ARE WEDDING BELLS RINGING ?

Word is that former Hartford Councilman John Kennelly will be tying the knot in the next couple weeks. Several sources have called with the breaking news.

Details are slim, but a small ceremony is being planned.

UPDATE:
The wedding will be held on October 22, 2010 at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford,according to John Kennelly

THE WONDER OF IT ALL....AND I DON'T MEAN FOXWOODS

I usually try to stick to Hartford issues, but this one has been bugging me.

When we saw the "Boston miracle" to fill Senator Ted Kennedy's seat, I think most people were pretty surprised. How does a Democratic candidate in a Democratic state with a comfortable lead in the polls implode and see the Republican surge ahead to win?

Are we headed for a Connecticut miracle November 2nd? Six months ago I doubt there was anyone that thought Richard Blumenthal's decisive lead in the polls would steadily slide to the point that the race is essentially now a dead heat in the polls. The only person who probably would have believed that prediction would have been Linda McMahon herself.

I think there are probably several reasons that have come together for the perfect storm to add wind to McMahon's campaign.

A few that have made a difference to me seem to be bothering others also. The biggest one to me is the number of career politicians who seem to be so out of touch with the average person that they have no grasp on reality. I doubt that Blumenthal has ever wondered where his health insurance is coming from or how he is going to make that payroll for his small business next week.

We know Blumenthal hasn't had major concerns for how he is going to afford the insurance or gas for his car. All of his transportation needs have been taken care of by the people of the State of Connecticut in his government provided vehicle with his driver shuttling him back and forth from his Fairfield County home.

I also find it hard to believe someone who claims to not be a political or "DC" insider, yet the President of the US has no problem jumping on a plane to come campaign for Blumenthal. And former President Bill Clinton is willing to make a quick stop for his buddy on the way to a Barney Frank fundraiser.

I do think one of the biggest things I find offensive though are the claims that Linda McMahon is trying to buy the Senate seat by spending her own money. Can anyone in the Democratic Party flash back to 2004 when the bar was set by another candidate trying to buy the Senate seat? The name Ned Lamont might be familiar to some in his challenge to Joe Lieberman.

I guess it is alright for a Democrat to do it, but when a Republican does it to challenge the "heir apparent" to the seat it somehow becomes unconscionable and disgusting.

The Vietnam issue also bothered me, but I was somewhat surprised by those who didn't see it as a big deal. And the WWE being such a bad thing also is surprising to me. I can understand the issue regarding the use of steroids, but do we now condemn football owners, baseball owners, cyclists and who knows who else.

If the issue with McMahon is that she has put forth a product or entity that harms others, I think those using that against her are two faced and wrong. If I remember correctly, the Kennedy family made their fortunes off of the tariffs for every bottle of Scotch coming into this country. Several southern Senators made their fortunes off of tobacco which I'm pretty sure kills more people everyday than any steroid ever has.

If we could get politicians to focus on issues that directly affect their constituents , we might actually have some interesting campaigns. I actually would tend to vote for someone who has built their own business and has an extra $50 million kicking around to throw at a campaign as opposed to someone who has taken from and lived off the government just about everyday of their adult life.

SOMEONE ELSE'S THOUGHTS ON BISHOP EDDIE LONG

Pictured above, Bishop Eddie Long

Last week I posted about Bishop Eddie Long's anticipated visit to Bloomfield's First Cathedral. I think he has become distracted by some other issues and I'm not sure if the trip is still on.

In the meantime here is another clergy members thoughts about Bishop Long and his style of preaching which he refers to as "pulpit pimp". Click here to read the story

AIREY-WILSON APPLIES FOR ACCELERATED REHABILITATION

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago after her arrest, Hartford City Councilperson Veronica Airey-Wilson was supposedly clamoring for her day in court to prove her innocence. Today she had her day in court and rather than proceed to trial to prove her innocence,she is trying to avoid that by taking a form of probation.

Accelerated Rehabilitation is a court program that allows first time offenders to avoid entering a plea and avoid trial. The program would put Airey-Wilson on a period of probation to be determined by the Court for a period up to two years. After the term of the probation, her arrest would be erased if she does not commit any more crimes during that period.

