Portland, Tennessee Blog

As for the officers speeding...they just shouldn't. My husband is an officer up here and if he was the one speeding he shouldn't be either. With my luck he probably was b/c he eats mexican all the time. :) I know that they get anxious when they have a free minute to actually sit down and eat, but that doesn't make it ok to go faster than anyone one else is supposed to. Officer's wife is correct in saying that they do not have time alloted for meals. If they are busy all night, they don't eat. All of these guys up here, or atleast the ones I know well, are great men...I guess their foot was a little heavier that day. They aren't perfect, as are none of us. As far as explaining to my child why an officer was speeding, I think I would just say that they were making a bad choice and that everyone makes mistakes. I would also applaude my child for being able to recognize the mistakes of others and encourage him to learn from it so that hopefully he will make better choices for himself. It is hard not to be defensive sometimes when the posts hit close to home. I know that officer's wife feels, just as I have, that it is always something. Many of these guys are judged by the mistakes of a select few.

I will say that I do agree that Portland should consider opening up opportunities to non-certified persons. I think that they should have to possibly serve as a reserve for a bit to make sure that they are truly interested and there should be a document signed that requires they stay in Portland for a certain number of years. It only costs around $2000.00 to send them through the academy in Donelson, which is where they would go. Why not open up the possibilities? I think they should be considered, but not just anyone. Serious candidates only. Ones who are willing to put the extra effort of being a reserve for a certain period. Just my opinion!

JJ - on the subject of the police and the Chief and qualifications :

Do I have the wrong information or was the present chief sent to the Police Academy just so he could get what it took for him to hold the position of Police Chief ? I have heard that he was never a cop on the street... that he was the Fire Chief...and when they needed someone to be the Safety Director, in order to get qualified, they sent him to the Academy, so he could get the job. Is that misinformation ?

This is not to say he is not a good Director....it's just a matter of being qualified and experienced for the job ... just a question.

jj-
In my opinion, I don't feel that the hiring process should be open to all candidates. It's better for the city if the officers are already post certified. That way the city doesn't have to spend the money to send the officers to the police academy. It seems like the last few officers hired that weren't post certified got fired. Portland paid a lot of money just for it to be wasted. They don't take that risk if the officers are already certified.
Other than that I would have to say I agree with most of the other things you have said.

Dear readers,

Its been a spell since I have written on here and to my dismay people are still bashing one another with silly words and misguided information. Perhaps we could stick with the subject matter at hand and discuss the topic? Now what was that topic? Oh yes the Portland Police. Very limited resources, limited supervision experience, and thousands of know it alls telling the police what they should be doing. Not all these men are evil coffee drinkers. Some of these men try their best but with the odds greatly stacked against them it is near impossible to make a difference. But to the people that they have helped the difference is greatly appreciated. Instead of constantly bashing these brave men in blue, go to the mayor, the council and the politicians you have voted in and ask why your tax money isnt being spent trying to build a greater force? The chief for one needs to be a man of great knowledge of the laws he/she is sworn to protect. The hiring process should be open to all canidates not just post certified officers. Ever stop to think why some of these other departments are letting these people go? Not saying all are bad but i am playing the devils advocate here. All I am saying is take off the blinders and let the entire picture be seen. Some times staring at the same spot can make one blind to all other colors. Something to think about. Talk amongst yourselfs and discuss. Thanks.

Concerned,
JJ

Kris,
I didn't say you were the only person who influences your child. But, if you're the only person in the car with him...you're the only one influencing. If he asks a question, answer it in a way that is positive, don't blow it off with "because they can."

Even if the officers weren't answering a call, they could have been eating...big deal! If they have a slow minute they jump at the chance to eat. They don't get an alotted time for things like that. If they get a call, they have to leave. Even if their food is just being brought to the table. They pay, and leave without even taking a bite.

The thing is, you only had a complaint about the officers. Why not complain about every other person that passes you on the road while you're doing your 30 mph. Don't just single out the officers. It's things like that that are a bad influence to the next generation!

DeeAnna,
What can I say...a wife should take up for her husband :) I will say this...I wouldn't even open my mouth if I didn't feel the officers were doing the best they can. I can't speak for all of them, but I can speak for most.

Kris.....How else would you expect someone who's name is "officer's wife" to respond to a criticism of the police dept. ??? LOL LOL

To the officers wife that answered my comment lame answer only you would say it that way . You are saying that i'm the only person in the world that influences my child. My son wants to be a cop so he can do whatever he want he has said this so now what do you have to say and it was lunch time and there was 2 other police cars parked in the lot not in front but in spaces where other cars were parked.

