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PALM BAY, Fla. — A budget crunch in Palm Bay could mean city residents who forget to secure car doors or close garages will get only a case number and nothing in terms of a visit by patrol officers if something is stolen. The possible policy revision is part of a wider cost-cutting look at the Palm Bay Police Department’s $20 million annual budget, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.
“We’re looking very seriously at the types of calls we would go to,” Palm Bay Police Chief Bill Berger said. “Still, about 85 to 90 percent of the people who’ve had their cars broken into left the car doors open. But, obviously, if it’s an actual break-in, we’ll respond.”
The potential move is seen as an unusual step.
Other surrounding agencies — such as Melbourne Police Department — continue to respond to similar vehicle break-in calls. Berger, however, pointed out that his agency has been hit hard by higher fuel costs and a cut in revenue. Earlier this year, Berger implemented a number of cost-saving efforts, including a no-idling policy for patrol cars.
“Certainly, Amendment 1 had an impact,” Berger said, referring to the sweeping, statewide property-tax ballot item voters approved earlier this year. “The big promise was that it wouldn’t affect public safety, but it has.” The department likely will lose four police officer positions — all held for officers either working or serving in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nothing new here. Anyone that’s been a victim of theft be it burgalry, car, I.D. or other, already knows these types of crimes are shelved or round filed. Now they will just stop responding to crimes, which makes perfect sense to me. My guess is that only income producing law enforcement will skyrocket.
The scoundrels who CAUSED the problem are the best ones to solve it.
(Or so Republicans will have us believe.)
“hit hard by higher fuel costs and a cut in revenue. ”
revenue??
since the average number of police to Public is something like 10,000/1..And property TAXES pay for the cops? Each person should be paying $5-10 Each in tax to pay for 1 cop.. Maybe $20 out of your taxes and get 2 cops??
I had an idea long ago about a SERVICES paid environment. For a CORP(that pays little or NO TAX) to service an area, they must GIVE services to the CITY, COUNTY, STATE for free. And both sides are monitored for Abuse.
THAT would mean that out TAX money isnt paying for Gov, phone, power, water, gas, cellphones, and ALOT of other things..
Oh, goodie. Does that mean you can now openly smoke dope in Palm Bay? After all, that’s a “crime” where the victim is at fault.
This is similar to the problem which caused the Wall Street bail-out, on a smaller scale.
Wall Street figured out that you can ignore risk as long as you have insurance.
Cities have figured out that it’s cheaper to let insurance companies pay to replace stolen goods, cars, etc than it is to actually prevent crime (or even bother responding).
luv The Trailer Park Boys. (pic)
This won’t have any effect on the “War on Drugs”. That is a profit center.
This will make liars of some crime victims (no, it was locked). It will also allow the city to claim crime is down in a few years. Once the citizenry figures out no meaningful response will result, these crimes will go unreported.
How exactly does not responding save money? Officers in cars spend their shift driving around. Not leaving the car idling at the curb might save fuel. Not coming to my house to take a report, and continuing to drive around (the car would not be running while taking the report) does not save fuel. It simply provides a lower standard of service. Smoke and mirrors.
Is it time for private investigators to link up into an alternate force with investigations, databases, CSIs and arrest tactics that endanger everyone?
M’be.
This is great! Now the police will have more time to spend on more imporant things, such as:
-Tasering people mutiple times until they die
-Commiting absurd acts of racial profiling
-Abusing their powers and authority
-Getting drunk and beating up female bartenders (i.e. The famous incident in Chicago this year)
-Stealing from the evidence lock-up
-Shaking down drug-dealers for personal gain
-Shaking down drug-dealers for the gain of the gang they are secretly in
-Killing their wive’s and shooting their childin (again, another incident in Chicago last week)
-Beating disabled people that are hand-cuffed, and already in wheelchairs
-Speeding for no reason, running red lights, causing traffic accidents
-Wearing racist costumes to Halloween parties
-Shooting family pets for no reason, even when the pets are running away and the police are raiding the wrong house, then claiming their acts ‘were justified’
If you dont believe me, Google anything listed above and read it for yourself.
The police are THE biggest gang in all of America.
That being said…they would be the first people I called if I need help…go figure.
@Ruck
That being said…they would be the first people I called if I need help…go figure.
That is because they don’t allow any competition and defend their turf (jurisdiction).
Caption…Dude I’said I would pay for the catnip next week.
Nothing new here. I had my house burglarized about a dozen years ago and all the city cops did is send out a junior woodchuck police cadet the next day to file a report. Now days when you call they just tell you to go to their web site to file a report.
They’re way too busy hassling people who don’t fasten their seat belts to be bothered with chasing criminals..
And people still want to live in this hell hole? I don’t want to even visit.
We see three CSI shows on Tv. The original one from Los Vegas. Well with all the money flying about there, we can assume they can afford a CSI unit. Then there’s the Miami CSI, we assumed they could afford it for the entire state. And lastly the CSI:NY show. Obviously New York can afford such an operation. But now we’re being told that Florida is a bit cash strapped. So is their CSI just a Tv fiction? As Hawaii Five-O’s state police was, back in the 70s? Or is Florida’s crimes unit funding allocated by county? The wealthier the county’s real estate, the better the state police funding?
What next? No investigation into a rape case if the victim wore a short skirt?
I don’t lock my car door because I don’t want some idiot to break an 80$ window to steal a 40$ radio.
Remove their pay if they remove policing.
Easy fix.