VIEWPOINTS A8 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • FEBRUARY 9, 2012
ALEXANDRIA
RECORDER
Editor: Michelle Shaw, mshaw@nky.com, 578-1053
EDITORIALS | LETTERS | COLUMNS | CH@TROOM
CommunityPress.com
Residents need to be a part of police merger talks We have before us a potential major city policy change that everyone needs to be made aware. This is the most important decision of policy change that I’ve seen in my 14 years on Alexandria City Council. This decision will forever change the way your city and the city police department operates. Recently, the county approached the city of Alexandria’s Mayor Bill Rachford, with the idea of a potential merger of the Campbell County Police and the Alexandria Police departments. The original idea presented to the Alexandria City Council was – “It would save the city money,”
which was later changed to, “It would increase service and efficiency.” A smaller police department gives better personal Barbara connection and Weber creates a better COMMUNITY interpersonal RECORDER GUEST COLUMNIST relationship with the citizens. It also allows for more local control and accountability. The cities of Highland Heights and Southgate merged their police departments about
three years ago. This merger agreement was recently dissolved and both parties went back to their respective individual police departments - the merger didn't work. Although, they had a positive result on their consolidation, their merger went very badly and I am sure was costly. This CCPD/APD merger consolidation study needs to "clearly" show a substantial revenue savings and an increase in the quality and efficiency in police service for the City of Alexandria. At the present time, Alexandria has a model police department. They are well
Rep. Joe Fischer, R-Fort Thomas, signs a pledge during Kentucky Call to Prayer Day, which was held in the Kentucky Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. The pledge was to reaffirm the commitment by legislators to uphold the values that the Commonwealth was founded upon. THANKS TO KENTUCKY HOUSE REPUBLICANS
Transparency vs. watching out for the best interest of children pers has argued that no information whatsoever should be kept confidential, and that the public should have unfetSteve tered access to Beshear these records. COMMUNITY The judge RECORDER GUEST COLUMNIST disagreed. He said the Cabinet for Health and Family Services can black out certain information, such as names of children seriously injured in cases of abuse; Social Security numbers and other financial information; the names of other children in the family who weren’t involved; and the names of private citizens who report abuse – but the names of relatives, police officers and school officials who report abuse will be made public. But we don’t think the judge’s ruling was protective enough, and so the Cabinet recently filed notice that it would appeal. Newspapers will criticize the state for this decision. After all, they get to write the headlines. To date, the Cabinet has been accused of “operating under a veil of secrecy” in a supposed attempt to protect inept workers and a poorly designed system. But this is not about shielding the system from scrutiny.
ALEXANDRIA
RECORDER
of Alexandria to get involved, be pro-active. Take time to attend the town hall discussions. Research the issue, voice your opinions, ask your questions. Everyone's opinions and questions are important to a wellrounded discussion and ultimately a city council decision. I, as a member of city council, will keep an open mind until after I review the results of the consolidation study. Please get involved. The results of this important decision affect all of us. Barbara Weber is an Alexandria City Council member.
