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This is obviously not a federal issue, but a State and County issue. It always seems that the last thing to be cut and the first thing to be increased is the number of police officers. Now I can understand some large cities with gang problems need enough police officers, but there seem to be way to many police officers in cities with less than 100K people.
Most of the officers are used for traffic stops. Do we really need that many cops to give out tickets. Where I live we have cops every five miles doing seatbelt patrol. Seriously, that is what we are paying for seatbelt patrol.
I understand DUI checkpoints, but how many police officers per capita is a good number?
There's 3 sacred cows...teachers, firemen and police. When a city wants to raise taxes they first say they are short and will cut those 3 groups. Emotions run high in the community and vocal outrage is heard. Then they come up with a plan.
If we raise taxes then we don't have to cut these three groups. People agree.
There's 3 sacred cows...teachers, firemen and police. When a city wants to raise taxes they first say they are short and will cut those 3 groups. Emotions run high in the community and vocal outrage is heard. Then they come up with a plan.
If we raise taxes then we don't have to cut these three groups. People agree.
This is obviously not a federal issue, but a State and County issue. It always seems that the last thing to be cut and the first thing to be increased is the number of police officers. Now I can understand some large cities with gang problems need enough police officers, but there seem to be way to many police officers in cities with less than 100K people.
Most of the officers are used for traffic stops. Do we really need that many cops to give out tickets. Where I live we have cops every five miles doing seatbelt patrol. Seriously, that is what we are paying for seatbelt patrol.
I understand DUI checkpoints, but how many police officers per capita is a good number?
You are absolutely correct in pointing this out. I think politicians should point this out more often. Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle in many cases. I think we could easily cut the police force by 25% across the country. maybe those (potentially cut) policemen could be offered opportunities in drug enforcement, border patrol, or undercover anti-terror stuff?
Traffic cops are a waste.
Well, a couple years ago I drove my friend to court in Redmond, WA. She was there on a misdemeanor charge but 90%+ of 'customers' were traffic violators. The parking lot was so full I had to drop off my friend and drive around waiting for a spot to open up. I finally found one, but a fat, belligerent lawyer (judging by his attire) nosed his Lexus in. I figured I was there first but I didn't want a confrontation, so I backed off.
Then going into the courthouse, there was a guard manning the metal detector. Several clerks collecting money thru the windows, plus prosecutors, judges, and various other employees all going to & fro, all looking smug.
In short, there are a lot of mouths being fed, and it all starts with a cop writing a traffic ticket. I don't speed, use my turn signal, don't cross the gore point, etc.. I haven't even been pulled over in many years.
Well, a couple years ago I drove my friend to court in Redmond, WA. She was there on a misdemeanor charge but 90%+ of 'customers' were traffic violators. The parking lot was so full I had to drop off my friend and drive around waiting for a spot to open up. I finally found one, but a fat, belligerent lawyer (judging by his attire) nosed his Lexus in. I figured I was there first but I didn't want a confrontation, so I backed off.
Then going into the courthouse, there was a guard manning the metal detector. Several clerks collecting money thru the windows, plus prosecutors, judges, and various other employees all going to & fro, all looking smug.
In short, there are a lot of mouths being fed, and it all starts with a cop writing a traffic ticket. I don't speed, use my turn signal, don't cross the gore point, etc.. I haven't even been pulled over in many years.
So you are saying criminal enforcement is big business. So crime does pay if you are a lawyer, judge, or a police officer.
So you are saying criminal enforcement is big business. So crime does pay if you are a lawyer, judge, or a police officer.
Yep, well said.
In the two years or so since my visit to Redmond district court, I recall only one business with a parking lot that crowded--the grand opening of a liquor 'superstore.' Just last year we passed a law allowing private companies to sell hard liquor in WA (it used to be allowed only by state owned-operated liquor stores, a relic from the post prohibition era).
This is obviously not a federal issue, but a State and County issue. It always seems that the last thing to be cut and the first thing to be increased is the number of police officers. Now I can understand some large cities with gang problems need enough police officers, but there seem to be way to many police officers in cities with less than 100K people.
Most of the officers are used for traffic stops. Do we really need that many cops to give out tickets. Where I live we have cops every five miles doing seatbelt patrol. Seriously, that is what we are paying for seatbelt patrol.
I understand DUI checkpoints, but how many police officers per capita is a good number?
It's the same situation where I live too. The new police chief in Corpus Christi unleashed a campaign to give out more speeding and parking violations in the city, supposedly in the name of "reducing crime". I'm skeptical since the city is in need of $1 billion to repair backlogged repairs for city streets and sewage. The conservative people in this town eat up this "much needed enforcement" like tamales at christmastime. It's sad when people support what's against their interest. I'm fortunate that I don't drive too much here since most of my work is in San Antonio.
The theory behind some of the policing is that if you take care of the little problems like parking violations, then you stop a lot of the big problems. Tie that together with community policing and you start to see drops in the overall crime rate.
Now, you'll never get rid of all crime: every town will have drug dealers, B&E guys, random crimes of opportunity like thefts from cars but you'll end up with less. Ask your local department how often a simple traffic stop for speeding ends up with an arrest for something else. And yes, some of those will be drug related which offends some of you.
This is obviously not a federal issue, but a State and County issue. It always seems that the last thing to be cut and the first thing to be increased is the number of police officers. Now I can understand some large cities with gang problems need enough police officers, but there seem to be way to many police officers in cities with less than 100K people.
Most of the officers are used for traffic stops. Do we really need that many cops to give out tickets. Where I live we have cops every five miles doing seatbelt patrol. Seriously, that is what we are paying for seatbelt patrol.
I understand DUI checkpoints, but how many police officers per capita is a good number?
Every 5 miles? That's impressive.
Here in San Jose, there are 1,050 uniformed officers to patrol a city of 1,000,000. That's the total number of officers, the amount on duty at any given time is obviously a fraction of that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wutitiz
Well, a couple years ago I drove my friend to court in Redmond, WA. She was there on a misdemeanor charge but 90%+ of 'customers' were traffic violators. The parking lot was so full I had to drop off my friend and drive around waiting for a spot to open up. I finally found one, but a fat, belligerent lawyer (judging by his attire) nosed his Lexus in. I figured I was there first but I didn't want a confrontation, so I backed off.
Then going into the courthouse, there was a guard manning the metal detector. Several clerks collecting money thru the windows, plus prosecutors, judges, and various other employees all going to & fro, all looking smug.
In short, there are a lot of mouths being fed, and it all starts with a cop writing a traffic ticket. I don't speed, use my turn signal, don't cross the gore point, etc.. I haven't even been pulled over in many years.
A business that wouldn't exist if people obeyed the law. Sorry, but I find it odd when people get mad that cops give out tickets when they witness the law getting broken - that's their job.
If cops stopped giving out tickets, then people would complain about how they're lazy and letting people get away with breaking the law.
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