I wasn’t happy when we lost our small local police force. They were a pretty big expense and mostly they sat on a main road and wrote tickets. On the flipside they were local and knew everyone which meant they could go into a tense situation and talk to a perp like a friend and defuse tension.
My biggest concern with losing them was out of town county cops treating all situations the same. Fortunately, a county car rolls though town only once or twice a week. Again, its a result of the behavior of the people in the community. We don’t need heavy police protection because we have a minimal crime rate and people work things out among themselves.
I still worry about the domestic dispute cases with the out of town cops.
Well that's understable.
We have a strange situation where there are 'city cops', who are almost totally affirmative action hires, and county cops, all too many of whom have bulked up with whatever and treat any disturbance as a prelude to "SWAT TRY OUTS". The city cops have single officer patrol cars whose primary function seems to be that of rolling meter maids. But both departments roll out to the same calls.
Things start approaching the comical when a 5'-4" female gets out of her vehicle with an equipment belt that's bigger and heavier than she is, while county mounties are already in vests dragging out shields and helmets and all begin jawing over who has jurisdiction over the staggering and profanity screaming hispanic with a forty oz bottle in an semi-legal paper bag. And usually four more units arrive by which time the drunk has stopped screaming and fallen, passed out, to the ground. That doesn't stop the negotiations, though now it's question of successfully foist the now disarmed and cuffed drunk to the other party.
I actually witnessed this event from a parking lot, drove off after 20 minutes of watching, went about my business and they were all still there 45 minutes later as I drove by on the way home.
And I'm saying this as one who has had good and dear friends in a variety of LEO departments. The retired ones just roll their eyes and shake their heads at the current crop.
Don’t “blame the cops” on this one.......
A lot of times, (this one included) cops - and other responders’ hands are tied by rules/restrictions and funding for equipment/training neccessary. I’m the father of two “responders”, (they’re my heroes ) and have some training myself. “Responding” without proper equipment/training means just more bodies to recover.... >PS