The police are speeding every time I see them They go flying bye when Im doing my 30mph. I think the speed limit In the hole town of Portland is a trap.They should'nt be giving out tickets in this town If they are speeding themselves. My son asked me one day how come they can drive fast and we cant, I said they just can. What are they teaching the next genaration, you can break the law if you are a cop? And dont give me this maybe they were on a call because 2 times I swear on the bible they flew bye me and pulled in the mexican resturant! So my point is police should go bye the law they enforce.

Kris,
As for the cops speeding. When your son asked you about them speeding, a possible answer is "they get to go fast because they are going to answer a call" or "they might be on their way to save someones life." It's up to you to set a positive example about the police to your son. The cops speed for many different reasons. Just because they don't have their blue lights on, it doesn't mean they aren't headed to a domestic or trying to catch up to a drunk driver that has been reported. And it might come as a surprise, but they even answer calls at the mexican restaurant. They don't always turn on their blue lights.

Summer is here, which means they are getting busier. If they are knocking people off the road than make a complaint to the police dept. That's where realistic complaints about the police belong.

DeeAnna,
I don't think there is much to understand other than the officer was reprimanded verbally and on paper. He had enough chances. I agree something should have been done sooner. Only thing is...it wasn't. We (the citizens of Portland) can only hope the people in charge of those decisions have learned something from all of it.

Was he given time off without pay? Was he put on limited duty while being investigated? Or were letters just placed in his file? Short-handed or not....I am thinking 17 write ups is an embarrassment having done nothing about it -other than that. Just my opinion. Most companies will only allow 3 write ups , then they will give you time off without pay...etc.....not allow 17 write ups. I don't understand it. There's got to be more to the story.

DeeAnna,
The officer that was fired had received several write-ups, 17 as you stated. If he was fired after receiving two...people would complain. If it was after five...people would still complain. The police dept. is very short-handed. This officer was giving more than 17 opportunities to do right. He chose not to. At the point where the officer was arrested, the department, as short-handed as it was (and still is), had to fire him. He was hurting the city more than he was helping it. If our city council had voted to keep him I would have to wonder if they were trying to help the city or hurt it. A write-up is a disciplinary action. So after 17 of them, I wouldn't say the officer went from no discipline to being fired. He went from a whole lot of discipline, to finally being fired.

Jane, As for the previous offer...Oh yeah =)

The police are speeding every time I see them They go flying bye when Im doing my 30mph. I think the speed limit In the hole town of Portland is a trap.They should'nt be giving out tickets in this town If they are speeding themselves. My son asked me one day how come they can drive fast and we cant, I said they just can. What are they teaching the next genaration, you can break the law if you are a cop? And dont give me this maybe they were on a call because 2 times I swear on the bible they flew bye me and pulled in the mexican resturant! So my point is police should go bye the law they enforce.

The police are speeding every time I see them They go flying bye when Im doing my 30mph. I think the speed limit In the holr town of Portland is a trap.They should'nt be giving out tickets in this town I they are speeding themselves. My son asked me one day how come they can drive fast and we cant, I said they just can. What are they teaching the next genaration, you can break the law if you are a cop? And dont give me this maybe they were on a call because 2 times I swear on the bible they flew bye me and pulled in the mexican resturant! So my point is police should go bye the law they enforce.

Jane, in my comments I was talking about the PROCESS, not a man. I was talking about the process of the firing...wondering why 17 offenses went undisciplined, as it said in the paper, and then, one day...in one meeting....a firing took place. Of course, I don't know the details..and never will....I was simply responding to an article in the paper and what was written there.
As for trusting the Council and that a correct decision was made....I don't have any facts upon which to base giving them my trust. I only have questions.

I was not speaking of a man.....I was speaking of the PROCESS. The paper stated that it started out to be a due process hearing and it ended up with being a firing. That was my understanding of what I read. Of course, I don't know all the details, I was simply commenting on the article in the paper.

Did the Progressive list all of the things that this officer was guilty (not accused) but actually guilty of? I don't think that we can judge whether or not they should have let him go or not without all of the details. I would think that to some point they would be private/personal and not necessarily for public knowledge. I think that I will trust that the council made the right choice. Especially since many of them knew and liked him. This man you are speaking of has been around for a long time.

