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If you read American Police Beat you may have had a leg up in not getting blindsided by the Wall St. meltdown. While the average 401k account holder is just waking up to the fact that there’s something wrong with the markets, public service professionals like police officers have seen the writing on the wall for years. Deficits at the state level are in the billions in many parts of the country and that can only mean one thing: wacky plans to save tax dollars by endangering police officers and the public they serve.
In Harper Woods, Michigan, officials are considering 24-hour shifts for its police officers to save cash.
The city, which has a population of more than 13,000 and covers about 2.6 square miles, has lost $600,000 to $700,000 this year from state revenue-sharing funds alone and is looking at ways to stretch its money while keeping its neighborhoods safe, according to recent articles in the Detroit News.
“We want to assure the public that the safety and well-being of residents and officers is paramount to any decision we make,” Police Chief Randolph Skotarczyk told reporters.
If implemented, the city would save about $150,000 in overtime costs a year.
“Our Fire Department has operated on 24-hour shifts,” City Manager James Leidlein told the News.
“That’s common in many or all full-time departments.”
“We’re trying to provide better or more services with the same or less people. We have to look at creative approaches. What we’re looking at is how to put more police officers on the street without hiring more officers,” Chief Skotarczyk told reporters.
Extending the hours of extremely tired police officers to save a pittance is definitely “creative.” Some say it may be a little too much so, and may actually hurt more than it helps. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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