Chief of Police Robert Morgan issued the attached letter this month to the residents of Mount Vernon.
In his letter Chief Morgan identifies the problem of commercial trucks leaving designated state routes and using residential streets as throughways. Such off-state-route trucks violate state and city laws. The letter describes Chief Morgan’s request for cooperation from local businesses and notes that drivers of off-state-route trucks are subject to citation and have been cited. Without qualification, the Chief’s letter also states his theory of policing, “Our goal is not to issue citations but to educate drivers in proper routes.”
According to the municipal court’s records for the PAST YEAR, five (5) citations were issued in July and August, 2021, for driving on a closed highway. During that same period, an additional nine (9) off-state-route citations were issued. ALL 14 of these citations are related to closure of southbound Sandusky Street. In the PAST YEAR, one ticket was issued in July 2021 to an off-state-route truck at Vernonview and Yauger Road and one ticket was issued in August 2021 to an off-state-route truck on Mulberry Street.
Although the foregoing data may not be complete, because of differing wording written on citations and other factors, the records cover all of Mount Vernon the same way. ALL 16 citations were issued in the past two months. The data clearly suggest, contrary to the Chief Morgan's statement, that citation of off-state-route trucks was non-existent for 10 of the last 12 months and off-state-route trucks only became an issue with the closing of southbound State Route 13 on Sandusky Street.
The municipal court’s data plainly demonstrate that the priorities of the Mount Vernon Police Department are not oriented around residents of the city. If the priorities were oriented around protecting the quality of life, safety, property values or even keeping heavy trucks from damaging the city’s infrastructure under residential streets not designed for through trucks, the court’s data would show at least a few citations for the estimated MINIMUM OF TWO OFF-STATE-ROUTE TRUCKS PER WEEK illegally using Edgewood Road as a throughway.
There are several theories of policing. Chief Morgan follows one theory. Theories may be interesting discussion points, but in the end the effect of any theory of policing falls on the citizens and the community to which it is applied. Look around and ask yourself, “Would off-state-route trucks be a problem in Mount Vernon, if Chief Morgan’s theory of policing actually worked?” The answer is, “Public data clearly demonstrate that Chief Morgan’s theory is not producing a result satisfactory to residents living on residential streets like Edgewood Road, whose inhabitants have complained for DECADES about off-state-route trucks on their street at all hours of the day and night.
Another theory of policing, enforcing the law, holds that addressing issues like off-state-route trucks can PREVENT big quality-of-life problems. Off-state-route trucks routinely passing “No Thru Trucks” signs signal that enforcement of law means so little in Mount Vernon that it is ok to deal dope or to steal from a neighbor or to beat a family member. Whatever Chief Morgan hopes to accomplish with his theory that does not work, the residents of Mount Vernon hope for a theory of policing that gets off-state-route trucks out of all residential neighborhoods and keeps them out. This would plainly show that Chief Morgan and the police department for which he is responsible enforce the laws of the State of Ohio and Mount Vernon impartially and uniformly every day.
When you have the opportunity, be sure to tell everyone about how Chief Morgan’s theory of policing that does not work affects you. And, the next time you have opportunity to vote, go to the polls and remember that ultimately Mayor Matt Starr is responsible for Chief Morgan’s theory of policing that does not work.
