To the editor:
Yesterday (Aug. 21), I posted this notice on the police front door.
CHIEF OF POLICE: You closed early on Tuesday. The sign says you close at 4:30. I hope everyone stopped getting paid an hour before then, because you all quit work.
We are mad as hell.
My name is James Mullen. I live in Hawthorne Hills Apt. 105.
The people here sit in the lobby and watch cars run that stop sign just like it did not exist. It is dangerous to us. I came here once before and nothing was done.
Do your job! Write tickets so that people understand it is not a free-for-all. We will come here every day until we see a substantial number of tickets are written. We are writing to The Democrat paper. We are visiting the Town Hall. We will never stop until you make these drivers stop. Even FedEx runs the stop signs. The only time they stop is when traffic is at the intersection and they have to stop to prevent crashing their pretty car.
On three occasions, I have been in the middle of Hawthorne Drive when approaching drivers accelerated to beat the old man with a cane!
Where are you? How many times must we report this? We will not stop until you make the cars stop. It is the law. It is your job. Do it.
(Post-script below, sent Aug. 23)
As a follow-up to my letter to the chief of police about the drivers who run the stop signs at Hawthorne Drive, I have a different opinion now.
Two police officers responded to my angry letter with kindness. They were concerned enough to visit me at my apartment for a long talk. Now that I understand, I owe them an apology.
They have only five officers to patrol the town 24/7. Often they only have one on patrol at a time. They have hired a sixth, but he is not yet trained. They are aware of the inconsiderate drivers who show no respect for the stop signs. They can look out of their station and see them running the signs. However, when they go there, the drivers see them, and suddenly they are as lawful as driver’s ed students. They come to full stops, look both ways, put their hands on the wheel at 10 and two, and carefully continue. When the officer leaves, there they go again, barging through the stop sign with no regard for the law or the dangers of pedestrians.
So the problem lays at the feet of Town Hall. You want to bring thousands of cars down Hawthorne Drive. You want to turn it into a three-lane highway, regardless of the dangers to senior citizens. You want to bring tourists here by the thousands. Yet we have only one officer on patrol.
Yes, you will hire them to direct traffic on concert nights. But what about the rest of the time? Town Hall cannot handle this situation, and they are not prepared to employ enough officers to handle the needs of Nashville now, let alone when the populace swells.
Simple solution: Do not proceed with the venue and attracting thousands of tourists, until you have adequate law enforcement in place. If you find the money for the venue and the tourist draw, then find the money to double law enforcement. The typical answer is, “We would love to, but we do not have the money.” So therefore you are telling the senior citizens that you will not adequately protect us because of money? How much does one life cost? You will find out. It is only a matter of when, and not if, a senior is killed. Then what? Will you suddenly find the money? Or will you shrug it off, and say it is an unfortunate tragedy, but there is nothing you can do?
Really? You have hired a staff of officers that is not much bigger than Mayberry on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Get real. If you cannot afford to grow, then do not grow. Again I apologize for my angry comments toward our overworked and short-changed police officers.
James Michael Mullen, Hawthorne Hills
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