Setting the Stage for a Major Turnaround...in Crime

Although I've dismissed claims that "green shoots" are emerging all around us, that is not quite accurate. Amid the economic rubble, I do see growth in one area. Sadly, I'm referring to the nation's crime rate. After falling throughout most of the past decade-and-a-half, there are signs that today's economic realities are setting the stage for a major turnaround. You see, not only is the bad economy encouraging desperate Americans to consider desperate -- and illegal -- acts, budget pressures are forcing myriad state and local governments to reduce the numbers of those who are supposed to uphold the law, as the Associated Press reports in "Even Cops Losing Their Jobs in Recession":

As hundreds of jobs in Chicago's police department go unfilled, officers who once patrolled the streets with partners are riding alone in what some cops bitterly call "rolling coffins."

In a Pennsylvania town that disbanded its three-member police force, Anita Gricar worries that officers from the neighboring town won't come fast enough if she calls for help. She also misses the comfort that came from having officers who knew everyone and everything about Versailles, Pa., population 1,700.

"They knew your house, they knew when your tomatoes are red," Gricar said.

This is what the nation's economic crisis looks like in law enforcement. As tax revenue shrivels, police agencies that for years were bulletproof when it came to funding are tightening their belts. Some worry that criminals will take advantage of the situation.

"There are consequences for every cut that is made. With the recession, people out of work, criminal offenses are going to go up ... immediately," said Steve Dye, an assistant police chief in Garland, Texas, and an International Association of Chiefs of Police official.

Exactly how many officers are losing their jobs and how many positions are going unfilled are unclear. But one after another, departments are telling the International Association of Chiefs of Police that officers are being laid off or taking furloughs, positions are being left vacant, and police forces are closing or consolidating.

"I've been in law enforcement for 25 years and if you would have talked about laying off policemen, people would not have believed you," Dye said.

The cuts come as police departments are being asked to take on more responsibilities, such as investigating domestic terrorism, said John Firman, director of research for the police chiefs association.

There is some help on the way, in the form of federal stimulus money, but the need may far outstrip the aid. For example, the $1 billion that the Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services received to hire officers nationwide is less than one-eighth of the money agencies requested, said Fred Wilson, director of operations at the National Sheriffs' Association.

In the Southern California community of El Monte, dominated by huge car dealerships, the police department laid off 17 of its 148 officers as three of the dealerships went under and sales at the others plummeted, reducing the town's tax revenue.

In Chicago, with a police force of about 13,000, the number of vacancies has climbed to more than 400 since January 2008 because the department is not hiring to keep up with the number of officers who leave. The city could be down 800 officers by the end of the year, said Mark Donahue, president of the police union.

The danger of one-person squad cars was seen last summer in Chicago when Officer Richard Francis, riding alone, responded to a disturbance involving a mentally ill woman. During a struggle, the woman allegedly grabbed Francis' gun and killed the 27-year veteran.

"On calls like the one he was responding to at the time, they are being put at risk in one-man cars," Donahue said.

Also, more cops are being attacked on the streets, and police say that is because they can no longer flood the scene with officers when they respond to a call. The number of incidents of battery against a police officer in Chicago rose from 2,677 to 3,158 between 2007 and 2008, according to department statistics.

In Broward County, Fla., Sheriff Al Lamberti worries that attacks by inmates on deputies and each other will increase because he must lay off 68 of his 1,500 jail deputies. In addition, 100 civilians are being laid off at the county's jails, which house about 5,000 people.

In addition, he has eliminated jail programs that, among other things, help inmates overcome addiction and stop beating their kids.

"We are at the point where we are literally out of options," Lamberti said. "I never thought in a million years this would happen."

In El Monte, layoffs forced the department to shut down programs such as one in which officers served as mentors to young people likely to get into trouble.

"Now we're going to be responding when a kid slaps his mom instead of having him in a program where they can teach him to respect his parents," said Lt. Charles Carlson.

In Kansas City, Mo., only 45 police officer jobs have gone unfilled, but there is a very real possibility that the 31 cadets scheduled to graduate in August will be laid off before they can even start work.

"And we may not be able to have another academy class until 2011," said Maj. David Zimmerman.

Comments

[Steve]

In my home town the police department is bragging about a reduction in crime, yet is asking for more $$ to increase the force. I made a comment that this should be a reason to REDUCE the police force! Makes sense, doesn't it? Regardless, the fall in crime is largely the result of an exodus of many of the high number of legal and illegal immigrants who were living in the area. They not only tend to commit crimes, but are often victims of crime due to their habit of carrying cash, (Full disclosure, my daughter is a police officer).

[HSpencer]

Having police are critical! Try running a low income apartment complex (family type)----or like me try running FIVE of them. Without the cops on your side, your done. The crazies are growing in number daily. We see people every day who are a few fish short of a full stringer. Add drugs, domestic violence, and all the sexual crimes, you do this: You take a LOT of looks at your balance sheets, and you figure JUST WHEN can I get away from all this? You keep a Colt in your desk at all times and in your vehicle(s). You never know when some of these people are going to go off.
I do have some happy apartment complexes (elderly and disabled type) but some of these family units are becomming in the catagory of wholesale NOT WORTH IT. Yep the cops are critical to my business.

[From Jerzy with Love]

At least in New Jersey, with multiple municipalities 580+ for 8.5+ million people. Each town having its own Bd of Ed/PD/Vol FD &EMS/Bldg Dept -It's just frigging expensive& inefficient. Each of these towns will create its own fiefdom with its own castle&moat that prevents any reasonable fixes unless the beast is starved. When I mean fiefdom I mean it. My town is ruled by a loose coalition of Real Estate industry cheerleaders. The next town by a major developer, another border town by a a nearly 40 yrs in office mayor -that makes you think of the mayor Dean Wornmer talks to in Animal House.
This leads to silliness like like having a Pricenton Boro & Princeton Township (next to each other -but can't stand each other- there are several towns like this) & in Bergen County (pop 800K people/70 towns) There is more fire equipment (expensive type $500K+ trucks) than FDNY has for all of NYC. There are 4 County Police agencies (Bergen County PD-highest paid in the state @$120K+(County Parks&Roads)//Bergen County Sherrifs (Jail/Scene Investigation/Highway Patrol,etc//Palisades Interstate Police - a Park Ranger/Highway Patrol Service// Bergen County Prosecutors Detectives -Actual detectives that do the major investigations&narcotics task force. This is on top off 60+local police depts -several of them part time 7am-11p only.

So yes, starve the beast -- I'll deal with problems as they arise & my glocks are ready...

By the way Franklin say -- He who trades his liberty for security will get nor deserve either..

[Rocky]

Sky high pensions for retired public safety workers (including police) is a big problem for most governmental agencies in California (including the state itself). But so far there is no significant discussion about rolling back the formula to the one that existed before the state pension law was amended in 1999.The steep recession has made a bad situation worse.

[Farmboy]

I believe it is deeper than the budgets. Its the people in the government and corporations that own the government that commit crimes everyday a none of them are held accountable. They obey the laws that they want and to hell with the rest. All of us have to obey all the laws. They also add to them so there is nothing that we do that is legal.

[Boom2Bust.com]

Wonder if firefighters/paramedics will be next?