Another step to help restore confidence in Hartford government, a Councilperson on probation due to her corruption arrest. I guess only in Hartford.

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED....AT LEAST FOR THE PEOPLE OF HARTFORD

I get calls almost daily regarding the slow progression of the Robles matter. After two full days of hearings already, the case has now been stalled until at least October 19th, the next scheduled hearing date, a delay of close to a month.

I would think if I was being accused of the type of charges against Robles, I would demand that my name be cleared as soon as possible and any delay would be unacceptable.

In the meantime, most of the calls I get are from people very upset when they see Officer Robles, in uniform, working his shifts. This undermines the trust people have in the Hartford Police and is unfortunate at a critical time when every ounce of that trust is needed to re-build relationships between the community and the Department.

At the rate these hearings are going, Robles will be ready to retire before the hearings are complete.

ATTORNEY GENERAL FILES SUIT TO REVOKE PEREZ PENSION

Perez and Blumenthal at the Arch Street Tavern, most likely after the 2007 Mayoral election (photo from Jeff Cohen's blog)

You can read the filing below, but Connecticut's Attorney General has filed suit to revoke the pension of Hartford's former Mayor Eddie Perez. Perez was convicted on five felony charges related to corrupt activities at Hartford City hall and was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Perez Pension Suit

ALSO, THIS WEEK IN HARTFORD.....

Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson will be making an appearance in Hartford Superior Court at 101 Lafayette Street Tuesday morning at 10:00AM. Her appearance will be for her corruption related arrest as part of the Eddie Perez Grand Jury investigation.

Will a plea deal be cut or will Veronica roll the dice like Eddie did? Who knows, only time will tell.Word is that the odds are in favor of cutting the deal.

NO DECISION IN ROBLES I.A.D. HEARING YET

After a full day of hearing s Friday, no decision has been reached and testimony is still ongoing in the matter. The hearing has apparently been continued until this week.

Despite the rumours for the last week or so, no "deal" has been cut and no "deal" appears to be on the table.

COUNCIL AGENDA PREVIEW FOR 9/27/2010 MEETING

The following Council agenda preview is courtesy of Hartford 2000 and the Hartford Public Library.

Preview9.27.10

THIS WEEK IN HARTFORD............

One of the complaints I keep hearing is that no one knows what is going on in Hartford, and far too often they find out after the fact. I'm going to try this as a way for anyone to post events happening on a weekly basis in Hartford.

If you have something going on, feel free to post it as a comment for others to read. Please post any contact info you would like if people reading would like more info. I'm just trying this to gauge the response, and if it works out we can most likely find it a little more formal way to do it.

A couple of events to begin with:

September 29, 2010, 4:30-8:00PM Hartford 2000, the parent organization for Hartford's Neighborhood Revitalization Groups (NRZ's) will be holding its first "Meet your Neighbors" pasta dinner. This will be held at the Holy Trinity Church Hall at the corner of Capitol Avenue and Hudson Street. For more info call 860-547-1663, ext. 21.

September 29, 2010, 7:00- 9:00PM, Community Conversation/Planning meeting, held at Sisson Tavern, 86 Sisson Avenue, Hartford. A discussion of the upcoming elections will be held. Hosted by Ken Krayeske, Dan Malo and David Samuels. For more info contact David Samuels at 860-206-8879.

Monday, September 27, 2010, 7:00PM, Hartford City Council meeting at Hartford City Hall , NOTE: no public comment session at this meeting

CAN I GET DIRECTIONS TO HARTFORD'S HEADQUARTERS ?

With low voter turnout and voter apathy being a chronic problem in Connecticut's capitol city, I think we need to ask our political "leaders" if they really care.

As I drive around through towns much smaller than Hartford the political vibrancy and involvement is a stark contrast to that in Hartford. As I drive around Hartford you would hardly know that we are only a few weeks away from major elections. I haven't been able to locate Hartford's Republican or Democratic Headquarters.
Yet drive through Windsor or Bristol or many smaller towns and the Headquarters are hard not to find.

Do we really care about the apathy in Hartford or is it a way to perpetuate the slim wins by those in charge? Imagine the races we would see if 30 or 40 thousand of Hartford's registered voters actually got stirred up enough to get out and take the ten minutes necessary to vote. And then if those same voters held our elected officials accountable during their terms, I would think we might see some political change in our city.

