When police spending budget reductions and layoffs make responding to fraud, burglary and theft calls impossible, some cities count on an infusion of quick cash to turn the tide. Short of a quick cash infusion, many precincts are going unconventional to solve the issue, writes USA Today. It is not uncommon any more to view volunteer and paid civilian law enforcement jobs out there, employing people to ideally serve the public in a lot the very same way qualified officers do. Resource for this article – Recession makes civilian police positions frighteningly necessary by Personal Money Store.
Law enforcement jobs filled by civilians without any experience and not getting paid a lot
Numerous civilians are starting to get jobs for instance crime-scene investigators, photographers and even evidence gatherers. USA Today accounts that this is taking place with civilian law enforcement jobs because of the recession . Charges of undermining the professionalism of those who walk the thin blue line have peppered the offices of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), said Executive Director Bill Johnson. There has always been this concern within the profession that civilian law enforcement careers are paying with benefits and salary what true law enforcement officers are getting.
Johnson talked to USA Today. “The economic system ought not to be pushing this,” is what he explained. “You want the real deal when you call 911.”
Budget cuts lead to civilian law enforcement
In cities large and small, police spending budget reductions have made civilian law enforcement necessary. In San Francisco, for instance, 16 civilians were recently hired to investigate burglary and property crime through a $1 million program that would have cost considerably more if unionized law enforcement personnel had been retained to do the exact same jobs. The program saved $40,000 per person per year due to training, gear and benefit costs. This is what Assistant Police Chief Thomas Shawyer told USA Today. About $15,000 per person in salary had been saved in Mesa, Arizona in 2009 by hiring eight civilian investigators. Working at Barnes and Noble, Costco and Southwest Airlines was what these civilians were doing. This had been before they were employed on for the jobs.
Where it gets scary is Durham, N.C.. Neighborhoods see civilian operatives after murders and violent crimes. They’re there to canvas the neighborhoods. Although it may help make sure more people are on the street now that law enforcement layoffs have took place, Johnson explains, “At that point of contact, we want a full-fledged police officer dealing with the public.”
Citations
USA Today
usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-11-1Acitizenpolice11_ST_N.htm
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