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I thought it might be interesting to compare the crime statistics between Hamtramck and Highland Park, but it is apparently not that simple. Hamtramck did not report crime statistics to the FBI in 2000, 2001, or 2004, and Highland Park hasn’t reported since 2000. The following comparison uses statistics for the last year both cities reported, 1999.
Hamtramck (1999)
Population 22,976
0 murders (0 per 100,000)
8 rapes (44.1 per 100,000)
87 robberies (479.9 per 100,000)
164 assaults (904.7 per 100,000)
346 burglaries (1908.8 per 100,000)
579 thefts (3194.1 per 100,000)
742 auto thefts (4002.7 per 100,000)
5 arson (27.5 per 100,000)
City-data.com crime index = 960.9 (higher means more crime, US average = 339.3)
Crime in Highland Park (1999)
Population 16,749
15 murders (77.4 per 100,000)
18 rapes (92.9 per 100,000)
185 robberies (954.4 per 100,000)
279 assaults (1439.3 per 100,000)
367 burglaries (1893.3 per 100,000)
816 thefts (4209.7 per 100,000)
827 auto thefts (4266.4 per 100,000)
City-data.com crime index = 1435.1 (higher means more crime, US average = 339.3)
Since 2000, Highland Park has lost 33% in population, while Hamtramck has been relatively stable, losing only 2.4%. The Highland Park Police Department was reformed in 2007, having been disbanded in December of 2000.
Between 1999 and 2010 in Hamtramck, the rates of murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, and arson increased, while only theft and car theft have decreased.

According to a union official who is downtown fighting the city’s unilateral decision to charge police officers excessive amounts for health insurance,
“City of Hamtramck told the judge they will cancel health care cost if we agree to take over policing in Highland Park.”
Remember, there is a budget meeting tonight in the third floor conference room at City Hall, 6:30 p.m..

***Notice***
The Hamtramck City Council will hold a Work Session on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be held in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of City Hall, 3401 Evaline, Hamtramck, Michigan.
WORK SESSION DISCUSSION TOPICS:
1. Discussion on the City’s financial condition.
2. Other Discussion Topics.
CLOSED SESSION:
The purpose of this closed session is to discuss pending litigation and contract negotiations.
Please Note: No votes may be taken at a City Council Work Session. These sessions are strictly to present and discuss information.
NOTE: Anyone planning to attend the meeting who has need of special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is asked to contact the city clerk’s office at (313) 876-7700.

In addition to the annual Concerned Women of Hamtramck Martin Luther King Jr Day breakfast from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on January 16 at the High School Community Center, 11350 Charest,
Friendship house seeks volunteers to assemble healthy snack kits for Hamtramck students:

2012 MLK Day of Service for Healthy Snacks volunteer project put together by Friendship House with the assistance of the Hamtramck Drug Free Community Coalition will address health and nutrition in Hamtramck. Friendship House hopes to utilize 25+ volunteers to create 500 snack kits for Hamtramck students; the kits will provide healthy snacks as well as a youth-friendly nutritional guide.
Friendship House and the Hamtramck Drug Free Community Coalition believe that health is the starting place to leading the full and productive life Dr. King imagined; strong minds and bodies help create pathways to economic opportunity.
The Corporation for National and Community Service leads the national and annual MLK Day of Service, working with the King Center in Atlanta and thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, and schools and businesses nationwide.
The MLK Day of Service shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides – today and throughout the year. National Days of Service provide each of us with an opportunity to join neighbors and local leaders to tackle community challenges and strengthen the nation.
The event will take place at Friendship House, 9540 Conant Street, Hamtramck, MI 48212 on Monday, January 16, 2012 starting at noon.

Public Pool Art Space presents:
Second Nature by artist Carrie Dickason
Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 7:00pm until Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 10:00pm
Following what for many is an onslaught of holiday consumption, we thought the time was perfect to break it down a bit –– our consumer culture that is.
So, we bring you Second Nature, an unpacking of sorts. An unpacking of ideas around consumption and disposal, nature and culture, our world of today and what that world might look like in years to come.
Artist Carrie Dickason, a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art, fills our little 900-sqaure-foot-store-front-turned-art-space with sculptures and drawings using many of the materials from our consumer society –– paper, plastic, carpet, wire, bags, tape and more.
We’d like to add you. Dickason’s work explores the relationships between landscape, manufacturing, consumerism and waste. It’s inspired by a fascination with materials and a deep love of nature and systems. All that, and it’s beautiful too.
Second Nature opens with a party Saturday, January 14, 7-10 p.m. Refreshments provided courtesy of Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant. The exhibition runs through February 25. Public Pool is open Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m.