The other part that is sad is that because of the dysfunctional state of Hartford's two town committees and Hartford politics in general, Hartford has pretty much become irrelevant in the eyes of most candidates. This past Thursday the Malloy campaign set up a meeting to motivate Hartford's Democratic Town Committee since the DTC apparently never contacted them. The reality is that the Working Families Party is doing more for Malloy than his own Democrats in Hartford.

As for the Republicans, that's another lost cause. Hartford would be lucky to deliver five or six hundred Republican votes to any candidate. More Republican votes will most likely be cast in Bolton than in Hartford.

In the meantime, if you can find the local Headquarters, feel free to leave me directions.

IN THE END, WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT?

I'll be the first to admit that I have been very critical lately of Councilman Cotto.

Tonight I was informed that Councilman Cotto left suddenly for Puerto Rico after learning that his mother is suffering some sort of serious medical problem and from what I was told she has undergone at least one surgery so far. Although we may disagree on political issues, in the end we are all human beings and need to realize what is truly important.

I would ask that you keep Councilman Cotto, his mother and his family in your thoughts as they move through this issue.

CALLING COUNCILMAN COTTO....CALLING COUNCILMAN COTTO

Councilman Luis Cotto who apparently has a penchant as the purveyor of truth and Justice for all "phobias" now has a distinct opportunity to make a statement against more hate speak about to land in Hartford....actually Bloomfield.

Susan Campbell at the Courant posted about Bishop Eddie Long who will be coming to the First Cathedral in Bloomfield next week. You can read her blog entry here.

I had never heard of Bishop Eddie Long before this morning. I was watching one of the morning news programs and heard a story about a Bishop in Georgia who was an outspoken critic of homosexuality. Well, in the fine spirit of some of our elected officials in Washington DC who were also outspoken "homophobes", it seems that Bishop Eddie was now allegedly caught in a "gay" scandal of his own. Not to be confused with Mayor Eddie, that is a different scandal.



Well, apparently the good Bishop is being sued by at least three young men that claim he forced them into sexual acts and allegedly bought their silence with gifts of cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities. You can read the full news story on CBS.com by clicking here

Bishop Long's thoughts aren't confined to homophobia either. During a sermon to his congregation he also had some interesting thoughts on women when he said ""It is the most unattractive thing I have ever seen, when I see women wearing uniforms that men would wear, and women fighting to get in the military!" Long shouted to his congregation then. "The woman gets perverted to turn towards woman … and everybody knows it's dangerous to enter an exit! And everybody knows, lady, if you go to the store and buy these devices [marital aids], it's Memorex! It ain't real!".

One of the lawsuits apparently stemmed from an incident when a young man went to the good Bishop for counseling after his best friend died. Instead Bishop Long allegedly coerced him into having sex.

Maybe our Councilman can work with Hartford's LGBT Commission and make a statement about the Bishop's appearance, he might even get some more headlines.

If you would like to voice your thoughts to the First Cathedral's Archbishop LeRoy Bailey, feel free to call at (800) 615-0034 or local (860) 243-6520.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES IN ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE

On Thursday, July 29, 2010 Hartford Police Animal Control Officers assisted by Patrol Officers removed 12 pitbulls, including 6 puppies, from a home at 120 Westbourne Parkway. At the time, the owner of the dogs was charged with several violations, including six counts of failure to vaccinate, six counts of failure to register and one count for a nuisance dog.

At the time of the seizure the dogs were reported to be emaciated and in poor health and being kept in poor conditions.

Yesterday, September 21, 2010, the owner of the dogs at the time of their seizure was arrested on additional animal cruelty charges. Oral N. Anderson, a/k/a Mark Anderson of 120 Westbourne Parkway was charged with nine felony counts of Animal Abuse and was arrested by the Hartford Police Department.

MAYOR SEGARRA TO BE OUR GUEST ON "1HARTFORD" NEXT WEEK

City of Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra will be our guest for the September 30th recording of "1Hartford". That program will air on Hartford Public Access Channel 5 on October 2nd at 10:00pm and re-air on Monday October 4th at 11:00pm.

