Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 406 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2016 If more people spent less time doing nothing or talk- ing crap on social media, there wouldn’t be so many news items revolving around Facebook, Twitter and the rest. But for now, even in policing, you can expect to see so-called social media driving the news. According to a recent ar- ticle from New Jersey.com, a Delran resident named Lucy Horton slammed the Delran mayor on Facebook simply because he showed up at the divorce proceedings of a po- litical opponent to yell at her as she left the courthouse. Lona Pangia is a council- woman in Delran and is running against the mayor in the Democratic primary for mayor’s post. “Mayor Ken Paris went to Lona’s divorce hearing where he tried to verbally intimidate her,” Horton wrote on Facebook. She also called him “unprofessional and unethical.” Horton says after the post- ing she got a call from Sgt. James Mitchell, who told her that the mayor might file charges because of the post. Paris says he never had the sergeant call the taxpayer to threaten her with a lawsuit for a Facebook post that criticized him. Horton, though, has be- come something of a local sensation, and keeps fellow residents up to date on her experiences with the police chief via social media. Charges? Like criminal charges? Let me get this straight. The mayor said he was going to press charges over a Facebook post he didn’t like? And that’s why it’s called “social” media W ay back before a bunch of whiz kids wrecked the American economy through deregulation, “financial in- struments,” and automation, one thing cops never really had to worry about was pay- ing the rent. But that was then and this is now. If you’re a police officer or deputy in San Francisco, New York City or Burlington, Vermont, you already know that it’s becoming increasingly dif- ficult to live anywhere near to where you work. Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo made that point with comic flare at a recent benefit luncheon for the department. The chief along with May- or Miro Weinberger and other officials each took turns at the mic. The chief criticized high rents that prevent many cops from living in or near the neigh- borhoods they patrol. He rallied the room with a quote from a New York mayoral election. “The rent is too damn high,” he said. “The price of an apartment has gone up 88 percent since 2008,” del Pozo continued. “The average police officer has a difficult time living in Burlington.” That’s a big hike in rent for sure. But if you read Ameri- can Police Beat, you might remember something about the average rent in San Francisco reaching $4225 a month. This is of course makes ex- cellent ammo for any associa- tion fighting residency require- ments. The “rent is too damn high!” Joke is no longer that funny Anyone confused about why young people are showing a lack of interest in law enforcement careers should do the math on salaries and cost of living in U.S. cities. I know I’m not going to be able to breathe if I take my gloves off. It could be psychological, I don’t know. Jimmy McMillan of the “Rent is too damn high” party in New York To learn more, visit your local Smith & Warren dealer or visit www.SmithWarren.com Badges Insignia Medals Awards Collar Insignia Nameplates Challenge Coins Pins Accessories Contact@SmithWarren.com Ph: 914.948.4619 Fax: 914.948.1627 Design your badge online /smithandwarren @SmithnWarren Trust Smith & Warren for a badge that reflects your department’s identity It’s not JUST a BADGE