“Police response times for Priority 1 calls, meaning a violent crime that is still under way, have stayed steady, at about seven minutes, Ms. Erickson said. But response times for Priority 2 calls, involving violent but not active crimes, have crept up, and lower priority calls are taking hours and sometimes more than a day to generate a response.” – Struggling, San Jose tests a way to cut benefits [via The New York Times] [h/t Pascal]
When your life is being threatened and every second counts, the police are only minutes away….at best.
Well in this city and Oakland as well probably it went from minutes to days….. just tell the bad guys to wait a day or two to leave
Whassup, short-shorts? You need to move out here, little Miss. I’ll keep you safe.
I had a buddy on the force who used to call fine young Hispanic women “del Scorchos.” Like the hot sauce from Taco Bell. Kinda racist, but I found it humourous. For you sensitive types, he actually married a woman who he lovingly refers to as “del Scorcho.” That dude was a funny cat.
When seconds count, the police are only
minuteshours away.Sorry Hal, I had not read any responses before typing mine … great minds think alike.
San Jose is also in Santa Clara county, whose sheriff is not particularly keen on granting conceal carry permits. Happy to be out of that shithole.
Ditto. I lived in Santa Clara (city of) for 12 years.
I do know the way out of San Jose, and used it in August 2011… I-280 to I-680 to I-580 to I-205 to I-5 to I-80.
And this is “news” why?
Has everyone forgotten Warren v. District of Columbia?
I wonder who is holding your stopwatch?
Stopwatch? Calendar…
Sundial. It’s greener.
As I’ve been ranting for some time, police budgets are huge. The pensions, benefits and staffing levels are eating city/town/county and even state budgets alive.
There are going to be cuts. There’s no way around it. The bankruptcy filings of cities like San Bernardino, Mammoth Lakes, and Stockton show the pattern. Atwood, CA is probably next up on deck. Detroit’s filing is consistent with the pattern seen in California: police comp packages are wildly unsustainable. In Detroit’s case, the city has a stark choice: meet all the obligations to the retired police and public servants, or pay the current public employees. They can’t do both. The BK court will likely force the retirees to take something of a haircut, but the current staffing levels will have to be cut or pay packages reduced dramatically as well.
So, folks, here’s the brutal truth: Spending on current police coverage in many states and urban areas is going to go down. There’s simply no way around it.
Have a look at San Jose’s budget:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7230
Nearly a third of their general fund expenses are for the police alone. Absurd.
If they cut back on the SWAT teams that should free up some of the operating capital AND reduce the funds required to defend against lawsuits/pay settlements.
How about they downsize SWAT and sell some of their DoD and DHS toyz?
I am always stunned at how the various political units — in dire economic straits — always find enough money for their entitlement programs without having to cut anything. That clearly illustrates the priorities of political units.
These acquisitions have two primary funding sources: the federal government and property seizures. So they don’t affect the budget much. You will note that they can buy all this equipment but don’t have money for training and bullets.
And when they claim they need new taxes they will also claim, every time, that if they don’t get them they will have to cut police, fire and schools first.
No argument here. Retirement packages have gotten out of hand. Before I started, the average life of a police officer was 67. At least that was the way it was reported to us. Now, people are living longer, and retirement packages are a massive penalty to all levels of government. I had a chance to purchase retirement credits, but passed up on the opportunity for private investments. I agree with DG, the benefit packages are not sustainable, and more cities will fall unless reform occurs.
CA prison employees have ridiculous pensions and benefits as well. There’s just way to much government in CA, and way too much pension money being paid out. Couple that with a large population who pays little or zero taxes, and there are real problems ahead.
To be fair, Social Security and medical costs are rising for somewhat similar reasons. People of all stripes are living longer, and any benefits they draw increase commensurately.
This is in large measure due to the power of the police unions. The municipalities do not have current funds for raises and such, so they promise future benefits that come home to roost “somewhere down the road.” And when they do, they cost billions that the governmental entities do not have. Now, I can understand people wanting raises and all, hell prices don’t seem to go down, but there should be a rule that all funding must be with current funds, not future anticipated income.
Raising retirement ages is a good place to start. Making the fat medical retirements that a lot of cops and firefighters get require more proof of disability. Some cuts are just going to have to come.
And when emergency services are being cut, does it make sense to penalize citizens for wanting to carry a gun for their own protection?
I like how you think, sir.
Some brave disarmament zealot should volunteer to take punches in the face for 7 minutes. Not even punches. Just be slapped for 7 minutes. Just to show all of us irrational fanatics how acceptable it is to sit on your hands and be victimized.
Here in Phoenix the cost of police and fire run close to 65% of the city budget after retirees are funded by city charter. And if you have just a property crime I.e. burglary or stolen vehicle well call and they’ll give you a report online but you’ll never see an offcer.
The police response time is going to be even worse when they’re all busy confiscating the guns of legal gun owners who were compliant in registering the last of their guns as of 1/1/14. But hey, at least the weather is nice, they make more money than people in other states and the cost of living is unsustainably high!
From the linked article
Cities in California are under particular pressure because it is so difficult to raise property taxes in the state, and because in 1999, at the height of the tech bubble, the Legislature voted for a huge benefit increase allowing, for instance, police officers to retire at age 50 with 90 percent of their salaries.
Well, well, well, very interesting.
You mean we cannot expect endless economic prosperity? Shocked I say … I am truly shocked.
/sarcasm
At a minimum those retired officers receiving 90% retirement pay should be REQUIRED to concealed carry whenever they are out of their own house, and be required to lend assistance to citizens and police when they are present. They should also be prosecuted if it is discovered they did not assist when required, and lose their pension from that day forward. Just as EMTs and Paramedics have a higher standard of response required of them, off duty or on, so should trained police, even after retirement. JMHO.
One thing further occurs to me, because if I were a retired cop in this situation I would just move to Las Vegas, their pensions should continue to be paid only if they remain residents of California.
Sometimes its better if the po-po doesn’t show up at all. I know a 107 year old man in Arkansas and a 95 year old man in an old age home who would agree with me if they weren’t dead.
Police response times for Priority 1 calls, meaning a violent crime that is still under way, have stayed steady, at about seven minutes, Ms. Erickson said
Lies! All damnable lies!! stop trying to hoodwink the people from bringing in their weapons to gun buy backs sose we all can pick up some cheap stuff!
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