If you have any questions that you would like us to ask Mayor Segarra please feel free to e-mail them to me and we will consider them for the program.

ROBLES I.A.D. HEARING CONTINUED UNTIL FRIDAY

After a full day of hearings on Monday, the Hector Robles matter still hasn't been concluded.

The hearing has been continued until Friday and will resume at that time according to HPD sources. And for those who have been calling me concerned that a "deal" has been cut, the ongoing hearing would indicate that is not the case.

Stay tuned.

ROBLES IAD HEARING SHOULD BE UNDERWAY

The departmental hearing for the charges against Hartford Police Officer Hector Robles was scheduled for this morning at 9:00AM. According to police sources the hearing will be held "as scheduled" and is most likely underway at this time.

If the charges are upheld, the possible outcome will most likely be termination of Officer Robles as was recommended by the Department Advocate, Lieutenant James Bernier when the report was released on August 11, 2010.

Law enforcement sources have also confirmed that the entire report and the allegations it contained are now in the hands of the Office of the Chief States Attorney. The allegations are actively being investigated by Inspectors assigned to the case for potential criminal charges against Robles. The scope of the investigation may not be limited to Officer Robles according to police sources.

To read the original posting regarding the IAD investigation click here

IT'S NOT ONLY HARTFORD...

Apparently Hartford doesn't have a lock on alleged criminal activity by Government officials.

According to police sources, Department of Public Utility Control Commissioner Amalia Bzdyra was arrested yesterday for shoplifting clothing and jewelry at Lord and Taylor at Westfarms Mall. The arrest was confirmed through arrest logs provided by the Farmington Police Department.

Commissioner Bzdyra was appointed to the DPUC by Governor Rell on December 16, 2008. Prior to that appointment Bzdyra had served as a Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Social Services.

Here is Commissioner Bzdyra's Bio from the DPUC website:

Amalia Vazquez Bzdyra was appointed Commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utility Control Authority by Governor Rell on December 16, 2008 and confirmed by both houses of the General Assembly in February 2009. As commissioner, she will focus on natural gas and electric issues, taking the lead on natural gas issues for the Department. Commissioner Bzdyra will serve on the National Association Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committees on Gas. Commissioner Bzdyra is also the Co-Chair of Connecticut’s Low-Income Advisory Board (LIEAB) and a member of Connecticut’s Criminal Justice Policy Advisory Commission.

Commissioner Bzdyra has extensive public and private sector experience and has served in all three branches of Connecticut government. From February of 2007 to January 2009, she served as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Social Services. In 2005, Bzdyra, an attorney with over 20 years of experience, was appointed by Governor Rell as Chairperson of the new Contracting Standards Board. The Board was created by Executive Order to craft standards for awarding state contracts and removing political connections and considerations from the process. In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Rell to the Governor’s Task Force on Contracting Reform, which was charged with reviewing and recommending improvements in the procedures used by the state of Connecticut to purchase goods and services.

From 1998 to 2004, Bzdyra served as Chairperson of the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). From 2000 to 2004, she was Vice President of Government Relations for the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA). As Vice President at CHA, she developed health care policy initiatives to improve Connecticut’s system of health care and collaborated with state agencies to develop and implement legislative and executive branch policies, procedures and legislative enactments affecting all 31 hospitals statewide.

From 1993 to 2000, Bzdyra was Director of Legal, Legislative and Policy Affairs for the state’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM) from 1993 to 2000. In that post, she advised the Secretary of OPM and the Office of the Governor on state policy, legal and budgetary matters. Commissioner Bzdyra also served as Chief Legal Counsel to the state agency and supervised OPM’s legal staff. She was also Legislative Counsel to the Chief Court Administrator from 1990 to 1993.

Commissioner Bzdyra was born in Havana, Cuba and possesses native fluency in Spanish. She received a Juris Doctor degree from Western New England College School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Southern Connecticut State University.

HOMEOWNER CONFRONTS BURGLAR AT GUNPOINT

A homeowner interrupted a burglary this afternoon at 398 Franklin Avenue and held the burglar at gunpoint until police arrived. The homeowner was in the home when he heard an alarm go off and when he went to check it out he found the burglar inside the building near the back door.

