Sharing with Lansing's new mayor; get real people to answer phones

I wonder if anybody in Michigan's capital city, Lansing, has had a similar experience.

Early in this past summer, I talked with a neighbor down the street, who told about how burglars were breaking into nearby houses while peoople were sleeping.  Listening to his stories, I was concerned.  My first impuse was to call the Lansing Police Department to talk to a community relations officer.

I wanted to verify what my neighbor said and to ask what people in our neighborhood could do to protect themselves.

My attempt to be a responsible citizen was met with instant frustration.  I called all the non-emergency numbers in our southside station and all I got was automated answering machines that sent me on a circular jouney back to where I started.  Then, I looked for the identity of the city council person who represents my area and really got lost in the city's website. 

If a Realtor had called, I would have been tempted to say enough is enough and look for a house out in a township more responsive to constituents. 

Our new Mayor-elect Virg Bernero needs to fix this.  You should be able to talk to real people, especially when there's a public safety concern.

• Summary of problem to be addressed by mayor and council:  Improve access to city employees.  Get rid of the automated answering machines, especially for the police.
• I will talk about the city website in another post.
• City Council members need more visibility in the neighborhoods.  They need to be available for constituent service.

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