Squirrels Becoming the Menace of Subdivisions

Former Chesterfield Ward 1 Councilman Gene Schenberg insists he has the constitutional right to protect his home from repeated invasions. By squirrels. Most county residents feel the same way. Squirrels have gotten completely out of hand.
 Schenberg first discovered damage to the downspouts on his house after it was re-roofed about nine years ago. Since then he has tried traps, poisons and trimming back trees to eliminate the squirrels.

Six years ago, he switched to a dart gun to stop the creatures in their tracks, but a neighbor saw him taking aim and complained.

He then switched to a pellet gun, which has proven to be an effective remedy for the marauders, he said. But while the pellet gun has kept the squirrels at bay, the weapon has become a sore point with his neighbor.

 Now the squirrel shooting has reached City Hall.

Schenberg's firing of pellet guns and darts to quell nuisance squirrels on his property has become a danger, said current Ward 1 Councilman Matt Segal, who defeated Schenberg for the council post three years ago.

What are your thoughts about this situation? Are the squirrels driving you nuts and destroying your property? Click on COMMENTS below and give us your 2 cents worth.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/metro/news/residents-firing-at-squirrels-creates-an-issue-in-chesterfield/article_e147b66b-268a-5a0f-806f-db70ef6aed06.html#ixzz1ljQ5IMIR

One County Agency Successfully Makes Use of a New Communications Tool

The introductory statement in Chapter 54, Public Information of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies, 5th Edition states, “agencies have an obligation to inform the public and news media of events that affect the lives of citizens in the community with openness and candor.”

While most agencies rely on the news media for the release of such information, there are a number of other available ways and means an agency can enhance the flow of real-time critical information to key members and key segments of their community. The Chesterfield, Missouri Police Department, a CALEA Accredited Flagship agency, recently began utilizing the internet social networking tool “Twitter” to do just that. And so far, it has proven to be rather successful!

The internet Twitter system is referred to as a social networking tool that allows one to provide information to their “followers” in the form of short text messages of up to 140 characters. Technophobic? Technologically challenged? Don’t worry. Not all technological communications advances are complicated. And nothing could be easier to implement or to operate than a Twitter program in your department.

Here’s how the Chesterfield Police Department’s program works: The department first established a Twitter account online at Twitter.com. After testing it in-house for a week to make sure all the bugs had been worked out, we made a public announcement and encouraged residents and business owners to create their own Twitter account so that they could sign on as a “follower” of the Chesterfield Police Department. Those who are logged on as Chesterfield Police Department followers may receive Twitter update messages either via their personal computer or, as was encouraged, by means of a text message directly to their cell phone.

(Read the rest of the story at: http://www.calea.org/online/newsletter/No101/twittering.htm