Hartford Police Officer Teddy Sposito, the CSO for the Area, responded almost immediately and arrested the suspect.

I guess this burglar picked the wrong building to burglarize.

BUILDING CONDEMNED, NUMEROUS RESIDENTS DISPLACED

A multifamily building at 387 Capitol Avenue was condemned today by the City of Hartford as unfit for occupancy.Apparently the property has been the subject of numerous code violations recently.

The property appears to be owned by a Christopher Whilby of Canton. City sources have confirmed that at least 23 city residents, 9 of them children, have been displaced from their homes. The Tax Collectors website shows delinquent tax bills for the last couple of years still unpaid.

The property is being overseen by Hartford Police officers at this time and preventing residents from re-entering the building to retrieve any items.

At the time that I visited the property not a councilperson was in sight, maybe they should focus on situations like this rather than national issues. The photo above shows people, including children, sitting on the porch with no idea where they will be sleeping tonight.

CITIZEN'S ELECTION FUND FILINGS COMPLETED....EXCEPT FOR MORALES

The mandated filings for the recent primary campaigns for Hartford races have all been submitted on time,the deadline was 9/10/10, except for one. The treasurer for the Morales for State Representative campaign apparently has not filed the reports according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

To view the filings that have been submitted, click here SEEC e-CRIS search

Several questions have arisen regarding the spending of funds by the Morales campaign, including the rental car he was still driving and apparently rented by his campaign, well after the August 10th primary when a police complaint was made against him on August 26th.Morales was also apparently driving with a suspended license which is an entirely different issue. Hopefully the reports will be submitted soon for the public's review.

The reports do show some interesting payouts for "consultants", be sure to check out the Southend races and the Lamont Campaign to see who's making out on the election season.

IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A PROBLEM AT HPD?

A large number of the calls that Hartford Police Officers respond to day in and day out are domestic violence related. These calls definitely have to place pressure on the officers that respond to the calls and diffuse the situations.

Since police officers are human also and they don't have a switch to turn off their feelings once they leave work, it seems to be taking its toll on Hartford's officers.

In the past month at least three Hartford Police officers have been arrested on domestic violence charges resulting from incidents in their private lives while off duty. Officer Chris White was arrested last month after an altercation with his ex-wife and another male that White found in their home.

This past week Officer Austin and Officer Elbe were both arrested for domestic violence related incidents. According to police sources, Austin was arrested immediately after a domestic incident and Elbe was arrested by warrant after his incident.

I would think this would indicate the need for a better way to identify officer's who may be under pressure and address these issues before they become problematic.

AND ANOTHER THING THAT BUGS ME....

I guess today is a good day to vent about our trendsetting Councilman. One of my pet peeves was expressed very well by Dennis House at WFSB on his blog "The Hartfordite". To read Dennis's blog, click here

It speaks for itself, but I totally agree with his comments about the professionalism expressed by the way someone is dressed before the public. I have thought since the beginning of his term that Councilman Cotto has lowered the bar as far as professionalism and the image of the Council with the lack of proper attire.

Read what Dennis has to say and feel free to post your comments here.

ENOUGH OF THE GRANDSTANDING

We have a City Council full of opportunists, and unfortunately for Hartford, a vacuum when it comes to leaders on the Council.

Recently Councilman Cotto referred to Caucasians as "lily white", I guess in his liberal mindset that racism only applies to non-white people. As the "self appointed" equalizer for Islamic people, I find it hypocritical that he is championing an Imam's right to lead the Council in prayer while also using racially decisive rhetoric against others.

After his recent introduction of an ordinance to tie the hands of the Police when it comes to intelligence gathering, his apparent explanation was that he wanted to start a discussion on racism. I might suggest that if he wants to start a discussion, then act like a leader and actually organize a time and place for an honest discussion. Cotto's actions only add to the divide and conquer mentality that has been pervasive in Hartford for years, if not decades.

Hartford is perceived as a racist City by actions like Councilman Cotto's. Has anyone ever seen a press release for previous Council meetings announcing who would be giving the prayer at any specific meeting? Why did Cotto see the need to announce the occasion of an Imam giving a prayer before the September meetings? The explanation is simple, GRANDSTANDING, pure and simple.

