[kidyankee764]

In a city where the homicide rate doubled in 2010 from 2009, and is up this January compared to last, this should be an outrage to anyone who lives/works in the New Haven area.

16 New Haven officers getting pink slips | WTNH.com Connecticut

[DawnMTL]

Whoa! That's just crazy.

The first paragraph of the story:

Sixteen New Haven police officers will be laid off Thursday, and the police union president is suggesting citizens arm themselves.

[kidyankee764]

I agree that people should arm themselves in New Haven - 16 is quite a bit for a small city, especially one with shootings on a daily basis.

IMO it should not be patrolmen who get the slips. It's the dead weight (supervisors) in upper management who sit at their desks from 8-4, eat, drink coffee and socialize. Outside of New Haven, why does every small town have a police chief, fire chief and superintendent? In other areas of the nation, these people oversee thousands, but in CT, they are paid double and oversee MAYBE a few hundred.

Again, an outrage.

[Tetto]

Originally Posted by DandJ

Whoa! That's just crazy.

The first paragraph of the story:

Now that's rich! That's just the police union playing politics. Scare tactics; oldest trick in the book. If it truly gets out of control in New Haven, the state police will come in.

[Tetto]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I agree that people should arm themselves in New Haven - 16 is quite a bit for a small city, especially one with shootings on a daily basis.

IMO it should not be patrolmen who get the slips. It's the dead weight (supervisors) in upper management who sit at their desks from 8-4, eat, drink coffee and socialize. Outside of New Haven, why does every small town have a police chief, fire chief and superintendent? In other areas of the nation, these people oversee thousands, but in CT, they are paid double and oversee MAYBE a few hundred.

Again, an outrage.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Tetto

Now that's rich! That's just the police union playing politics. Scare tactics; oldest trick in the book. If it truly gets out of control in New Haven, the state police will come in.

Agreed, but on the News 8 website, another top story is Shooting at Dunkin Donuts in New Haven | WTNH.com Connecticut

I don't think it's unfair to call on people to protect themselves.

[MikefromCT]

This is sad. About a month ago something similar happened in Camden, New Jersey - after they laid off police and firefighters they told citizens that they would not respond to 911 calls involving shoplifters and certain other petty crimes. I'm not making this up.

New York did this in 1975 when the city was facing bankruptcy and the crime rate skyrocketed. Cops and firefighters should have been the very last ones to get laid off, instead they were the first.

Am I wrong in saying that DeStefano is an incompetent mayor? I mean, I remember how awful Hartford was when Perez was in charge, now NH seems to be in the same rough shape.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

This is sad. About a month ago something similar happened in Camden, New Jersey - after they laid off police and firefighters they told citizens that they would not respond to 911 calls involving shoplifters and certain other petty crimes. I'm not making this up.

I saw a story about this on the national news a week or two ago. Crazy. Camden has one of the highest crime rates in the country, they said, and the police force was cut. Doomed.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Am I wrong in saying that DeStefano is an incompetent mayor?

I think most would agree with that statement.

[samantha10]

This is just unbelievable, scary and sad.
I do not live in New Haven but feel for the police officers and residents.
How in the world could anyone support this decision? These guys risk their lives everyday to protect the people of the community. I agree that if there has to be cuts that they need to be from the top. I have seen this too many times. Supervisors doing pretty much nothing except taking up space and never having to sacrifice anything.
Not only that but what about cutting some of the progams in New Haven instead? I am so sick of seeing of all my tax dollars being spent by self entitled, non-working, lazy residents. Instead we are going to give more to social programs while the hard working people of CT suffer.....typical!