Browsing Category
Safety
The Number Of Rapes and Forcible Fondling Complaints At The University of Michigan Rose Sharply In 2012
THE NUMBER OF forcible rapes committed on the University of Michigan’s campus and/or reported to the University’s police dropped from a high of 75 in 2005 to a low of 8 in 2010.
Between 2011 and 2012, however, the number of forcible…
Crosswalk Ordinance Groups Take To Change.org To Try To Exert Influence
Editor’s Note: Kathy Griswold is the Chair of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
THE WASHTENAW BIKING and Walking Coalition, a small local alternative transportation advocacy group, recently launched an online petition drive to…
Police, Fire, Parks, Millage Funds & Pools Dinged By City’s IT Fund For Millions In Assessments While IT Projects Remained Uncompleted
MAYOR HIEFTJE HAS repeatedly told the public that the cost of police and fire service is a strain on the city’s budget. In a 2012 interview he said this about the city’s safety services budget, “...All the water has been wrung out of the…
City Administrator Memo To Council: “At this time, I am not proceeding with reducing the number of fire stations”
John Hieftje and his political pals have a reputation of ignoring public opinion. Perhaps the most egregious example was a 2008 Council meeting at which petitions with 6,000 signatures were presented to Council to urge them to put the…
Ann Arbor Cronyism & “Double-Dipping” Scams Go Prime Time in Detroit Water Department Scandal
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Sue McCormick said Friday she "remains confident" in former Ann Arbor Police Chief Barnett Jones. Her department also sent out a press release January 11th affirming confidence in Jones and…
Interview: 22nd Circuit Court Challenger Michael Woodyard Pledges To Dispense Justice “Fairly.”
MICHAEL WOODYARD IS either Gandalf or Saruman, it just depends on whom you ask. He is challenging Judge Timothy Connors for his seat on the 22nd Circuit Court, a seat Connors has either warmed, or filled admirably, depending on whom you…
Ann Arbor Mayor and Council Member Live in Highest Crime Neighborhoods
by P.D. Lesko
It pays, literally, to live in at least one of the high rent neighborhoods in Ann Arbor. Specifically, outgoing Ward 2 Council member Tony Derezinski's neighborhood. Between January and September 2012, within a 1 mile radium…
A New Copyright Lawsuit May Result in the Prosecution of Educators & Students Who Share Digital Materials
by Ernesto Van Dersar
John Wiley & Sons, one of the world’s largest textbook publishers, is continuing its efforts to crack down on BitTorrent piracy. The company has now named several people who allegedly shared Wiley titles online,…
Ann Arbor Mayor: “Closing 1/2 of City Fire Stations Will Result In Much Better Fire Coverage.”
At Monday's City Council meeting John Hieftje evidently wanted to make sure he understood exactly how deep in his own personal pile of horse manure he was standing. So, Hieftje pointedly asked the new Fire Chief, Chuck Hubbard (below), a…
Mayor & Police Chief’s Longtime Claims That “Crime Is Down” Bogus? AAPD Sources Reveal Crime Reports Not Filed & Allege Crimes Misclassified
A2PNotes: This is filed under "Scoops & Scores" because you read it here first.
In answer to how often the officers on Ann Arbor's police department simply skip the step of filing official police reports, a source within the AAPD told…