Our View What’s really going on in Marion?

Our View What’s really going on in Marion?

Marion Mayor Frank Fogleman’s recent social media text to the citizens thanking them for voting for him to be their mayor and saying he will try to do a better job using social media to communication as to what is going on seems to have stirred up a social media hornet’s nest.

Fogleman’s Sunday Jan. 6 post read: “Once again, I would like to thank everyone who voted for me for mayor. I was honored and grateful to be sworn in again for another term, (seventh four-year term), on New Year's Day, and I look forward to this being the term that sees the over pass built and a new Sultana museum constructed, among other advances.

“I will try to do a better job of using this page to let citizens know what’s going on. If you have a question or need to bring something to my attention, do it here, via e-mail or call my office at Bigger Insurance.

“Let’s all work together to make Marion the best it can be.”

With that came 94 responses such as from Trisha Lackie who said she is aware of the need for an overpass but went on to tell Fogleman, “BUT God almighty, WE NEED OFFICERS TO HELP PREVENT OR DETER CRIME WORSE!!!!

“When every other thing you hear is… shootings, drug deals, gangs, break ins…it’s well past time for our citizens to demand a change. I don’t pay taxes in order for the area to be less safe.

Stacie Trevino said she lives in Marion because it is suppose to be safer than West Memphis and that if not for social media no one would know about all of the crime happening in Marion.

Perry Russom said, “Mayor Fogleman your citizens are answering your call for input and you are STILL silent!!!!.”

Anthony Sasser came to Fogleman’s defense by saying, “How many of you whiners go to council meetings and air your grievances? You hide on FB, cry and whine but not a single one will show up for a meeting…”

Justin Heath Shields responded by saying, “Shouldn’t the mayor already be aware of the crime and not need citizens at a city council meeting letting him know what he should already know?”

As Crittenden County’s legitimate and factual newspaper we are ashamed to say that for decades we have attempted to gain the cooperation of the Marion Police Department as to what is going on in Marion. We have constantly been denied access to crime reports and told “nothing is going on of any significance.”

With the emergence of social media the citizens of Marion have been able to get around this silent policy and exposing the crime, the burglaries, the shootings and the theft going on in Marion. The social media has exposed a problem that has been going on in Marion for years and for a long time been kept secret.

We would certainly encourage Mayor Fogleman to allow us, and the citizens of Marion, to have access to the crime reports so they can be better informed and know what is going on in their neighborhoods and their city.

It is time for Mayor Fogleman to let the citizens of Marion know what their police department is doing to keep them safe from an ever growing crime problem.

Mayor Fogleman would do well to follow the example of what the West Memphis Police Department policy on releasing crime reports is as well as what Crittenden County Sheriff Mike Allen does to keep the citizens informed.

And, reset assured we will not only print this in our printed edition but also on our social media site as well as Facebook to let the citizens of Marion know it is time for more openness on the part of the police department.