After reading the front page article today in the Progressive and this week's Portland Leader, does anyone have any thoughts about the firing of the police officer? I think if I were on the Council, I would have had to vote against the firing, since it appears that it wasn't properly handled all along. Just from what I got out of the article - it seems that some disciplinary action should have been taken a long time ago..and not let someone go from " no discipline to firing" in one fell swooop. Seems unfair, to me...in most companies, it goes from verbal warnings to written warnings to being suspended without pay, etc......Just wondering. I don't know...just wondered what others think.

Just wanted to comment that the noise pollution and traffic issues here on the North Russell extension from Kirby Drive is about to get the better of me. With warmer weather, it seems to have worsened. My home's windows (which I mostly have to keep closed because I work at home and can't hear myself think) have been rattled 8-10 times today by "boomers and thumpers," loud pipes and mufflers, and all those who seem to think this is a good place to find out just how fast their car will go from zero to 60 or vice versa. Oh yes, and I don't want to forget about the guy, a passenger in a pickup with loud pipes, yelling loud enough to be heard more than half a block away that "so and so is a "f*****".

I agree that Portland lacks an adequate number of officers to adequately run radar and ticket all the noise and speed violators, but I think that some well placed intensive operations for even short periods of time would do much to reduce problems for a time at least. And...I made a point of voting for candidates who stated that growing our police department to keep up with our population was a priority--which I'd like to point out at least 72% of our population did NOT do.

I was also reading all the comments about the big trucks and I can honestly say, I've only had one dangerous encounter here in Portland with a semi--but I've had more than my share with losers in oversized pickups and even one dangerous encounter with a police officer who changed lanes twice without signaling and was speeding between the light at 52 and the light at McGlothlin.

Yes, there are some semi drivers who are irresponsible, horrible drivers who risk life and limb of all they encounter, but there are many who don't and on this blog, they are all painted with the same brush. We need to remember that these are the people delivering our daily bread and all the other stuff that we don't think we can live without! Without them, we'd be in a world of hurt. It does no good to bash the truckers who are traveling on a state highway--the real problem is the inadequacy of the road design and failure to plan for the future adequately--mistakes, to be sure--but remediable ones in the long term.

Officer's wife....care for a game of bingo? :)

Cindy,

If you have information about drugs or those who are dealing them then I recommend that you turn them in...unless of course you really don't care which makes every other point that you have stated invalid. As far as your comment about the police officer who took the drugs and kept them for himself, maybe you should turn him in too. Don't stereotype all of the PD based on the actions of one man. I must say that I am a bit concerned about your wealth of knowledge about the drug base here in Portland. Seems that you are upset about certain ones being arrested and others not. Are we angry that there are drugs here or could it be that someone we know was or is continuously caught? How many officers have you actually met anyway? You are doing a lot of generalization of many men based on your father's perception and your opinion of what you claim to know about another. That seems a little silly to me. I guess since there are a lot of drugs in treetop apartments (as you stated) that I must assume that everyone who lives there is a dealer or junkie. Hmmmmm sort of like every cop is disrespectful? Don’t be so angry!

Gee Cindy, you sound like a person scorned. I for one think there are several officers that deserve a hello. Seeing your attitude all over your post I can tell why you probably don't feel that way. With an attitude like that towards the police you probably would have bad dealings with them.

Now I must comment on all the people saying what road they live on and how they don't think the police care because they don't get the speeders. Look at how many streets there are in Portland. Imagine one person from every street calling to complain about speeders because I'm sure it's close to that many. Now imagine each shift with it's 2-4 people (depending on the day) trying to be on all those roads at once, while also answering calls. Seriously people, they can't be everywhere. They need more people. If you're so upset about speeders in town, why don't you go to the town meeting and request that the city get more officers so there are actually enough officers on duty to do something about it.

Reading the police officer' wife comment on the cops hanging out at Mapco and suggesting someone buy them a cup of coffee instead of asking why their there. My father was trying to get to the coffee pot one night and several cops was standing in front of the machine and just looked at him like he was stupid and never bothered to move out of the way. If I'd been him I would of said move and not in a nice way. If they are soooo disrespectfull to not even move for someone to get a cup of coffee I sure wouldn't be so nice to offer them anything at all. I don't care what you say there is very few officers who even deserve a hello. They have their picks on who they want to arrest for drugs. And one I know for a fact has even made people give him their drugs then kept them for himself. Most of Portlands drugs come from the scattersville area, tree top apartments and market street trailor park. And I have heard of one high school teacher who's husband deals on a regular basis (CRACK) of all things but it's funny you never hear anything about them getting busted. Maybe we should all play more basketball....You Figure It Out!!!!!

to all the people who are writting negitive comments about the police then maybe you might want to move out to the county and have the sheriffs dept to protect your family and your property.i am sure you might find a sumner county car in your area once a week .

thanks r/o

as i read this my first thought is "If you are seeing these things why aren't you calling the police?" If you see someone breaking the law then it is just as much your responsiblity to report it as it is their fault for doing it. As a citizen you have a moral obligation to report incidents such as these posted. NO ONE can be everywhere, regardless of what city, state, country or continent that you are on. it is my opinion that if you see people breaking the law and do not report it you are WORSE than the offender, turning a blind eye because you "don't want to get involved" is the most disgusting of any offenses.

