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What I can tolerate in the private sector (even if I don't like it), I find really "rubs me the wrong way" when it comes to the public sector. Why does the guy I know with the influential father deserve a job on the police force when they passed over many other more qualified candidates to hire him?
I disagree that nepotism is the disease. Nepotism wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that these people were overpaid, as landing these jobs wouldn't be seen as such a bonanza.
My wife's father works for a large law firm (400 lawyers), that specializes in corporate law. Being related to a partner immediately disqualifies you from working there. I know that not all corporations do this, but there are many that do.
it's funny that you say this though because i can say the exact same thing about 3 different companies i've worked at in the private sector. most are very hardworking, but there are definitely a handful that don't deserve a job at mcdonald's. but they are professional kiss-arsers so they somehow hang on.
I'm sure it is that way. I've just had the pleasure of working with really good people in private sector. I couldn't stand how in the public sector they were so protected by unions, tenure, etc. It just shouldn't be....
I find this topic laughable. It comes up so often, and people's solution is to slashpolice forces, as someone like TheGambler would have it, to only "enough to respond to calls". So what happens if crime increases?quote]
Studies have shown that police have no significant effect on crimerate.
"The most thorough study ever done, a 1981 analysis of police beats in Newark, NJ, found that foot patrols had virtually no effect on crime rates."
--Richard Moran, professor of criminology at Mount Holyoke College.
"Community Policing Strategies Do Little to Prevent Crime." In: _Crime_ P. Winters, ed. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1998.
Kansas City preventive patrol experiment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_preventive_patrol_experiment
Major findings
1. Citizens did not notice the difference when the frequency of patrols was changed.
2. Increasing or decreasing the level of patrol had no significant effect on resident and commercial burglaries, auto thefts, larcenies involving auto accessories, robberies, or vandalism-crimes.
3. The rate at which crimes were reported did not differ significantly across the experimental beats.
4. Citizen reported fear of crime was not affected by different levels of patrol.
5. Citizen satisfaction with police did not vary.
A study of policing in Detroit from 1926 to 1977 found no relationship between policing and crime rate
--_What Works in Policing_ by David H. Bayley (Editor). New York: Oxford University Press, 1998 (Ch 1).
Nor do the police solve many crimes.
In only about 1% of crimes overall and 2% of violent crimes is someone caught and convicted for the crime.
About 42% of all murders are ever solved, and that's using DoJ/FBI figures (65% arrest rate and about 65% of those convicted, and that's assuming no unreported or unknown murders)
In only 11% of reported cases of sexual assault is someone convicted (Gray-Eurom K, Seaberg DC, Wears RL: The prosecution of sexual assault cases: Correlation with forensic evidence. Ann Emerg Med 2002; 39:39-46.)
Malcolm C Young, Marc Mauer: "...ultimately, only about 2 percent of violent crimes result in a conviction." In: _Crime_, P. Winters, ed. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1998
Ernest van de Haag, _Fair And Certain Punishment_, McGraw Hill, New York.
> and who cares about 20 years of service to retirement? isn't that every > state position, and also how our military works?
Not quite, and the military has to travel all over the world and can't manipulate its overtime to make $150,000 a year
> irregardless, i think many police officers are underpaid and underappreciated for the great service they provide us and the risks they take....
What risks? Bureau of Labor Statistics show cops have job-related fatality rates the same as other common occupations and lower then truck drivers and taxi drivers.
BLS
NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES (per 100,000 workers in the field, averaged over last 20 years)
Police & detectives 11.6
Truck drivers 26.2
Logging workers 92.4
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 92.4
Fishers and related fishing workers 86.4
Structural iron and steel workers 47.0
Refuse and recyclable material collectors 43.2
Farmers and ranchers 37.5
Roofers 34.9
Electrical power-line installers and repairers 30.0
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 27.6
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 24.2
Refuse and recyclable material collectors 43.2
And what service? The data show no significant effect on the crime rate and practically no crimes solved.
Thats really really absurd , why do Urban cops get paid less then suburban ones , but do so much more. Why do Rural cops get paid less and protect more? Suburban cops are very lazy , in fact we should eliminate at least 2 cops from every town. The Cops in my town have so much time on there hands they go and chill at friends house.
Since individual Cities and towns negotiate salaries with Police Unions, so you need to elect Politicians who want to gut Police Departments like the Tea Party
Since individual Cities and towns negotiate salaries with Police Unions, so you need to elect Politicians who want to gut Police Departments like the Tea Party
Mayors and council members shake in their boots and are afraid to rock the boat when it comes to the police department. Usually, the police chief in town is more well-known and from a political standpoint, has more influence in the community than the elected mayor. When negotiation time comes, the PBA usually gets what it wants. The only thing that has thrown a monkey wrench into any of this has been the cap, which has forced the union to negotiate.
Left up to spineless local governing bodies, the raises will keep on coming and the sweetheart benefits packages, etc. will continue. I wouldn't mind seeing some state-mandated pay scale to trump all of this crap, much like the proposal to limit/standardize school administrator pay.
Police officers are entitled to earn a living wage, but I can't see how patrolling the mean streets of Point Pleasant is worth $96K after six years (just an example I know off the top of my head).
And if you checked with the Port Authority or GS Parkway you will see some collectors make 100K with OT. Not bad either.
I know for sure unskilled labor but yet they scream about cops, firemen and rank & file teacher salaries!!! How much skill does it take to collect money and maybe have to make change???
I don't begrudge the toll collectors, you need that kind of salary to live in NJ but WHY does the SL always single out teachers & cops....
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