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Saline Reporter
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011 Weave the Web:
ward on the issue without consulting the public. When I first heard of this, I thought it was a bad idea, said Deborah Holbrook. But I wasnt sure, and I talked to people who know a lot about our community, and they upheld my thoughts. In the future, if we need to combine our resources, I dont think it should be police dispatch. Saline resident Mary Hess pointed to a survey that a minority of Saline voters filled out in 2008 and 2010 outlining what they thought the city could do with its money. We (the taxpayers) paid for those questionnaires. Results showed we would have been more than willing to raise taxes for police, fire, etc. I hope that the council will look at what the 1,100 people who cared enough to fill out those questionnaires wanted, she said. Mayor Gretchen Driskell and members of the City Council attempted to reassure the public at the meeting that they had not come to a final decision yet and were still exploring the option of consolidation before the contract language was discovered. We have been having conversations since the spring about consolidating dispatch. We said we would talk about it moving forward and, obviously, with this new information its not appropriate to move forward, Driskell said. Mayor Pro-tem Brian Marl backed up the mayors statements. We were not reticent about making public comments, and I just want to echo what the mayor said, because some people dont want to believe it when it comes out of her mouth that no official decision had been made, he said. I ran for office here to make data-driven decisions, and, personally, I was waitPLEASE SEE DISPATCH/7-A

The

Your Hometown Newspaper

75

VOL. 61, NO. 34

Police dispatch services will stay

By Kevin Doby
Heritage Media

The Saline City Council announced Monday that it would not be consolidating its police dispatch services with Pittsfield Township because of previously unknown language in its collective bargaining agreement. At the outset of the meeting, several community members voiced their disapproval with the council for appearing to move for-

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Township using crime tracker

By Jim Pruitt
Special Writer

Tracking crime took a big step forward in Pittsfield Township this week when officials launched a new mapping portal. The site rolled out Aug. 18. Township officials are excited about the new service, which allows anyone to see where crimes have occurred in the area. The site will be updated daily with icons for different incidents. Each icon has the date, time and location of serious crimes in the township. Crimes include homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, aggravated assaults, burglaries, larcenies, vehicle thefts and arsons, according to a press release from the township. The goal of the tracking program is to allow police to analyze where various crimes occur so resources can be used more efficiently. Pittsfield Deputy Chief Gordy Schick said the portal fits in with the Public Safety Departments goals and vision in fighting crime by being proactive. Its a new feature, Schick said. We want the community to be our partners. The software is the latest step in the evolution of crime fighting, Schick said. Law enforcement has moved on from community-oriented policing to intelligenceled and now predicative approaches. The latter analyzes the nature and frequency of crime. The goal is to stay a step ahead of criminals. By using an analytical approach, we can predict

where the next crime will occur, he said. The benefits of the analytical approach is that the police are better able to target resources to combat crime, and sharing the information allows residents and business owners to be aware of properties or suspicious vehicles in a neighborhood. We look at the places or opportunities where crime occurs, he said. If there are a series of larcenies or break-ins in a certain area, we can deploy resources to that part of the township. The new software means the days of police using push pins on a map to detect crime clusters are tools of the past. We can take the data under our roof, analyze it and then try to predict when the next (incident) will be, Schick said. Its a proactive approach; wed like to get out front. Many law enforcement agencies around the nation use the software, including the Los Angeles Police Department and several east coast units. Ann Arbor began using the system recently, and the sheriff could go online soon as well, Schick said. The public can now quickly access crime information at any time of the day, from the Pittsfield Township website (www. pittsfield-mi.gov) and can also sign up for email alerts for crimes occurring within a specific geographic area, e.g., around a residence or business. Providing residents with
PLEASE SEE TRACKER/7-A

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Molly McMillan, Miss Saline 2010, will crown her successor at this years pageant, set for 8 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Farm Council Grounds. During the pageant, 10 girls will vie for the sash, crown and prizes.
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Handing down the

Newest Miss Saline to be determined on Aug. 30
By Sheila Pursglove
Special Writer

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crown
For McMillan, a 2011 Saline High School graduate, this years fair will be a bittersweet week. Im a little sad to be passing the crown, but I cant wait to see who gets crowned next, she said. Im also excited to be part of the Former Miss Saline Association, so that I can help out with the

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Crash injures 2
By Kevin Doby
Heritage Newspapers

Michigan State Police were dispatched to a car crash in York Township at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the corner of Saline-Milan and Judd roads. According to the State

Police, two vehicles were involved and both victims of the crash received minor injuries and appear to be doing OK. A police report has not been completed yet. Follow the Saline Reporter and Milan NewsLeader for more updates.

Molly McMillan, Miss Saline 2010, is looking forward to crowning her successor at this years pageant, set for 8 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Farm Council Grounds. Ten girls have their eye on the sash, crown and prizes.

pageant in future years. A dancer since she was 3 and a member of Youth Dance Ensemble of Ann Arbor Dance Classics, McMillan is choreographing the opening number for the pageant. I cant tell you what it will be, though, she said. People will have to come to the event to check it out. The week of the fair for a newly crowned queen is
PLEASE SEE CROWN/3-A

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ko at 649-5024 or visit www.washtenawwanderers.blogspot.com. Dance Steps Studio marking 10th year: Dance Steps Studio in Saline is starting its 10th season at a new location, with two dance studios and more space for parents and dancers. In celebration of the new facility, a grand opening and open house was held Wednesday at 740 Woodland Drive.

BRIEFLY...
Senior center to host presentation: The Saline Senior Center will present American Songbook, a program sponsored by the Mary Thompson Foundation. Two performers will entertain, singing songs from the American Songbook

from 1 to 2 p.m. Sept. 1 at Liberty School Auditorium, 7265 S. Ann Arbor St. For more information, call 429-9274. Walk to be held Sept. 24: Washtenaw Wanderers will hold a walking event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Harvest of the Arts Festival in Saline. The walk is free. The trail is on sidewalks with mild to moderate hills. For more information, call Stefan Szum-