Firing police officers is wrong, and the pols allowing this should be run out of town. Govt’s Numero Uno job is to provide protection for the citizens.
Wanna bet there are still street sweepers, librarians and building inspectors still employed? (Yeah, yeah, I know...the street sweepers aren’t doing such a good job on the streets pictured above.)
We have way too many cops in this country and most cities just can’t afford to pay the high salaries and corresponding retirement benefits. That’s the way it is and it’s getting worse by the day.
I'm guessing that you aren't familiar with the recent history of Camden, New Jersey. Camden is such a sh!t-hole, and their police force so ineffective, that their law enforcement duties were taken over by the New Jersey State Police some years ago. I believe it's so effed-up that even the state police involvement was terminated.
When I read this story I was surprised to hear: (1) that Camden even had any police officers left on its payrolls, and (2) that they only laid off half of them instead of the entire force.
Why? they've obviously not been doing their job.
According to Wikipedia, since 2005 the Camden police department has been run by the state of New Jersey.
Pure BS. Most police officers do not "protect." Rather, they show up after the crime has been committed. Yes, by making an arrest, they temporaily prevent the person from committing a crime in the future, but that is not the same as protection. We are an overpoliced society. Many police forces can and should be cut.
Why do you believe the Camden PD was preventing crime and protecting citizens?
Most people who live in places like that are good people in a very, very bad situation. They’d be much better off with armed militias than with a conventional municipal union PD.