Oakland’s police chief is making some dire claims about what his force will and will not respond to if layoffs go as planned.
Chief Anthony Batts listed exactly 44 situations that his officers will no longer respond to and they include grand theft, burglary, car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism. He says if you live and Oakland and one of the above happens to you, you need to let police know on-line. Some 80 officers were to be let go at midnight last night if a last-minute deal was not reached. That’s about ten percent of the work force.
“I came here to build an organization, not downsize one,” said Batts, who was given the top job in October. Here’s a partial list:
* burglary
* theft
* embezzlement
* grand theft
* grand theft:dog
* identity theft
* false information to peace officer
* required to register as sex or arson offender
* dump waste or offensive matter
* discard appliance with lock
* loud music
* possess forged notes
* pass fictitious check
* obtain money by false voucher
* fraudulent use of access cards
* stolen license plate
* embezzlement by an employee (over $ 400)
* extortion
* attempted extortion
* false personification of other
* injure telephone/ power line
* interfere with power line
* unauthorized cable tv connection
* vandalism
* administer/expose poison to another’s
I feel safer already, I mean, this is Oakland after all.
#4 ECA – Your tax money goes to pay the pensions of retired public workers.
Read just about every other post on Mish Shedlock’s blog:
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/
Some of these public servants have it pretty sweet when they retire. Many union contracts state retirees can receive up to 80% of their last working year pay until they die (and most can retire after 20 years). Many if not all of these workers game the system by working as much OT as they possibly can their final year to goose up the payout. If the elected officials try to change contracts, they get thrown out of office and the union backs someone more in line with their thinking.
Now, I don’t discourage anyone from making a buck (and in fact I have to admit I’m a little jealous), but are Oakland’s citizens, most of whom don’t get any where near that good a deal, getting what they pay for?
I am a news photographer based in San Francisco. When I get sent to Oakland, for one of their numerous black on black murders by gun, we refer to it as “misdemeanor homocide”.
The end is truly near.
Less cops on the street = lower crime.
Go figure
In a state with the highest tax rates and a problem with its budget? LOL. Should anyone be surprised?
Got through e-mail this morning that some may find sobering while others do not (depending on where you lay on the political spectrum). I’m passing this along because the California situation is related:
The citizens there need to arm themselves to stop such crimes. Or else just pull all the cops off traffic, drugs, and vice and concentrate on property and violent crimes.
They don’t need Dodge chargers with expensive computers mounted in them. They don’t need to be doing stings to catch people committing victimless crimes either. They need to do old fashion police work.
I find it interesting that the chief wants to build up the police force. Why is it that everyone always thinks that people want more police, surely most people in reality want fewer?
Personally I would aspire to live in an area that had none, well perhaps one, to give directions. OK I know it’s unlikely that crime will go away completely but that is the type of society that I would aim for, not one with the horrific concept, “A policeman on every corner”.
The old ways used GROUPS to decide what was happening in the area.
Gather and discuss what is happening.
THEN DEAL with it.
Operation “Clean Sweep” needs to start in Oakland posthaste.
Cops do more harm than good! They have a monopoly. Restore the constitution!