Commission Chair Moss, gave $25,000 of his 2007 discretionary funds (our tax dollars) to the District 9 Crime Watch Bounty Program. Why only District 9? I guessed it was a gun buy-back. Most of the other commissioner’s direct-to-district contributions are for a couple of thousand dollars. This is the only one that was substantial, that is why I was curious.
I called the City of Miami Gardens to find out what they spend on their Gun Bounty Program and have decided that Moss's expenditure is to a good program, not just a buy-back, and here is why:
Miami Gardens told me in the buy-back gun program, where a person gets about $100 for a gun, the police get broken down guns and some that have been stored in an attic, in other words, doing no harm. The Gun Bounty Program is different. After a crime, the Miami Gardens Police force (the county's newest police force - about a year) gives out cards saying if you report an illegal gun (it will be kept confidential) you get a $1,000 reward when the police arrest the gun owner. They said no one standing around a crime scene is ever a witness (scared?). Since they started the program, about 5 months old, they already snagged about half dozen guns.
This is getting guns that are actually used in crimes off the streets. Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez launched the County Gun Bounty Program in May of 2007. I called Moss's two offices to see why he targeted his discretionary funds for this program to one district (as opposed to the entire county). The women I spoke to at the district office and the downtown office didn't know his motives and they said Moss is out of town. Are there not enough funds in the county budget or is this how the program is funded, by district? I called the Mayor's office to see how successful the program is in the county, asked for statistics and budget, they said they would get back to me. So I will report again on this...if anyone ever gets back to me.
Yes, it is probably splitting hairs but this sort of thing, when you can't get a straight answer at the County, annoys me. Miami Gardens was easy in comparison. The info was at their fingertips.
1 comment:
Miami gardens has the right approach. Just a buyback program is of no value. This is something I really know about. We have to push the Miami Gardens program all over the County. Every politician has lots of our money to do what they please with it. Instead of using it to build up themselves let us push them to donate to a real cause.
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