Wouldn't it have meant more that in the normal course of business an Imam was placed in the mix to give the invocation? But no, just days after the September 11th memorials, Cotto saw fit to interject an Imam. And I don't believe Imam's have been excluded in the past. I don't recall ever seeing a Rabbi in prayer before a Council meeting or a Mormon but I don't proclaim to have attended every Council meeting.

The way that this has been handled is classic of this Council ,unfortunately. No class, no regard to how it affects the City overall and totally lacking in sincerity.

The one shining star that has come out of this issue is one of the people who you would expect to be the most upset. Imam Muhammad Ansari has shown to be a total class act in this matter by saying he doesn't need to pray before a September meeting and is willing to wait for the proper time. This will do more to further any image of Islam than any "in your face" actions Councilman Cotto could dream up.

For anyone that doesn't know Muhammad Ansari, he is probably one of the most genuine, softspoken persons you'd ever meet. He is currently also the acting Executive Director of the Open Hearth Shelter/Mission. I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know Mr. Ansari through the African-American Alliance.

Like it or not, the incidents of 9/11 and the terrorist attacks on our country were spearheaded by Muslim extremists. To brand a whole faith or group of people by these actions is wrong, the same as branding every Catholic priest a pedophile because of the actions of some.

If Councilman Cotto really wants to stem the tide of "Islamaphobia", maybe a frank and honest discussion with the likes of Imam Muhummad Ansari will put a much different face on an image that is being driven by hysteria due to actions like Cotto's. I would argue that Cotto's actions have done more to set back relations with the Islamic community than to move any image or understanding forward.

And Councilman Cotto needs to understand that racism is not a "one-way" street, it cuts in all directions and affects all people, even the "lily" white ones.

MORE MUGSHOT UPDATES

Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, Republican, will be making her next appearance at Hartford Superior Court to answer her corruption arrest on September 24, 2010 at 10:00am. It is expected that she will accept or reject a plea deal offered by the State at that time.



Abe Giles, also arrested as a result of the Perez Corruption Investigation is scheduled to appear next in court on October 20, 2010 at 10:00am

PEREZ SENTENCING DATE MOVED

The September 10, 2010 date that had been set for the sentencing of former Mayor Eddie A. Perez after his felony convictions, has apparently been moved back a few days to September 14, 2010 at 10:00am.The updated information appears on the State of Connecticut's Judicial branch website.

Please adjust your calendars accordingly.

HPD WEBSITE IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE

A couple weeks ago I posted about the Hartford Police Departments outdated information on its website. Last Friday I received a call from Nancy Mulroy the "webmaster" for the site. She had explained that they were transitioning from older design software to newer software and the process had lagged.

After the posting and dealing with MHIS, Mulroy told me that she insisted that the new website go "live" immediately to correct the problem and start providing current information.

After checking today, the Crime statistics are current and up to date. The stats also paint an interesting picture overall that in almost every category, except for aggravated assault, crime is down in the City compared to last year.

It is also important to note that according to the stats the Northeast section of the City is showing some good reductions in what traditionally is Hartford's "high-crime" areas. Almost every category of serious crime is showing large decreases in the Northeast section.

Southeast is also showing some large decreases in overall crime with sizable reductions over last years numbers. One area that Southeast isn't showing decreases is in the number of Motor Vehicle stops taking place. I am a strong believer that active motor vehicle enforcement reduces overall crime. First off is the visible police presence as they conduct traffic stops. Second is the number of contacts that result in the discovery of guns and weapons in the vehicles, persons wanted for more serious crimes and even drugs.

As most criminal activity doesn't like to be detected by the persons committing them, knowing that there chances of being stopped and detected makes a difference.

To view the HPD website and the current crime stats, click here

On the last page of the report is "police activity by area". The last column, "10-34's" is the column for traffic stop activity and is shown by neighborhood. As you can see, Barry Square leads the city for the current weeks report. More traffic stops were made in the Barry Square neighborhood than were made in other total districts.

It seems like a relatively small matter, but the Southeast's traffic enforcement could be one reason for it's impressive crime reduction numbers.