Hello Everyone,

I am the wife of a Portland police officer, and I am sure that my husband will not be happy with me if he sees that I have posted a comment here, but I feel that I must speak. I know most all of these boys personally and I must say that I don't think many people realize how fortunate we are to have such a great group of men protecting us. All of the ones that I am around are good and honest fellas, and that can't always be said for some of the other police departments in TN.

None of them are perfect and you may have happened upon them on an off day...say just after they had busted someone with drugs, just left a violent domestic call, or had been stuck sitting down at the jail forever with an unruly drunk driver waiting for them to process him or her in...and at that particular moment in time the garbage at Portland Cares just may not have seemed that pressing.

Jackson is right when he says that we are limited on the number of guys out there. They usually run around 3 or 4 per shift give or take. Say you have a few posted in town running radar and you have one watching for dumpers at Portland Cares...Who the heck is responding to your emergency call? The other two or three are writing tickets to speeders and dumpers while Joe criminal just broke into your house or car! Even worse...Mr. Drug dealer is making meth or selling drugs from his home!! I think that we need to realize where the Police Department's priorities must lie. We need to understand that though speeding may be an issue that needs to be addressed, sometimes they just don't have the man power to do it.

I would be willing to bet that anyone who has a complaint about these guys hasn't needed them in a crisis situation yet. God forbid that you ever do, but if that day comes I feel quite certain that your opinion will quickly change. Everytime these boys put that uniform on they are saying that they will do whatever it takes to protect the citizens of Portland, even if it means losing their life. These boys are put in dangerous situations all of the time. Please remember why they do it...I promise it's not for the money. They do it because they care about you and keeping your family as safe as they possibly can. Whatever traffic or speeding issues we are dealing with, they are also because most of them are Portland residents too. So the next time you run into one of Portland's finest at Mapco, instead of questioning why they are there...buy them a cup of coffee...they deserve it!

I hope that I have not offended anyone with my comments, but this city's police dept. is close to my heart.

Your Right David(Aug 18, 06)! Heading north up 109, it does seem like your on a Speedway! Funny!

I feel that for a town our size our emergency officials do an outstanding job! I cant recall any murders, robberies, sex crimes, etc. things you might find in OTHER city's & towns. All in all, if you stop to take a broader look, I think you will find we have a pretty desireable place to live, & somewhere where we should be proud to call home, & blessed to have such an outstanding police, & emergency dept. Yes we do have our occasional issues, speeders, drinkers, dopers, but who dont? Simply put, be dilligent in the patrolling of speeders (keep an ongoing presence)drinkers... well come on, they all make it in to Mapco eventually, right? & isnt that the favorite hangout for our "Portland's Finest" when it's time for that latenight cup of joe? & as for the dopers... you may not like it but LEGALIZE, & CONTROL TAXATION on Marijuana, yes I said LEGALIZE MARIJUANA! think about it... when "pot" was somewhat socially acceptable, did you hear about meth, coke, extacy, etc? no you didnt, because people were content with their mellowed out buzz they received from the grass. nNo diffrent than you coming in after a long day at the office & mixing you a drink to wind down. Per CNN, the largest cash crop of 2006 was not wheat, corn, or soy, it was marijuana, in excess of 35 BILLION dollars. Tennessee was number 2 in production, right behind California. Guess who has the lowest # of drug related offenses in America... California. Guess who has the highest drug related offenses... Tennessee. See a pattern here? Why cant our government control, & set limits on the manufacturing of this crop, & make taxation of the product similar to the tax that is imposed on ciggarettes, & liquor? Just a thought, what do you think?

