Let me preface this post by saying this is not a political push for Steve. If he loses, life goes on. But I've been hearing things that have been bothering me, and I need to get this out. So please stay with me. Or not, your choice. If you're not happy with the content, you have the option to unsubscribe. But this needs to be said. Most of our neighbors are incredibly grateful for the Midvale Heights Neighborhood Watch group. I've seen Steve pour countless hours (all volunteer) into making it a success, and growing it from zero members to 600-plus. Our small group of kick-butt volunteers also deserve credit for their awesome contributions. There has been a noted correlation - Crime in Midvale Heights has decreased since the advent of our group. Watch groups improve communities not only by making them safer, but by bringing neighbors together and potentially increasing property values. You'd think *everyone" except maybe for the criminals, would be thrilled and grateful. Nope! There is a small group of people who think we're "fear mongerers" - that we're trying to scare people into voting for Steve. This is despite the fact that Steve started, and has spent countless hours on promoting neighborhood safety waaaay before he decided to run. So let me clear this up: Madison has serious crime issues. Big city crime issues. If you attend watch meetings or police - community meetings, you will hear law enforcement say as much. I recently posted an article on Nextdoor about crime in Madison, and people jumped on me, accusing me of fear mongering. They put laser focus on one graph that pointed to a tiny decrease in robberies. (You can most probably thank watch groups and excellent work by law enforcement for this.) But that graph doesn't tell the whole story . . . THERE HAS BEEN A 300 PERCENT INCREASE IN SHOTS FIRE CALLS SINCE LAST TIME THIS YEAR. AND GANG ACTIVITY IS ALSO UP. Sorry for the all caps, but some people are just not getting this. The various graphs and statistics I monitor don't pay a pretty picture. I urge you to attend police-hosted meetings, look for online data on numerous sources, and subscribe to the Madison PD police blotter to see what's happening in the city you inhabit. Sometimes when things don't happen right in front of you or to you, it's easy to deny there's a problem. But we do have a problem, and to deny it would be irresponsible. The only city leaders who seem to get this, by the way, are those in law enforcement. Heinous crimes occur in Madison, some that frankly make me sick to my stomach. I'm talking about home invasions, gang rape, and murders. And sadly, we live in a time and place where criminals have become victims, and heroes are treated like criminals. That's worrisome to me. Thanks for reading. All the best. --Paula Fitzsimmons