Glad to hear every state and municipal government is getting money from the federal government, with your tax dollars, to hire and retain cops!

Quote :

"The federal government will give $1 billion in grants to law enforcement agencies in every state to pay for the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday. "

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/police.stimulus/index.html

Good to hear that my local police department is getting a bump in personnal to assist in the priority
police work of....

- Catching 20 yr old college students drinking beer at the keg party.
- Ticketing dangerous speeders driving 64 in a 55.
- Pulling citizens for being law breakers because their tail light is out
- Conducting more "DUI CheckPoints" that makes lots of $$$ off infraction tickets handed out like candy for inspection stickers being out, expired licenses, and out of registration.
- Nailing evil stoners for sitting on the coach smoking marijuana and eating cheetos.

7/28/2009 4:15:45 PM

did a Cop kill your dog and rape you or something?

7/28/2009 4:17:07 PM

i really don't think that we need more cops and think that we need to better utilize the ones that we do have.

the police department is a fine microcosm for government waste in spending.

7/28/2009 4:24:03 PM

Quote :

"did a Cop kill your dog and rape you or something?"

7/28/2009 4:24:08 PM

I just wish they'd put a higher priority on catching robbers and rapists as opposed to pulling people over to write seatbelt tickets, etc

7/28/2009 4:24:39 PM

Have less cops but pay them more

Quality over Quantity

7/28/2009 4:34:53 PM

I think HUR is overstating things...but yeah, we don't need more cops.

7/28/2009 4:45:46 PM

Quote :

"Have less cops but pay them more Quality over Quantity "

this is too logical for government to ever implement...its about touting numbers with them, whether it be # of officers, arrest rates etc...

7/28/2009 4:55:36 PM

Quote :

"i really don't think that we need more cops and think that we need to better utilize the ones that we do have. the police department is a fine microcosm for government waste in spending."

7/28/2009 5:11:54 PM

It just doesn't work that way. You need more officers as populations and districts increase in size. Same goes for teaching: the best teacher in the state is worthless handling a class of 50 students. Only way you can decrease the force is if you are willing to implement greater and more intrusive surveillance systems like London put in. Would you want speed cameras built into every signal or even speed governors on your car? Cops wouldn't need to mess with traffic stops much anymore. Or perhaps a breathalyzer built into every vehicle, I mean why should anyone be able to start a vehicle when they are over the legal limit? Cops would definitely be able to focus on the "bad crimes" more then. They have to waste far more time with bullshit domestic disturbances than they do traffic stuff. Hell, i wish they could more heavily monitor traffic... I'm tired of people driving 50 on the streets of my neighborhood, running stop signs, etc.

7/28/2009 5:13:59 PM

Quote :

"- Catching 20 yr old college students drinking beer at the keg party. - Ticketing dangerous speeders driving 64 in a 55. - Pulling citizens for being law breakers because their tail light is out - Conducting more "DUI CheckPoints" that makes lots of $$$ off infraction tickets handed out like candy for inspection stickers being out, expired licenses, and out of registration. - Nailing evil stoners for sitting on the coach smoking marijuana and eating cheetos."

-keeping ungrateful putz's safe and secure at night.

7/28/2009 5:20:22 PM

there is a theory that if you bust people from minor crimes it will then reduce the major crimes.

everything you said falls under this theory.

not saying I agree with it but many do.

7/28/2009 5:44:30 PM

are they going to continue to give 1 billion in grants, if not, this will just fall back on to the bankrupt states and they will then be fired when the money runs out. So what does this really accomplish?

7/28/2009 5:45:32 PM

Quote :

"-keeping ungrateful putz's safe and secure at night."

I don't know how you can argue this when police are not even legally obligated to respond to 911 calls. Cops don't keep anyone safe. People are safe only due to the circumstance of not being chosen by criminals.

You probably won't get shot and killed during a home invasion tonight. It's not because the cops are protecting you.

7/28/2009 5:45:41 PM

it is if they pull over some guys ready to jack your house for going 65 in a 60 and find abunch of stoned guys with guns.

7/28/2009 5:47:32 PM

All this hate over a taglight stop?

message_topic.aspx?topic=571760

But, yeah, I support law and order--not a police state.

7/28/2009 5:48:17 PM

I'm fairly certain when they thought of this they weren't thinking just about Raleigh and catching HUR breaking the law. But places like LA, NYC, Chicago, Miami could certainly use more law enforcement. Probably in their 'special branches' like Narcotics too.

Also the border with Mexico could use more uniforms and definitely the border of Canada since a lot of drugs come in from Canada and weapons go out to Canada.

7/28/2009 5:51:52 PM

nyc is short on cops.

that is the truth

7/28/2009 5:59:05 PM

Quote :

"I just wish they'd put a higher priority on catching robbers and rapists as opposed to pulling people over to write seatbelt tickets, etc"

and

Quote :

"i really don't think that we need more cops and think that we need to better utilize the ones that we do have. "

Agreed!

Quote :

"Only way you can decrease the force is if you are willing to implement greater and more intrusive surveillance systems like London put in. Would you want speed cameras built into every signal or even speed governors on your car?"

You are creating a false dilemia assuming that cars "out of registration" or speeders driving *gasp 75 mph on I40W when there is no traffic should be high priorities
for cops to pursue. How about not putting more cops on patrol handing out traffic tickets and NOT implementing surveillance cameras FTW

Quote :

"perhaps a breathalyzer built into every vehicle, I mean why should anyone be able to start a vehicle when they are over the legal limit?"