MY COMMENTS TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLAING ABOUT THE SPEEDER IN TOWN. IF THE POLICE START STOPPING EVERYONE WHO SPEEDS THROUGH TOWN THEN IT WOULD TAKE MORE POLICE OFFICER TO STOP THESE CARS AND THE CITY COUNICL IS NOT GOING TO GIVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANY MORE HELP. I HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OFFICER THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO WORK SOME 60 AND 70 HOURS WEEKS AND THAT THEY ARE DOING ALL THEY CAN.IF THE CITY COUNICL WOULD GET OFF THERE REAR ENDS AND GET SOME MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS THEN MAYBE THE SPEEDERS WOULD GET TICKETS.

Ditto goes for me Stella! It is mind boggling on what these parents are thinking. The children are the innoccent ones in danger and the ones who will suffer. It is very sad. I met a lady at Sonic one day who had a little 18 month boy, he had a black eye and many scratches and bruises across his face,my curiousity got the best of me I couldn't help but ask what had happened to him..she then told me that he had been in a car accident a few days before, she had left the laundry mat and was going to Fred's, she said since it was such a short trip, she just held him in her lap...she pulled out of the laundry mat and was hit by a teenager in a blazer on her driver's side. Life comes at you fast, no one needs to take chances with these children's lives. Period!

What is with people riding their kids in the back of pickup trucks. I see this quite frequently. Isn't there a law against this type of thing? It does not take much common sense to figure out this is dangerous, especially if you hit a bump or have an accident. Also, I frequently see couples or parents with their infants or babies in the front seat of pickup trucks. We do have seat laws in regards to children's weight and age. Just today I saw a young couple at the post office in a pickup. The young woman had her infant child in her lap. The police need to start cracking down on these parents. No child should be in the front seat of any vehicle, if they do not meet the requirements to be in that front seat.

It is not just the trucks out on 52 and 109, but the teenagers who do not seem to know how to drive. Don't they have driver education anymore? Just take a look at the amount of teen deaths Portland has suffered in past years. Most are due to speeding. I for one would love to see cell phones banned while driving. Make it a law to pull over while using a cell phone. I almost got hit by a teen today smoking and talking on a cell phone while driving. Unreal. Also, how about the police sitting out on College when the HS lets out. They come out of there like bats out of hell. I would love to see more police out on 52 and College. How about cracking down on people going in the wrong direction in shopping parking lots? What do they think the direction arrows are for?

HAHAHAHA Holly. It is funny, you get out of the city and every slows down. I experience that problem too. But when you come into town, it is like the Bristol Motor Speedway in the curves. Maybe we need to change the color of the speed signs to bright green so everyone will see them. Or we could have auto calls to cell phones since everyone like to talk on the phone, drive, eat and not pay one bit of attention.

I just wanted to tell everybody that on the south side of town where 109 and 76 meet, as your leaving town the speed limit is 55, NOT 45! It does not change to 45 until you hit the top of the ridge!! I'm so sick of people creeping thru there. There are two 55mph signs!! I have yet to go thru where the person in front of me is going the speed limit. Except for the semi's, they are all going 55 mph. Maybe we could all take the time to LOOK AT THE SIGNS for a change!!

they wont do anything about these wreckless truck drivers untill multiple fatalaties occur. they should fine them about 2oo dollars or more for speeding over 40 mph and double it if they are skipping scales.

Mel, I completely agree with you on the need for a Portland Cares guard..or longer business hours during the weekend where most of the items are dropped off anyway. It is a great organazation that is in need of alot of organazation itself!My only concern is, I hope they fix the dumping problem before someone gets hurt.

But as for the truck drivers, I personally have no problem with truckers driving in Portland, it is,afterall, a very public town and we do have businesses that require such delivery trucks,however, I do not agree that truckers (not all,but more often than not) think that it is acceptable to come flying down our small town streets at 50mph and taking up two lanes in the midst of getting from point A to point B,wherever those may be. That is the absurd matter at hand.

Here's an idea. Instead of littering your stuff at Portland Cares why not join the local Freecycle Group and give your leftovers to people who need it. You can join at:
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/PortlandTnFreecycle
or if you have something to sell join this group:
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sumnercountyBST
Membership is FREE and members there love to get leftover yard sale items. Give it a try and see.

My commemt is on the tractor trailer issue. Being in a family of truck drivers now that I am married has given me a very different opinion. I understand were everyone is coming from about the trucks coming down mainstreet. I currently work at a company on Kirby drive. If drivers are coming from Kentucky or Nashville to Portland to a Kirby drive facility then they have no reason to come through Portland. For us to say that drivers are coming through Portland to bypass the scales is absurd. Some drivers may do it but not all. For us to take drivers out of coming through Portland then we need to take all convenient stores, restaurants, or any building in the middle of Portland that uses tractor trailers for deliveries. People need to realize that if we didn't have these big trucks then we wouldn't have alot of our businesses in Portland. If you ask most truck drivers they will tell that if they had a choice sometimes they wouldn't come through Portland either.

