Burglary, Car Theft, Vandalism - Don't bother calling Police

[RamboLiberal]

Budget cuts are forcing police around the country to stop responding to fraud, burglary and theft calls as officers focus limited resources on violent crime.

Cutbacks in such places as Oakland, Tulsa and Norton, Mass. have forced police to tell residents to file their own reports — online or in writing — for break-ins and other lesser crimes.

"If you come home to find your house burglarized and you call, we're not coming," said Oakland Police spokeswoman Holly Joshi. The city laid off 80 officers from its force of 687 last month and the department can't respond to burglary, vandalism, and identity theft. "It's amazing. It's a big change for us."

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In Tulsa, which lost 110 officers to layoffs and retirements, the 739-officer department isn't sending cops to the scene of larceny, fraud and car theft.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-08-25-1Anresponsecops25_ST_N.htm

[ejpoeta]

1. well, people will find out what the taxes they pay went to that they kept bitching

about having to pay now won't they.

[DainBramaged]

4. They will not learn, and vigilantism will rise dramatically

bet the farm. We have an armed society, this is a PERFECT excuse for the nut cases to begin 'defending' their property.

[tsuki]

5. I wonder what private security companies like Brinks Home Security

will do? Will they offer a tier 2 plan with private patrol response?

[DainBramaged]

7. They'll hire Blackwater (or whatever they are called)

this is the privatizing wet dream of the Pukes.

[tsuki]

15. My aunts, who told stories of the great depression, always talked

about the lawlessness of the era. I wonder if we are going back to that.

[ejpoeta]

20. makes me wonder what the people who lived in the great depression think about all of this.

and how people are acting right now. i see such selfishness. it makes me so sad.

[tsuki]

21. My last Depression Aunt, born 1909, died this year. I don't know what

she thought of the current situation, but I still have my grandmother and grandfather's letters. It was hard.

Of course, my aunt who told the best stories (she was a '20's flapper) said that they did not know they were poor, because everyone was poor. They weren't really poor, they had a roof over their heads, a farm and a basement full of food.

[WI_DEM]

2. Well, then it's open season for the robbers/burglars because they know the police won't respond.

[slampoet]

34. Yet somehow these places are still there. Makes you wonder if the cops were a deterrent at all.....

Especially considering the police in Tusla used to murder their own.

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

[Newsjock]

3. Someone broke into my house and stole my copy of 'Atlas Shrugged'!

Someone hepp me!

:sarcasm:

[Ikonoklast]

9. Hmmm.

Someone broke into my house and left me two copies of 'Atlas Shrugged'.

Sure will come in handy to start the kindling in the fireplace this fall.

[hobbit709]

6. Friend of mine was recently burglarized to the tune of $8000

worth of tools and stuff. Neighbors reported seeing a van in his driveway that day and gave the license number.
Police didn't seem too enthused about tracking the guys down or about much of anything after taking his report.
They didn't even check for fingerprints.

[Locrian]

8. see thats exactly why we need to PRIVATIZE the police - n/t

(do I really need the sarcasm tag?)

[CBGLuthier]

10. They always claim they don't have enough cops BUT

They are making the same rumblings in my town. How come every time the kid across the street steals a fucking bicycle there are five police cars parked there. Seriously. Or you drive by some minor bullshit and again half a dozen cops.

[BeFree]

11. If you want them there, fast

Tell them a naked girl is out front on the street, and she's smoking a joint.

[raouldukelives]

12. They are going to start treating us like Wall St.?

[One_Life_To_Give]

13. Did avg cop spend only 1hr/day on these crimes before?

They are cutting available person hours by less than 12%. Was that all the effort these non-violent crimes received before? I was under the (mistaken?) impression that there were many times more property crimes than violent crimes and hence would have taken a bigger chunk of resources than just 12%.

[Realityhack]

24. I suspect that...

1. A larger than expected amount of the 'average time' went to non-criminal 'stuff' like paperwork, traffic enforcement, etc.
2. They were already leaving non-violent crimes short staffed.
3. Other law enforcement will suffer as well.

[zipplewrath]

14. After the fact

Quite honestly, having had to go through this a few times, they are pretty worthless after the fact. They are bored to tears, they don't really investigate, and they often fill out the paperwork incorrectly. I strongly suspect they will still go to the scene if there is a belief the crime is still underway. They just aren't going to send out a uniform to fill out a form for your insurance claim.

Probably a business opportunity here anyway for some one who can figure out what it is.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dogtown]

17. 15 posts and 4 recs

and nobody has suggested buying a gun.

That must be a DU record.

[Statistical]

22. Buy a gun

(and get some training).

[Dogtown]

35. Did

both.

[Lance_Boyle]

18. Tell 'em you thought you saw the perp with drugs

They'll be there in a flash. Responding to drug "crimes" brings in money. Protecting and serving, not so much.

[bobbolink]

19. Police and fire protection are SOCIALISM! Away with it!

[pitohui]

23. been that way my whole life in louisiana

if you have a theft or you're vandalized, etc. they ask over the phone if you have insurance and if you do, they tell you an "item number," which is the number of the police report that you can send them to prove you reported the theft/vandalism to police dept. which is required to collect on your insurance

but they do not actually come out and make any kind of report unless there's gunplay

i guess if you're not insured you're just effed

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. So, those home alarm systems the insurance company

pushed people to buy, to lower their insurance rates....now will have no response?

I always was skeptical of home alarms anyhow. By the time the cops do get there, the door is kicked in, the tv gone, what is the point?
Our insurance agent tried to get us to install one.
He came to the house last week to update photos, knocked on door and I let our Golden in the house
do his best attack dog impression before I answered the door.
found the agent had made record time from our door to his car.
I asked him how he liked OUR home alarm system.

Seriously, if insurance agencies were honest, ( ha ha ha ha) they would lower premiums for retired folks who are home a lot, and who have loud dogs, etc.

My retired policeman brother has always told me if I had to call for a prowler, to tell police
" I think I saw a gun"
and if I had to shoot someone breaking in, to drag the body INTO the house.

I like the naked woman smoking a joint idea better. In this fundie town, every police car
( both of them) would respond.

[dmallind]

26. While I am no cop basher by any means I can bet one thing for sure

There are plenty of the fuckers on the roads waiting to stop you for going 38 in a 35 or having an indicator on for two seconds longer than they deem necessary, especially after 10pm. But they can't be bothered with crimes that have victims....

[bemildred]

27. Yep, and they will have time for DUI checkpoints and drug cases, bet on it.

They need every revenue source they can get.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. I have no problem with DUI checks

maybe since I Picked up many of the results...

[bemildred]

31. I have no problem with burglary and car theft investigations either. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Yeah but they do have that little problem of not enough money

so they do have to triage things that they can do something proactively about.

California moved to filing your own accident claims years ago... this is state wide. Unless somebody is hurt, you do it yourself.

That should have been the wake up call that Prop 13 was... shall we say... a problem.

I would worry about the secondary effects. For each cop that is let go... there go five to six jobs in the general economy.

[TheKentuckian]

28. ***EXCEPTION*** If you are wealthy, famous, or connected you are likely to get an effort

At least that's how it works around here, anyway.

[MilesColtrane]

30. Report that someone broke in and stole your rocket launcher or...

your cache of uranium.

That might get them out.

[12string]

33. cops

We have too many cops anyway. maybe with fewer of them they will eventually learn to do real police work instead of harassing people for no reason.We don't need more cops,we need fewer bullshit laws,