Belle Morris Community Action Group

Reply to Open Letter to the Mayor

Hello Sandy Salmen,

Hope you are doing well today. My name is Captain Bob Wooldridge and I am the Commander of the East District which is responsible for the Police service on Broadway to the Businesses and the Residents. I would like to tell you about our Community Policing efforts to make our neighborhoods safer. We have set up the Skywatch tower in the Broadway shopping center recently to address the concerns to the business owners and residents to address many of the things you have mentioned. The idea was brought to us by our Liaison Officer Dennis Bible, after attending a Fourth and Gill meeting. We have asked our Neighborhood bike Officers to ride our greenways, parks, businesses and neighborhoods to address Community concerns. We have been meeting with Business owners such as the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association, etc...,who are forming associations to work in partnership with us. We have asked our Patrol Officers both on foot and in the car to spend more time in shopping centers, strip malls, and the malls focusing on criminal activity and assessable parking issues. We have met with KARM to find solutions to the same issues you have mentioned. They have been very helpful to work with our Officers. Our Officers have many resources available to them which includes citations and arrests when necessary. We will ask our Beat Officers to step up the patrols specifically to the Broadway and Coker businesses.

In return, we ask that all citizens partnership with us to make us aware of issues by naming the time and day of week, location, description of person(s) and vehicle(s) along with the issue to call 911 for emergencies or non-emergency (865-215-4010) when they see criminal activity. Also this information can be relayed to Liaison Officers attending Community meetings.

Sgt. Brian Bush kbush@cityofknoxville.org or 215-1212 is our Community liaison Supervisor who schedules our Liaison Officers and Supervisors with our Business and Community groups. Officer Amanda Bunch abunch@cityofknoxville.org , (865-2151201) who you may know already, is your Liaison Officer with the Bellemorris Community. She is a very dedicated Officer and does a good job for us.

Please feel free to e-mail or contact us so we can be of further assistance.

Thanks for your correspondence,

 Cpt. Bob Wooldridge

Captain Bob Wooldridge

Knoxville Police Department

East District Precinct

(865) 215-1288 office

bwooldridge@cityofknoxville.org

From: Knoxville Mayor
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 8:20 AM
To: Belle Morris Community Action Group
Cc: David Rausch; David Massey
Subject: RE: North Knoxville - Broadway and Coker Avenue -

Dear Sandy:

Thank you for your e-mail.  I understand your concerns, and have forwarded your e-mail to the Chief of Police, David Rausch, for his review and follow-up.

Thank you for all you do for the community – and for taking the time to relay your concerns to the Mayor.  Your input is very important.

Terry Alexander
Executive Assistant to the Mayor