Finally, I think the thing that will improve morale the most is when the officers really feel the public is supporting them. I think when we establish that very clearly in the public's mind, the support levels that historically have been for the Police Department will return. The consent decree in Pittsburgh has come into considerable criticism. Arrest rates are down, and morale has plummeted. We're already in that situation without a consent decree.
Arrests are way down and crime is up.
That's the first time I've seen that happen, in my memory. Supervisors and commanders are going to be judged on the people under their command and under their supervision, and that's going to go into their evaluation too. This Teams II system, the personnel traffic system tracking the officers, isn't just going to track those officers on the street in radio cars, it' s going to track everybody. Neighborhood councils seem to be off to a very tepid start. I was very disappointed at the initial report put out by the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.