Left In Lowell

This evening the Lowell City Council Sub-Committee on Public Safety (Chair: CC Eileen Donoghue; Members: CCs Jim Milinazzo, Rodney Elliott, and Edward Caufield.) is meeting at 5:30 p.m. prior to the weekly CC meeting. The meeting will probably be televised on our local cable access government station.

According to the City’s web site the topic to be discussed is “Acting Chief Police Issues.” I am not sure what that cryptic agenda item means, but I hope it means the Acting Chief of Police will be discussing current issues.

I am interested in hearing from Superintendent Ken Lavallee and understand his policing philosophy.

There is no data or statistics, just anecdotal evidence, but it seems that now every time I drive in the City, I see Lowell police everywhere. Whatever Lavallee has done to change the visibility, it is working.

He and other officers from his staff were present at the last neighborhood meeting I attended. One activist told me at her neighborhood meeting, there were more cops than residents.

As for the Home Rule Petition changing the Chief of Police position to non-Civil Service, it is now in the hands of the State Legislature.