The Times

6 TIMES/GUIDE Weekend of January 29/30, 1977

opinion reader response

opinion editorials commentary letters reader response

The new chief... well, in a way

The Coral Gables Police Department has a new chief. Well, sort of He's the chief, but he's not new. As ex-chief William Kimbrough's right-hand man and assistant chief for the past 20 years, he could hardly be classified as new. And add to that the fact that he's been with the Gables Police for a total of 30 years. We have no doubt that Del Edwards has more than a passing acquaintance with both the department and with what the citizens of Coral Gables expect from the department and that he will make a fine chief, but we wonder about the advisability of hiring a chief who is so near to retirement age himself. This is not to say that at 61 years of age he cannot handle the job as adequately as anyone and probably better than most, but he has enough time on the force so that he could retire today if he so desired. Then what happens four years from now when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65? Will he or won't he? If he decides yes, then it's back to the drawing board to choose another chief. Perhaps he'll appoint as his right-hand man someone who will be able to serve the department longer than four or five years, considerably longer, as chief should he indeed decide to retire. In any event, the job being what it is, we wish him good health and good luck. We note, however, with some amusement, that hard on the heels of a survey that ripped the department hither and yon, City Manager J. Martin Gainer said upon making his selection, "Coral Gables is a very special community and has a very special kind of police department. I know that Chief Edwards will provide the leadership to continue the high level of police service that the people of Coral Gables desire and deserve." And here we were thinking, asked to believe in fact from the survey, that the level of police service wasn't really all that hot. Maybe it depends on who you talk to or what you read on alternate days of the week.

the gables publishing company

serving south dade and coral gables since 1926 jim storey general manager bea moss managing editor bob levine advertising manager richard linn circulation manager address: 4627 ponce de leon blvd coral gables, fla 33146 telephone: 666-7981

There's hope for victims of crime

EDITOR: Recent expressions of public concern from individuals, clubs or groups and by members of the media have focused much attention upon the continuous rise in violent crime and the total lack of care and assistance for the victims. The measures taken to curtail this constant growth have been, to say the least, ineffective. As for the victim, there is hope that this will be the last year Florida will allow him to suffer in benign neglect. Last year, the state of Florida spent about $200 million to house, heal, feed, clothe and even educate, at tax-payer's expense, criminals convicted of perpetrating crimes against our society. The state spent nothing to help the victims of violent crimes. Nothing last year or nothing in years to come, unless some legislation is passed. As things stand now, the victims are left to their own devices after health and accident policies have been exhausted. With no money to pay remaining hospital and medical costs and no method for recovery of money lost due to missed work or loss of job, the victim is often left with only grief and despair. Florida can offer no more than a shrug or a sincere but otherwise empty expression of sorrow. However, Sen. Pat Thomas and I have introduced a bill to the Senate which would provide financial aid and assistance to This law is long overdue for Florida. Some 17 states are already helping innocent victims. But no state's program has so completely re-involved the lawbreakers in the funding mechanism. The bill is innovative, causes no new taxes, creates no additional bureaucracy and punishes only those who chose to break the law. I sincerely hope that every law-abiding Florida taxpayer will express their strong support for this bold new piece of legislation. JIM GLISSON State Senator

It's not residents Commuters cause Alhambra traffic

EDITOR: As one of the citizens of Alhambra Circle who have been trying for three years to do something about the traffic problems on our street, I am tired of being painted as an ogre, (at the Commission's public hearing and now in a letter in your newspaper) in what has somehow degenerated into an "Us vs Them" situation. Please allow me to state a few facts to our neighbors: 1. During the three years of our fight for a solution to the volume and speed of the traffic on our street, we have never, and I mean never, intended that our problems be diverted to other streets. 2. We are not concerned with Gables residents who use our street for shopping or errands, but with commfuters from South and West Dade who use Alhambra as their shortcut to downtown and back from 7-9 in the morning and 4-6 in the afternoon. 3. Alhambra Circle is not designated as a major arterial street, like Coral Way, Bird Road and 8th Street, as so many have indicated. It is just as much a neighborhood street as Greenway and Obispo. Unfortunately because of its design and length, it is being used as such. 4. The proposed cul-de-sac was never proposed by the residents of this street. It was designed as the most efficient solution to our problems by the expert in the county, Eugene Simm, director of the Department of Transportation and Traffic. We originally asked for 4-way stop sign which he said would create more problems than they would correct. 5. The Alhambra residents had hoped that the cul-de-sac would deter commuters from using Coral Gables as their short cut and make them alter their driving pattern for good. It astounded me how enraged our neighbors were at the prospect of sharing our traffic problems, yet had no sympathy for us who endure it day after day. It would be my hope that if our neighbors do not feel that the cul-de-sac is the proper solution, that they would join with the Alhambra residents in putting pressure on both the City Commission and Metro to solve our problems once and for all. I would like to thank the Times/Guide for its continuing support of this issue. SHERRILL KELLNER 1203 Alhambra Circle