I also have another comment to make about the Portland Cares dumping issue. Used to you could drop off stuff on the porch on Sat. and Sun. It keep trash from the street and people out of the road. I have lived in Portland all of my life. It seemed like every thing was fine by putting stuff on the porch. Portland Cares may be a good benefit to Portland but they have never helped me(I have never neeeded it). I have given many things to Portland cares in the past but not since they have started making such a fuss. However when I used to live next door to a former employee of cares she used to bring home stuff from cares all the time. Cares is suppose to be a help for the city of Portland, so why is it their employees get first choice to everything that is being dropped off and then give the junk to the people that need it. In my opinion the only reason there is such a fuss because every thing gets ruined sitting by the road. Some of us have odd working hours and can't get there when they are open and want to give things to cares. Not everything is junk. With this big fuss we can't and are being forced to take our stuff other charity facilities. Maybe the idea of hiring a security guard or something for people to drop there stuff off after hours would be a great idea.

About Portland Cares,
I am amazed that there is not more done to prevent the load of junk that gets pilled in front of those gates! Especially during the "yard sale" season, it gets beyond ridiculous! I have drove by on a few occasions and there are boxes and items so packed up that they are spilling into the street! Not only is it illegal, it is putting people's lives in danger by making a road hazard to drivers! I would certainly think that someone could do SOMETHING about this problem...and yet nothing seems to be done at all..I have seen people dumping a truck load of items and a Portland police car that was in front of me drove RIGHT BY IT without even attempting to stop them! Why are these people going to stop if they know nothing is going to be done about it? The fact is they won't.. and its a shame that such a good organziation that is supposed to help our community is getting disregarded by the towns own people.

While I am rambling on, I have a new complaint to share with you all,

My family and I recently moved into the Cornerstone Sub., and as lovely as the neighborhood is, The drive to get here is a terrible wreck waiting to happen! Coming from the city, I turn next to Subway and go over the railroad tracks and turn left onto N. Russell. There is a 3 way stop as you go over the tracks and traffic coming from the tracks has the right away..there is even a sign that clearly states that the traffic over tracks DOES NOT STOP. I am puzzled at why no one follows that! It seems as if every time I get to that 3 way stop,I gently go over the tracks in hopes no one has run the stop sign and as soon as I emerge to the 3 way stop, some moron slams his gas and thinks he can outrun me...It is a very dangerous area to be at and I have seen so many close calls, and been in quite a few myself. Does anyone else have this problem?

I was really disappointed in the police dept. last night. Me and my husband were driving by Portland Cares at about 7 PM and noticed a red Dodge pick-up unloading their stuff at the road which is a No-No. I tried to get their licenses plate number with no luck. We drove alittle futher down the road and met a Patrol Car. We blinked our lights at him and flagged him down and he did pull over. We explained what we saw and ask him to go check it out. Well, he rolled his eyes and acted disgusted and said "I will go down there and see if they are still there and talk to them", which I really doubt he did. I thought with all the articles in the newspapers about Portland Cares that the police Dept. was going to try and help them with this litter problem but I guess I was wrong. If the police would just patrol that area more on Sat. and Sun. they would catch some of these people and give them a ticket for littering. Looks like Portland Cares will need to hire their own Security Guard to take care of this problem.

Just wanted to take time to thank the Emergency departments in Portland (Ambulance and Police Dept.) for responding so quickly to the Dollar General 2 days ago when my mother became unconscious. Big thanks to the Dollar General for all their support and caring ways. Just wanted to say Thank You So Much, you saved her life by your quick response.

Our Fire and Police Department are something to be proud of. I here stories of speed traps in towns like Coopertown and even in Nashville you here of times up to 15-30 min. for EMS to reach a location, which is ran by the fire Dept. Al and Richard take pride in Portland and serving our people, they hire people that use good judgement and make sound decisions, if they don't they move on quickly. Not to say that they don't have to remind these guys every now and then that they are in the public eye and should practice what they preach.

Joe,
What you said is a lie, it is observed everyday by the citizens of Portland, truckers using 109 and 52 to bypass the scales or Nashville. You can hear it on the CB radio all the time trucker relaying when the scales are open. Just the other day, 2 truck were northbound on 109 at Market side by side and one crossed the yellow line and nearly hit my vehicle. They have hit my mirror b4 and never checked up. These drivers are inconsiderate. At least restrict the trucks to the outside lanes so car drivers dont have to feel pressure between the semis. Truckers will go out of their way to avoid fines from the state. Why do you think truckers hate cops.

