Department money woes

[Kentman]

After reading a recent thread asking why police are the first ones cut, I've come to wonder what other agencies have done to come up with money.

Currently, our budget has been slashed by almost 2 million dollars, and the inevitable firing/lay-offs/reducing services talks are starting. Our Admin's are looking at ways to supplement our meager finance's, including housing out of state prisoners, but it's not looking too good right now.

So, my question to all of you who have been there/done that, what have been some solutions your agencies have come up with to help alleviate the problem??

Because quite frankly, I might not have an income after the next couple weeks if it dosen't turn around soon.

[rockerz71]

The other day I was driving around a lot and noticed that 2 or 3 of the Krispy Kreme stores in the area had their lots packed with cop cars with their lights on. I assume they were doing some type of fundraiser. I don't think you could raise $2 million doing this though.

[Tripledigitride]

I've never "Been There, or Done That", but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express, last night.

I don't have the entire solution to your issue, but maybe I can help a little bit. Every little bit counts, right?

Being a local truck driver, with an average of 250-350 miles per day, I'm able to observe a whole lot. Wasteful spending among police departments (local, county and state) is one of them.

First of all, police LEO's need to drive their patrol cars as if they are the ones buying the $4.00/per gallon (give or take a few cents, depending on your location) gasoline. I see several LEO's each day, and it's very rare when they are actually obeying the the speed limit. Not to mention the other "rules of the road". Driving around in a patrol car equipped with a "souped-up" V-8 doesn't help the fuel economy of the patrol car, so, speeding around town sure isn't going to help matters any.

Being a truck driver, I'm obligated to go through/stop at all Commercial Inspection Stations/Weigh Stations. Almost every time I go through one, the wasteful spending gets on my neveres. Day or night, the state police leave their partol cars running (for several hours at a time), and often times with the lights (headlights and taillights) on. Again, a "souped-up" V-8 burning $4.00/per gallon gasoline like there's no tomorrow. Yes, I understand the patrol car is only at idle, but it's still wastefully burning high-dollar gasoline, not to mention, it's more unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle. And, if the lights are left on while sitting, that only means they will burn out sooner.

True, some of these issues, when looked at individually, may not seem like a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, it all adds up to wasted dollars that could easily be spent more wisely.

[danp]

Originally Posted by Tripledigitride

First of all, police LEO's need to drive their patrol cars as if they are the ones buying the $4.00/per gallon (give or take a few cents, depending on your location) gasoline. I see several LEO's each day, and it's very rare when they are actually obeying the the speed limit. Not to mention the other "rules of the road". Driving around in a patrol car equipped with a "souped-up" V-8 doesn't help the fuel economy of the patrol car, so, speeding around town sure isn't going to help matters any.

I will remember to obey the speed limits if I am ever responding to your house.

As for the original question...Gather the data on the budgets of all the city departments, including the pd. If you are truly taking larger cuts than necessary, take it to the press. I doubt if the voters of your city would like to hear that more is being spent on mowing grass than keeping patrol cars running (it happened in my city!) and will let thier feelings be known to city council.

[Tripledigitride]

Originally Posted by danp

I will remember to obey the speed limits if I am ever responding to your house.

As for the original question...Gather the data on the budgets of all the city departments, including the pd. If you are truly taking larger cuts than necessary, take it to the press. I doubt if the voters of your city would like to hear that more is being spent on mowing grass than keeping patrol cars running (it happened in my city!) and will let thier feelings be known to city council.

You're kidding, right? Why wasn't I shocked to receive such a response?

You act as if any time a LEO is in his/her patrol car, he/she must be on the way to a call. The LEO's I'm speaking of aren't going anywhere important. They're speeding around town, or down the highway, with no real important destination. It's perfectly understandable for a LEO to be speeding while on a call, but not while "cruising" around, or just heading from point 'A' to polint 'B'.

If all LEO share your mentality, it's no wonder LEO are the first to be cut.

[Fish609]

Start taking bribes.

[danp]

Originally Posted by Tripledigitride

You're kidding, right? Why wasn't I shocked to receive such a response?

You act as if any time a LEO is in his/her patrol car, he/she must be on the way to a call. The LEO's I'm speaking of aren't going anywhere important. They're speeding around town, or down the highway, with no real important destination. It's perfectly understandable for a LEO to be speeding while on a call, but not while "cruising" around, or just heading from point 'A' to polint 'B'.

If all LEO share your mentality, it's no wonder LEO are the first to be cut.

How do you know where they are going? But hey, since we're generalizing, lets talk about all the truck drivers I've arrested for various things. So all truck drivers must be criminals, right?

[Tripledigitride]

Originally Posted by danp

How do you know where they are going? But hey, since we're generalizing, lets talk about all the truck drivers I've arrested for various things. So all truck drivers must be criminals, right?

Talk about generalizing. You're the one acting as if LEO's do no wrong. Never once did I say "all", or even "most" LEO's are speeding for no reason. I'm simply saying that I have seen more than I should have, way more than I should have.

That's a problem with SOME LEO's. They act as if the general public is as stupid as they want us to be. SOME act as if we don't have the ability to tell the difference between driving fast, because they are on the way to a call, and driving fast simply because they have the car and badge that allows them to do so. As a whole, LOE's are no smarter than the general public, as a whole. The sooner SOME of you come to such a realization, the better off SOME of you may be.

There are truck drivers who speed for no good reason, just like there are LEO's who speed for no good reason. Just like some (LEO's) I know (personally), just a little south of Nashville. They just got a few new Dodge Chargers, with the Hemi and Interceptor packages. Guess what? At least a few of them didn't waste any time getting that bad boy up to the 150-ish mark. And guess what? it was for no good reason. Just to see what it would do. On top of that, I was in a Limo that was being driving by an off duty police officer, and he had no issue with driving 90+ MPH through the Interstates of downtown Nashville. So not only do I speak of which I see from a distance (while I'm driving), but I can tell you what I've heard from the mouths of LEO's, and the fact that I was involved first hand.

[yocan]

Children behave. That being said, sell seized weapons at auction! And advertise the vehicle seized auctions! And when you do a drug bust, auction the house! A year after the seizure so they don't get shot for moving in to a seized home of course. Make the money go to the police not the city, you did the work get the reward.

[Tripledigitride]

Originally Posted by yocan

Children behave. That being said, sell seized weapons at auction! And advertise the vehicle seized auctions! And when you do a drug bust, auction the house! A year after the seizure so they don't get shot for moving in to a seized home of course. Make the money go to the police not the city, you did the work get the reward.

Very good ideas. I was under the impression that many jurisdictions had laws in place which allowed them to seize and sell property/possessions that were gathered from drug busts, but I rarely hear about them doing so. Maybe they sell/auction this stuff in ways most of the general public doesn't hear about it. I'm not sure of the exact laws, but when I do hear about them seizing property/possessions, it's generally only for those who've been busted with extremely large quanitities. Maybe if they'd start doing this for much small busts, it just may kill two birds with one stone. Slow down the amount of drug offenders, plus help alleviate some of the financial burden placed on the PD's.