If you did not watch the city council meeting last night, you missed many exciting moments. In Mayor Majewski’s absence, the council decided to have Algazali run the meeting. The council voted mostly in two blocks: Gordon, Zwolak, and Miah vs. Jankowski, Algazali, and Hassan. They deadlocked on nominations of Jankowski, Gordon, and Zwolak for Mayor Pro Tem, finally settling on Algazali.
Almasmari’s appointment to the ZBA was voted down, and Steve Cherry’s was approved unanimously while Gordon was out of the room.
On police department health insurance, the unions were successful in getting a Temporary Restraining Order against the insurance premium increase enacted by the council at their last meeting.
Zwolak and Miah were not sworn in at the time and were excluded from the closed session prior to the original vote. Neither agreed with the decision, both saying that the action was unfair. Jankowski accused the police of retaliating against him for trying to make them pay for their own body armor, blamed them for the amount of overtime being worked, and tried to justify the premium increases by saying that the city deficit has ballooned to $3.422 million dollars from $2.2 million since the beginning of the year.
It came out that the finance director and the city manager advised the council against the resolution, and it was the city attorney, Jim Allen who convinced the council to charge each police officer an extra $800 or so per month for health insurance as a bargaining tactic.
Hassan argued that the resolution was to balance the budget. Gordon reminded him that some of the overtime is due to the traffic program, which has raised $800,000 in ticket revenue so far this year. (I found out later that the department is also 3 officers short, and that many more are applying for jobs elsewhere.) Gordon also brought up the fact that the firefighters union was willing to reopen their contract to save the city money on insurance, which was confirmed by their union president during public comment at the end of the meeting. Nazarko verified that the city would save $490,000 if they switch insurance plans, plus the cost of going to court, versus $295,000 saved by putting the burden entirely on the police. Algazali wants to eliminate the deficit by cutting the salaries of all city employees.
When the vote was taken, Hassan, Algazali, and Jankowski voted against rescinding the resolution. The show cause hearing is scheduled for January 17 at 10 a.m. in Judge Ziolkowski’s courtroom. If the city prevails, about $400 will be deducted from each officer’s paycheck every two weeks starting February 1.

PRELIMINARY MATTERS
1. Call to order
2. Roll call
3. Pledge of allegiance to the flag
4. Agenda approval
5. Proclamations/presentations/recognitions/announcements
6. Public comments: Agenda items (5 minutes allowed per person)
Non-agenda items (2 minutes allowed per person)
SECTION I: ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
ELECTION OF MAYOR PRO TEM. The city charter provides that the city council at the first regular meeting after taking office shall select from among the city council a member to serve as mayor pro tem.
1. RESOLUTION NOMINATING AND ELECTING TOM JANKOWSKI AS MAYOR
PRO TEM. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Hassan.
2. RESOLUTION NOMINATING AND ELECTING CATHIE GORDON AS MAYOR
PRO TEM. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Zwolak.
3. RESOLUTION NOMINATING AND ELECTING ROBERT A. ZWOLAK AS MAYOR PRO TEM. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Gordon.
SECTION II: UNFINISHED BUSINESS – Ordinances scheduled for second reading and ordinances or resolutions previously postponed.
1. RESOLUTION APPOINTING FOWZY ALMASMARY TO THE HAMTRAMCK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. This is a council appointment with a term ending 1-1-13. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Algazali. Postponed from the 12-13-11 council meeting.
SECTION III: CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
The following items will be adopted on a single motion without discussion unless a councilmember requests separate consideration.
1. City Council Meeting Minutes:
a. Regular Meeting � December 27, 2011
2. RESOLUTION APPOINTING TOM JANKOWSKI AS EX-OFFICIO MEMBER TO THE HAMTAMCK PLAN COMMISSION. Placed on the agenda by Mayor Majewski.
SECTION IV: NEW BUSINESS – Ordinance introductions and resolutions for initial consideration.
1. FUND WARRANT LIST AND PAYROLL.
2. RESOLUTION APPOINTING STEVEN CHERRY TO THE HAMTRAMCK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. This is a council appointment filling a vacant seat with a term ending 1-1-13. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Gordon.
3. RESOLUTION APPOINTING STEVEN CHERRY TO THE HAMTRAMCK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AS AN ALTERNATE MEMBER. This is a council appointment with a term ending 1-1-15. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Zwolak.
4. RESOLUTION APPROVING A RECORDS MANAGEMENT POLICY. Placed on the agenda by City Manager Cooper.
5. RESOLUTION TO RESCIND RESOLUTON (2011-167) TO COMPLY WITH PUBLIC ACT 152 OF 2011 AND ALLOCATE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS. Placed on the agenda by Councilmember Zwolak.
SECTION V: OTHER ITEMS
1. Mayor�s Report
2. Mayor ProTem�s Report
3. City Manager�s Report
4. Public comments
5. Non-agenda items and other business
SECTION VI: CLOSED SESSION
Council will discuss pending litigation and contract negotiations.
ADJOURNMENT
NOTE: Anyone planning to attend the meeting who has need of special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is asked to contact the City Clerk�s Office at (313) 876-7700, 48 hours before the meeting. Staff will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements.