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More signs that times are going to get really tough...

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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I'm pretty worried about our immediate future here in the US. Some cities in my state are looking at unemployment rates over 20% and climbing with 30% predicted in areas like Elkhart and Kokomo (both Indiana cities that rely on automotive, with Elkhart further hurt by the RV/motorhome industry too). Cutbacks are hurting in all job categories, but in one the cutbacks hurt us all. From the POLICE ONE website:
http://www.policeone.com/patrol-iss...lling-solo-in-rolling-coffins-after-cutbacks/

CHICAGO — As hundreds of jobs in Chicago's police department go unfilled, officers who once patrolled the streets with partners are riding alone in what some cops bitterly call "rolling coffins."

In a Pennsylvania town that disbanded its three-member police force, Anita Gricar worries that officers from the neighboring town won't come fast enough if she calls for help. She also misses the comfort that came from having officers who knew everyone and everything about Versailles, Pa., population 1,700.

"They knew your house, they knew when your tomatoes are red," Gricar said.

This is what the nation's economic crisis looks like in law enforcement. As tax revenue shrivels, police agencies that for years were bulletproof when it came to funding are tightening their belts. Some worry that criminals will take advantage of the situation.
Just how bad is this for the LEO community (and by obvious extension - the whole community)?

In Chicago, with a police force of about 13,000, the number of vacancies has climbed to more than 400 since January 2008 because the department is not hiring to keep up with the number of officers who leave. The city could be down 800 officers by the end of the year, said Mark Donahue, president of the police union.

The danger of one-person squad cars was seen last summer in Chicago when Officer Richard Francis, riding alone, responded to a disturbance involving a mentally ill woman. During a struggle, the woman allegedly grabbed Francis' gun and killed the 27-year veteran.

"On calls like the one he was responding to at the time, they are being put at risk in one-man cars," Donahue said.

Also, more cops are being attacked on the streets, and police say that is because they can no longer flood the scene with officers when they respond to a call. The number of incidents of battery against a police officer in Chicago rose from 2,677 to 3,158 between 2007 and 2008, according to department statistics.

In Broward County, Fla., Sheriff Al Lamberti worries that attacks by inmates on deputies and each other will increase because he must lay off 68 of his 1,500 jail deputies. In addition, 100 civilians are being laid off at the county's jails, which house about 5,000 people.

In addition, he has eliminated jail programs that, among other things, help inmates overcome addiction and stop beating their kids.

"We are at the point where we are literally out of options," Lamberti said. "I never thought in a million years this would happen."
Crime will go up, response times up, and the jobs that officers will do will get harder and more dangerous.

I am sure there is light at the end of the tunnel, but for now it is really dark. Anyone in any area that is looking at high unemployment better take extra precautions for safety of their home and their family. Crime is bound to increase, personal safety is something we can't rely on others for, and it seems clear that police response time will be getting slower.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
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Very good post Bob. I fear you are right on target. And I fear this forcast is the same for all of the US. God help us all.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
It's hurting everywhere, not just the US. For us, our economy and employment rate is largely dependant on a strong US economy since a large amount of the jobs in the area where I live is based around manufacturing. Which in turn, leads to exporting a large amount of goods to the US. With the US cutting back on imports, it directly effects our local economy. If I recall correctly, the unemployment rate for the community where I live is hovering at around 60% as of last month. And all the government seems to care about is bailing out the auto industry. But, that's another topic.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
It's hurting everywhere, not just the US.
Brian, you are correct it is not just the US.

I believe it is JAPAN, WESTERN EUROPE, the USA and CANADA that will be affected the worst. To a lesser extent Australia/New Zealand. Mexico will feel a good deal of pain too, but they are seemingly always in a state of economic flux.
 
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