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Although I've
dismissed claims that "green shoots" are emerging all around
us, that is not quite accurate. Amid the economic rubble, I do see growth in
one area. Sadly, I'm referring to the nation's crime rate. After falling
throughout most of the past decade-and-a-half, there are signs that today's
economic realities are setting the stage for a major turnaround. You
see, not only is the bad economy encouraging desperate Americans to consider
desperate -- and illegal -- acts, budget pressures are forcing myriad state
and local governments to reduce the numbers of those who are supposed to
uphold the law, as the Associated Press
reports in "Even Cops Losing Their Jobs in Recession":
As hundreds of jobs
in Chicago's police department go unfilled, officers who once patrolled the
streets with partners are riding alone in what some cops bitterly call
"rolling coffins."
In a Pennsylvania town that disbanded its three-member police force, Anita Gricar worries that
officers from the neighboring town won't come fast enough if she calls for
help. She also misses the comfort that came from having officers who knew
everyone and everything about Versailles, Pa., population 1,700.
"They knew your
house, they knew when your tomatoes are red," Gricar said.
This is what the
nation's economic crisis looks like in law enforcement. As tax revenue
shrivels, police agencies that for years were bulletproof when it came to
funding are tightening their belts. Some worry that criminals will take
advantage of the situation.
"There are
consequences for every cut that is made. With the recession, people out of
work, criminal offenses are going to go up ... immediately," said Steve
Dye, an assistant police chief in Garland, Texas, and an International
Association of Chiefs of Police official.
Exactly how many
officers are losing their jobs and how many positions are going unfilled are
unclear. But one after another, departments are telling the International
Association of Chiefs of Police that officers are being laid off or taking
furloughs, positions are being left vacant, and police forces are closing or
consolidating.
"I've been in
law enforcement for 25 years and if you would have talked about laying off
policemen, people would not have believed you," Dye said.
The cuts come as
police departments are being asked to take on more responsibilities, such as
investigating domestic terrorism, said John Firman, director of research for
the police chiefs association.
There is some help on
the way, in the form of federal stimulus money, but the need may far outstrip
the aid. For example, the $1 billion that the Justice Department's Community
Oriented Policing Services received to hire officers nationwide is less than
one-eighth of the money agencies requested, said Fred Wilson, director of
operations at the National Sheriffs' Association.
In the Southern
California community of El Monte, dominated by huge car dealerships, the
police department laid off 17 of its 148 officers as three of the dealerships
went under and sales at the others plummeted, reducing the town's tax
revenue.
In Chicago, with a
police force of about 13,000, the number of vacancies has climbed to more
than 400 since January 2008 because the department is not hiring to keep up
with the number of officers who leave. The city could be down 800 officers by
the end of the year, said Mark Donahue, president of the police union.
The danger of one-person
squad cars was seen last summer in Chicago when Officer Richard Francis,
riding alone, responded to a disturbance involving a mentally ill woman. During
a struggle, the woman allegedly grabbed Francis' gun and killed the 27-year
veteran.
"On calls like
the one he was responding to at the time, they are being put at risk in
one-man cars," Donahue said.
Also, more cops are
being attacked on the streets, and police say that is because they can no
longer flood the scene with officers when they respond to a call. The number
of incidents of battery against a police officer in Chicago rose from 2,677
to 3,158 between 2007 and 2008, according to department statistics.
In Broward County, Fla., Sheriff Al Lamberti worries that attacks by inmates on deputies and each other will
increase because he must lay off 68 of his 1,500 jail deputies. In addition,
100 civilians are being laid off at the county's jails, which house about
5,000 people.
In addition, he has
eliminated jail programs that, among other things, help inmates overcome
addiction and stop beating their kids.
"We are at the
point where we are literally out of options," Lamberti said. "I
never thought in a million years this would happen."
In El Monte, layoffs
forced the department to shut down programs such as one in which officers
served as mentors to young people likely to get into trouble.
"Now we're going
to be responding when a kid slaps his mom instead of having him in a program
where they can teach him to respect his parents," said Lt. Charles Carlson.
In Kansas City, Mo., only 45 police officer jobs have gone unfilled, but there is a very real possibility
that the 31 cadets scheduled to graduate in August will be laid off before
they can even start work.
"And we may not
be able to have another academy class until 2011," said Maj. David
Zimmerman.
Michael J. Panzner
Editor, Financialarmageddon.com
Also
by Michael J. Panzner
Michael J. Panzner is a
25-year veteran of the global stock, bond, and currency markets and the
author of Financial Armageddon: Protecting Your Future from Four Impending
Catastrophes, published by Kaplan Publishing.
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