Thank You For Your News WorkDear Mr. Wagenfohr, I apologize for the tardiness of this letter but I wanted to commend you on the May 14th article you wrote, "Study Gives CPD High Grades, Finds $1.3-Million in Cost Savings." I thought that you presented an accurate picture of what the City of Clearwater is attempting to do by balancing citizen concerns with fiscal reality. Thank you for going the extra mile and not just reporting about the Matrix Group presentation to the Clearwater City Council. While the savings that the Matrix Group recommended were significant, your report also delved into the economic impact of these savings. Reducing the police presence at Beach Walk and East Gateway would account for approximately 41% of the Matrix Group's recommended savings. I don't believe that Beach Walk and East Gateway are ready to be turned loose with a 41% reduction in police services. Thankfully, the city council was not ready to commit to this recommendation also, and requested additional input from Clearwater Chief of Police Sid Klein at the May 21st city council meeting. The city has utilized the services of the Matrix Group in the past. Hopefully, this latest report will be used along with previous and still applicable reports to ensure that the scope of the latest recommendations will be used fairly. Thank you again for a well worked and insightful report. - Carl Schrader
|