Posted on 08/27/2013 4:55:22 PM PDT by cripplecreek
He was police officer of the year just months ago, at one of the state’s largest departments. Decorated. Heralded. One of the best. Then he was laid off.
Today, Brian Wilson does odd jobs to make ends meet. He works part-time one day a week at one of the state’s smallest departments.
“A lot of my awards … had to do with being proactive,” said the former Saginaw police officer. “My ability to do that was reduced significantly over the past year because I didn’t have as much back-up and I didn’t have anywhere near as much time on the road.”
Michigan is bleeding police officers. In the past decade, enough cops have been cut to equal the elimination of all Michigan State Police officers and the entire sworn force in Grand Rapids, the state’s second-largest city.
But there’s the conundrum, an MLive Media Group investigation found. Despite the decline, you have never been safer in Michigan from serious crimes in a decade.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com ...
may be of interest.
Maybe the cops were committing a lot of the crimes?
An armed society is a polite society.
Michigan recognizes GA’s CCW license, so I was able to carry for the first time while visiting the inlaws this summer.
The might give you a hassle in Ann Arbor or Kzoo but I’m betting they wouldn’t give you much trouble for carrying in Detroit.
When your hours have been cut, your spouse lost her job, Junior is moving back into your basement and you're upside down on your mortgage you become the kind of person that it is not safe to mess with.
The population is not fat, dumb and happy. They are down right cranky.
Well heck no the unions don't care about that at all. Let the people who pay their salary suffer for cutting the budget.
Of course more guns are part of the answer, probably most of it. I’d also argue that police are generally useless in preventing crime, and don’t have much impact at all. That’s not their role. They’re for the protection of the government and for arresting people after a crime has been committed. And they also generate revenue although in most places not enough to pay their keep.
“I agree. People are friendly enough but they aren’t real accepting of being screwed with.”
Sounds like it’s becoming Texas of the north.
Our coon-ass cousins next door are also known for that trait.
Great people in Louisiana, just don’t get them mad.
[sincerity, less than average] I’m surprised the politicians didn’t authorize pay cuts for themselves to keep more law enforcement officers on the job. [/sincerity]
We’re swamp people too.
Police are there to arrest people after the fact, to put people in Jail, enforce probation, do all the things the criminal justice system needs enforcers for.
John Lott’s research shows that the Criminal Justice sytem, as a whole, deters crime about as much as armed citizens do.
In fact, the two reinforce and support each other (in a sane society, which is still most of the U.S.)
What are the chances that crime is going down (partially) because the government is doing the robbing for the crooks. Hence as long as the gubmint is gibbin you a Bama phone and hundreds dollas from da Bama stash fo yo kids den you don’t gots to go robbin. See welfare works... at least for the lazier criminals. The more industrious ones still have to go out and be crooks for a (better) living.
“Police are there to arrest people after the fact, to put people in Jail, enforce probation, do all the things the criminal justice system needs enforcers for.”
Roles that can be performed with far, far fewer police than we currently have.
“John Lott’s research shows that the Criminal Justice sytem, as a whole, deters crime about as much as armed citizens do.”
Keep in mind Dr. Lott’s research was for the most part done many years ago. I wonder if with the long term increase in those carrying has actually shifted it from armed citizens being the predominant deterrent.
Keep in mind that police departments are a fairly recent innovation. They didn’t become popular until the mid to late 19th century.
“In fact, the two reinforce and support each other (in a sane society, which is still most of the U.S.)”
I think that’s becoming less true. Again, I wonder if there has been in shift in armed citizens being the predominant deterrent. Also, there is an increasing level of skepticism in the citizenry towards police. People are less likely to call the police (as this article alludes to). I think that many people, including myself, would happily have lower taxes and fewer police.
Everywhere else where you arm the citizens, the crime rate goes down. Why not here?
Also the whites have fled Detroit and the inner cities, took their money and went to Arkansas, Alabama, anywhere but a black city. Who you going to rob now that whites have left and those who are here are packing?
Here's another clue; you didn't need all those cops. Those are left are hustling not sleeping in their cops. A little fear is a great motivator.
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