Super Sunday reaches out to community
CALL TO PRAYER DAY
You teach in a small community and suspect a student is being abused. You want to report it, but you fear retaliation. Can you come forward without the newspaper naming you as the accuser? Or maybe you’re a grandmother. You worry about the man your daughter is living with, in fact you’re afraid of him. But you love your grandchildren, and you think they’re being neglected. Will you be able to report your suspicion without alerting your daughter’s volatile and unstable boyfriend and jeopardizing your own safety? The answer to both scenarios, unfortunately, is “no.” If a case of suspected child abuse and/or neglect which later results in death or serious injury, and you reported it, your name and your concerns likely will be released to anybody who asks, whether that’s a TV reporter, a blogger or even the accused. That’s one of the real-life consequences of a new judicial ruling related to state records on investigations of child abuse and neglect. The ruling, issued Jan. 19 in Franklin Circuit Court, stems from litigation involving Kentucky newspapers’ attempts to access records involving cases that resulted in a child’s death or serious injury. An attorney for the newspa-
trained, and have quality leadership in the Police Chief Mike Ward. The are provided with the best equipment, they are efficient, courteous and provide a quality level of service second to none. I am proud of our police department! I am not opposed to change - If it is positive change. City governments should never make major police changes on "might" or "may." We must deal in "shall" or "will." The City of Alexandria is going to hold a town hall meeting on the Merger Consolidation Study. When the schedule of these town hall meetings is announced, I urge every citizen
A publication of
We understand the need to be more transparent than in years past – in fact, I ordered such a paradigm shift in the Cabinet’s treatment of child abuse records as early as last fall. We are not arguing for the right to camouflage the actions of the Cabinet or its workers. That information is already being provided and we will continue to do so. But increased openness has to be implemented in a consistent and thoughtful way that holds the best interests of the child as its paramount priority. That is our top and only concern. The ability of social workers and others to gather information has a direct impact on their ability to make critical decisions regarding the safety of vulnerable children and their families. In the aftermath of my directive requiring more transparency, I have asked the General Assembly to give these issues a public airing. The legislature should amend state law in a way that ensures our child welfare system is effective and eliminates the ambiguities that led to recent court rulings. The General Assembly should set the policy on this issue, not the courts. Steve Beshear is the governor of Kentucky.
Every February during Black History Month we honor outstanding African-American inventors, activists and trailblazers who have made a significant impact on society. But not everyone who has made a difference will find their names in a textbook. There are thousands of unsung heroes in every Kentucky community who deserve recognition. They are people like Kathryn H. Hunt, a 1989 graduate of Lexington Community College (now Bluegrass Community and Technical College). After completing an associate degree she transferred to the University of Louisville and became the first AfricanAmerican to graduate from the physical therapy program. Now with 20 years of success in her field, Hunt mentors high school and college students considering careers in physical therapy. A primary mission of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System – which includes Gateway Community & Technical College – is to encourage more students like Kathryn Hunt to earn a college degree and to assist them in achieving their dreams. To this end, on Feb. 12 KCTCS is sponsoring an annual community outreach initiative called Super Sunday that is designed to reach out to prospective students like Kathryn and their families. Super Sunday targets the African-American community through one of its most prominent outreach networks: the church. This year, Super Sunday events will take place at 34 lead churches and include college fairs at 25 locations. College faculty and staff will join pastors and worship leaders to spread the education gospel, that “Yes You Can Go to College … Yes You Can Get a College Degree ... and Yes You Can Have a High Paying job!” At each location, KCTCS teams will offer college information and encourage mentor relationships to help students and parents make a fully informed college plan. KCTCS is perfectly positioned to take the lead in ensuring every citizen receives the education needed
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to achieve a successful career. And we are proud minority enrollment is growing at our colleges. In fact, since 2005 KCTCS Michael has seen an McCall 88.8 percent COMMUNITY increase in RECORDER GUEST COLUMNIST total minority enrollment with a 60.2 percent increase among African-American students. However, our work is not finished. The Council on Postsecondary Education reports that while Kentucky’s graduation rates have improved by 6 percent since 2000, the gap between minority students and white students with college degrees has widened by 3 percent, a clear indication some African-American students are still getting lost in the higher education pipeline. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” When a student succeeds our community improves. College graduates earn more money, have more spending dollars and create a stronger economy. Communities with higher graduation rates have lower unemployment, greater community engagement and improved quality of life. The next generation of students will build the foundation we depend on for a stronger Kentucky. Kathryn Hunt is hard at work to mentor the classes of 2012 and beyond, will you join her in those efforts? College administrators, educators, parents, policymakers and the general public all must play a role in our higher education village to put all students on the right path to earn a college degree, be successful members of society and contribute their skills and talents to our great commonwealth of Kentucky. Dr. Michael B. McCall is president of Kentucky Community & Technical College System.
Alexandria Recorder Editor Michelle Shaw mshaw@nky.com, 578-1053 Office hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday See page A2 for additional contact information.