Jamestown City Council members are defending the Jamestown Police Department’s handling of quality of life concerns.

The council’s most recent voting session included two additional residents calling for additional ticketing of speeding vehicles through neighborhoods, those who set off fireworks in neighborhoods and for code-related complaints handled through the city Development Department.

Councilman Jeff Russel, R-At Large, cited several statistics during the council’s June 17 work session as proof the department’s nuisance officer is working to address residents’ concerns. Over the course of a year, the police department had issued 31 tickets for loud music coming from a residence and 43 tickets for loud music from a vehicle. Three offenders had been charged twice. Additionally police have issued 68 tickets for loud exhaust and seven tickets for fireworks.

During the council’s voting session, Russell shared additional statistics. There have been nine tickets for open container violations, 26 tickets for trespassing, the majority of those coming in city parking ramps; 28 warrants served, including seven Department of Development warrants; three tickets for illegal burns and a ticket for discharge of a firearm in the city limits.

“Call volume has increased greatly since I was at that department,” Russell said. “They are doing the best job they can with what they have. Crime has increased in my personal opinion. Quality of life issues, I agree with this gentleman that the creep of decay, I have seen it with my own eyes. But to continuously attack the Jamestown Police Department for not doing their job and to say things aren’t being done or tickets aren’t being written, I just gave you an example of one police officer’s proactivity and I would disagree with that sentiment they aren’t doing their jobs and not doing it to the best of their ability, because they are.”

Complaints over quality of life issues have become more prevalent in recent months, though they have typically been focused on housing issues. Noise, fireworks, speeding, loud motorcycles and vehicles are typically the most common complaints.

Councilman Tony Dolce, R-Ward 2, also defended the department’s efforts, particularly on quality of life issues. Dolce said there is only so much the police department can do, in part because once a case goes to court what happens to the ticket is out of the police department’s hands. That’s especially true with low-level offenses.

“I’m just going to respond to one part of your question that pertains to us because the gentleman was here tonight talking about issues of driving and speeding and noise and so forth,” Dolce said. “I just wanted you to know that in the last week there have been increased details, there have been several arrests or have been several tickets that have been issued. The chief himself over the weekend was in my area on Lakeview, on Falconer and in that area making stops and giving tickets. They’re doing the best they can to try to stop this, at least to tamp it down. We are taking these things seriously and doing the best we can to enforce the laws. These are difficult ones to enforce because again they have to be caught at the time of doing it and they’re chasing people around writing tickets. … I can speak on behalf that the chief takes it very seriously, the police department is taking it seriously and doing the best job they can as well as trying to enforce as we get closer to the Fourth of July holiday the fireworks.”