Just today, I saw two separate police officers come up to a stop sign, slow down (no complete stop) and proceed to take off. Are there separate laws for police officers?

Just a note to the good people of portland. Truckers do not like to drive thru towns.We do this only when making a devlivery in town or the only way to our devlivery is thru town. otherwise we like to stay on the interstates. Truckstops are on the interstates and of course the speed is higher.
also please be carefull when selecting a truck route. if you make the route to restrictive Trucks won't come into your town to make deliveries and pick ups with out charging customers a premium for the service.

I live on a residential street that is hardly wide enough for two cars. North street. We FINALY got a 20mph sign posted at both ends. But here lies the problem. We have a police department that could care less about speeders in this town. We have people speeding at speeds in excess of 45mph down this road. It has become a race track. We have repeadidly requested an officer to sit down here and run radar. They could get a whole lot of speeder in just one afternoon or morning - alone. But they bring one down here and they sit for 5 min and leave. (WOW, That does the job huh?) We have alot of children playing in this neighborhood and it is quite dangerous for them. That is not right on a residential street. (especially when it is not that wide).
We have a church park at one end and a school at the other. The buses even speed. We have called the transportation department and Larry says to call the police. If they are speeding they deserve to get stopped. HELLO. We are here on North street by the park and library with a HUGE traffic problem and no one does anything about it. I agree with many on this speeding issue. It is a big problem in this town and NOTHING - and I mean NOTHING is being done about it.
As far as the semis in town, I agree with that problem as well.
And as far as the good old boy mentality being gone in this town. Well, that in its self is a joke. It is still here. Just watch a council meeting sometime. We need new blood in this town's council and mayors office positions. This town has the potential to become what it wants but they need to get ther heads out of you know where and get with the times.
I could go on forever about the problems this town council has but that would take a while.
Things are this simple. Quit lining pockets, helping your "Buds" and stick to the issues and this town could be running smoothly. (Jeese, maybe I should run for mayor ) Ha Ha.
This is just my opinion and we are all entitled to it. Although most pople in this town think ill of you if you have one.

I live on Haynes Rd and I sure wish the police would patrol this area more often. The speeders on this road are awful. There is an "S" curve and they act like they are at the Daytona Speedway. Also there are alot of children in this neighborhood and they need to lower the speed limit from 30 mph to 20mph on Haynes Rd, Austin Dr and Williams Dr before a child gets hurt or worse.

I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only person who sees the problems with the speed limits and truck traffic on Broadway. Not only are the police not enforcing the speed limits, they don't follow them, either. I am often passed by a police car going 40 in a 30mph zone. By the way, why is the speed limit in Portland reduced to 30mph in every location where the road broadens out to 4 lanes? That doesn't make sense.

The trucks on Broadway have got to go. The road is too narrow for 4 lanes, and too curvy for a 53' tractor-trailer. Get them out of downtown! Five years ago, our then-mayor Calloway asked the population of Portland if they were in favor of a bypass to eliminate truck traffic. A majority said yes. However, it seems that the one single most important person in Portland (at least in his own eyes) said NO. So that settled the issue.

Jessica Escue, I appreciate your views, but must comment on something you said. You seem to think that Portland will grow in the years to come. I don't think that will happen. The "powers that be", including certain members of our City Council, seem determined to see that whatever growth happens in Portland will profit a select few people, at the expense of the rest of us. This isn't a viable town; it's a collection of houses with a run-down "business district".

My only complaint with the police dept is SPEEDERS and inforcing the seat belt and child restaint laws. I don't think they do enough. I have seen truckers speed by the police dept, right in front of a police car and nothing is done. I know they are speeding because I am doing 30 MPH and they pass me like I am sitting still. The same on Broadway coming from Gallatin. The police need to set up a road block every now and then and see how many they catch drinking, no licenses, no insurance, no seat belts, and no child restraints. I see the NO seat belts and NO child restaints almost daily. If I can see it why can't the police?????

