him should be presented the same scenario and we can jump all over you. I am sure he felt terrible after it happened. I hit a Dog years ago who was chasing another up over a snowbank on River St. and I felt awful for weeks. He got up and ran away, but I had no clue whether he was OK or not, I reported it, then never heard anything else. This was a person he hit, so I am sure he feels terrible.

I think the Police should put out a major detail this Summer, when this insanity of the abuse of the use of the streets for other than vehicular traffic is at its peak. They should be stopped and ticketed for all infractions. One of the worse scenes I can remember is a young girl, in her Teen years, running around in circles at the intersection of Glen and Sixth, flapping her arms like a bird, making a mess of moving traffic and then sitting down in the middle of the road in defiance. True Story. She is lucky she didn't get killed and ya know, if she had gotten bumped or worse...you would be beating up the driver like you are doing now. Give it a break..please!

Comments?