I have actually had some debate about this. I think the issue is the tendency and cost of keeping such devices working and in calibration. As well as the far
minority of incidents where someone must in an emergency situation operate a vehicle or even just turn it on.

Quote :

"'m tired of people driving 50 on the streets of my neighborhood, running stop signs"

I agree this is an issue. On the other hand the road to my subdivision has an artificially low speed limit of 25mph which from
my judgements based on roads with similar zoning/conditions/traffic the "natural" speed limit would be 35mph like on Kaplan.
Also, your concerns can be handled with traffic engineering speed bumps, traffic circles, etc.

Quote :

"You probably won't get shot and killed during a home invasion tonight. It's not because the cops are protecting you."

Not to mention the invader will be long gone.

Quote :

"thought of this they weren't thinking just about Raleigh and catching "

My thread was more catered to Wilmington and Wrightsville beach whose cops make Raleigh (not counting ALE) seem like Officer Friendly
from your favorite kiddy TV show.

Quote :

"places like LA, NYC"

NYC has hit a tipping point after the crime wave of the 80's and 90's; today for a major city it has one of the lowest incidents of per capita
major/violent crimes in country.

7/28/2009 6:54:17 PM

Quote :

"NYC has hit a tipping point after the crime wave of the 80's and 90's; today for a major city it has one of the lowest incidents of per capita major/violent crimes in country. "

yeah, and they reached that tipping point by concentration on seemingly minor crimes that you are criticizing cops for spending time fighting

7/28/2009 7:01:30 PM

I feel safer walking around NYC at 3am than I do walking down Lineberry at the same time.

7/28/2009 8:35:04 PM

Raleigh needs more cops to deal with the property crimes and vandalism problem that seems to be getting worse.

7/28/2009 8:56:04 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixing_Broken_Windows

7/28/2009 8:58:20 PM

Quote :

"I just wish they'd put a higher priority on catching robbers and rapists "

So what is your idea to increase this?


Do you ever think that enforcing "minor" infractions can improve quality of life? Maybe there is crackdown on speeding on some major street like Wade Ave but did it ever occur to you that maybe the residents who live along Wade avenue are sick of people speeding in front of their house? Maybe all those hills create enough blind spots that they shouldn't be compounded by someone doing 15 over? And Joe Citizen, who pays taxes just like you citizens who don't support these actions, actually agrees with the enforcement because he wants to be able to pull out his street with being t-boned?

What about noise party ordinances? Sure your party might just be some friends having a good time, nobody is getting hurt or there isn't anything illegal going. But did you stop to think that your party might be keeping the apartment or house next door up?

Do they police wish they could be right there when the armed robbery or rape happens to stop the bad guy and get help for the victim; sure as hell do. But it can be tough when they aren't busy dealing with calls about, "my son won't listen to me," or "i want the restaurant to refund my money."

7/28/2009 9:24:45 PM

Quote :

"yeah, and they reached that tipping point by concentration on seemingly minor crimes that you are criticizing cops for spending time "

Broken Window Theory

7/28/2009 10:57:34 PM

yeah, look up two posts

7/29/2009 7:03:52 AM

Quote :

"I feel safer walking around NYC at 3am than I do walking down Lineberry at the same time."

What part of NYC?

8th Avenue in Manhattan

or

82 St. Jackson Heights in Queens or Harlem at 3 am?

7/29/2009 7:43:20 AM

Quote :

"Broken Window Theory Fallacy"

7/29/2009 9:24:39 AM

^^8th Ave late night you just get harassed by prostitutes. I'm talking mainly Manhattan (no I wouldn't go into Harlem late night, or walk through Central Park either) and Astoria, b/c those were the places I lived.

7/29/2009 10:54:01 AM

Quote :

"they weren't thinking just about Raleigh and catching HUR breaking the law. But places like LA, NYC, Chicago, Miami"

The white house spokesman actually said that these cities you listed would not be getting additional police (NYC was also explicitly mentioned) and from what was described it sounded as if raleigh would be a very likely candidate.

i believe this stimulus grant to be a direct result of the comments Obama made regarding the cambridge police. A few police brotherhood groups made disparaging comments and stated Obama has abandoned the police following that debacle. The timing of this police stimulus is rather coincidental considering the chain of events.

7/29/2009 10:57:01 AM

Given that Raleigh's population is growing I understand the need for a bigger police presense. Then again, maybe they should stop wasting their time giving out noise violation tickets

7/29/2009 11:02:31 AM

Enforcing noise violation I can understand, IFF, a resident in the area has called about the noise being made and that equal enforcement of the law is being implemented. however, this is not how the law is being enforced.

a neighbor does not have to report you in order for you to receive a nuisance violation. cops drive around and if they hear noise that they consider excessive they write a ticket. the fault with this is the predatory nature with which it is enforced since cops target areas of college students and the poor. this also gives them the opportunity to get other offenses such as marijuana possession. however in older neighborhoods the officers don't even ticket when neighbors request their presence instead the cops politely give a warning and go about their way.

eliminating check points, the heavy speed enforcement on wade avenue extension, and other wasteful actions would work well to eliminate unnecessary financial burdens on the police department. unfortunately this would never happen because the police would be forced to recognize that they currently operate with an overly inflated number of employees.

7/29/2009 11:16:43 AM

Charlotte's gettin 50 more from the federal funds....and looking to raid other local project funding to add up to 75 more in addition.

Seems like a supreme waste of resources.

7/29/2009 11:39:46 AM

ive walked around Harlem at night. As long as you dont fuck with people you'll be fine.

I bet you have a better chance of getting jacked on CPW at night.

7/29/2009 12:00:36 PM