I was Nearly killed (my daughter as well)Recently by a big black dually truck! As I followed him through town he nearly killed many! I feared for the unknowing people as they came near to him! When he stopped in to a gas store I ran in next door and called the police. They said others had called as well! I gave them his license # and told them to hurry! They took forever, Then the (drunk) took back to town and I continued to follow him. Still no police! I saw one once going the other direction and tried to flag him down. Finally one pulled him over at hardees. I told the cop he nearly killed a lot of people! He said "Im going to find out what the problem is." They must have done NOTHING! The next day he was drunk and driving. I now know the name of the man. If he does get in a wreck, I hold the city of portland totally responsible for allowing him to go free! I pray nobody gets killed. How can anyone be drunk at 7:30 in the morning. I wish we had a justice system here for us innocent victims. I think this particular cop forgot his duties. Please watch out for this black dually!!!

David (other david)

First let me say I agree with most of your opinion. with the exception of a couple of your points.

First of all, show me in the constitution where it defines a seperation of church and state, it isn't there if you will read it. Trust me I am no religious fanatic, in fact I find modern organized religion to be rather sickening, BUT the constitution does not back up your statement.

Secondy, I think a speed limit of 40 to 45 through town is absurd! There are enough problems with people going 30, lets not compound the problem by having people going faster through there. I am amazed you are aware of the speed limit in that area, as most people blast through there at a much higher rate of speed than that. I am convinced if you ask most people what the speed limit is through there they could not tell you with any degree of certainty.

As for the beer board thing. That was such a farce. As is the whole liquior by the drink thing. The whole arguement against it being...."it will cause alchoholism" or "people will be driving drunk"......HELLO.....when you can go to mapco and by a case of beer.....does that not make you drunk? People are walking out of these convenience stores with beer by the case. How is there a difference...can someone please explain this to me......like I'm a 5 year old...because I just don't get it. I could go on much more about this....but I will try to stay on point.

The traffic issue needs to be dealt with ASAP....the problem again has been and continues to be, we hear alot of talk but no action.

To all the local politicians, actions speak louder than words......and your actions are speaking loud and clear!

I'd like to hear a valid reason that the bypass idea was shot down that doesn't have to do with who's land would be used. The traffic problem is absurd, with such a simple solution being brought up time and again, but those who decide have too much personal interest tied up in the matter.

I'm beginning to realize that the city of Portland will never go anywhere. Two shining examples - the beer board issue and the impact fee.

The beer board debates a while back ended up just being bickering back and forth that went on for months with no real goals or outcomes being reached. IMHO, I think the separation church and state makes this issue clear.

And the impact fee as of late: WOW did that point out which councilmen are in certain contractor's pockets! (As if there was ever any doubt). There was a proposal that would undoubtedly help out Portland's financial state immensely, but personal (and, dare I say social) interests got in the way. At least these councilmen remember how they got to office (hint: it wasn't by winning over voters)

And while I'm at it, the 30 mph speed limit through town is a joke. It needs to be upped to 45, or at least 40. The police don't even patrol it at the speed limit, let alone enforce it.

I appreciate more attention at the N. Russell St. and Kirby Rd. 4-way stop...traffic there is constant and noisy...actually, we need a traffic light there...

The semitruck traffic through the city is a nightmare,especially through those tight spots and turns. I find it so nervewrecking to be riding along towards Subway and be practially run off the road because a trucker is halfway in my lane and his too..not to mention, he is going about 45mph..and with all of the new business Portland will be getting in the years to come, the overpowered truck drivers are going to be over populating our small town roads. A simple drive to the grocery store is like an interstate experience around here!

I think they need a sign posted as truck route to avoid them coming down hwy 109 there will be a interstate coming thru portland but that will be in 3 yrs before completion.But we also have trucks needed to access our buisnesses to delivery the merchandise to groceries etc.I havent the answer but it is known something is diffently needed.The Police are doing a great job very proud of the law inforcement seems to do there jobs honestly.

I think the major issue right now is the big trucks.

This is something that has been discussed many times on this weblog.

The big trucks pose a major danger all the way from coming through down town to going up and down the ridge on 109. Some are avoiding the scales and some are short cutting to I-40. There must be a better way to route trucks rather than directly through downtown or residential areas. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with very quickly, the first step would be opening up dialogue for ideas. But, someone has to make a final decision.....therein lies the problem....it seems no one ever wants to make that final decision because of politics.

I think the trucks need to be stopped from going through the downtown area ASAP, but 2 things need to happen.....a plan of what to do with them and enforcement of the plan.

I believe the police dept is doing a great job. Alot of the good ole boy stuff is gone now but some does still exsist as will with many places. There has been much improvement over the years. Kudos to Chief West and Smith. There is a very aggressive detective division that has been involved in some big bust with national attention. As far as the truckers, I think there should be a better coordination with THP to stop these truckers skipping the scales and crowding our streets in town.