Wherever there’s a budget cut being
proposed or implemented somewhere in this country, there’s someone
who benefits personally from that spending ready to make any kind
of claim and engage in any kind of fearmongering that could
possibly keep his gravy train from getting derailed.
In Miami-Dade, Florida, the mayor has proposed cutting $64
million in police funding
in his latest budget (PDF). The cut is projected to cost 250
police jobs, provided the union isn’t willing to compromise with
the government. It would involve disbanding units including
tactical narcotics, special response, and something called a “Sport
Unit.”
The union boss, naturally, is not interested in compromising
with the county government. Instead he’s warning residents of
lawlessness (and not from his cops).
John Rivera, president of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent
Association, said, “If the mayor’s not going to provide security,
then my recommendation, as an experienced law enforcement officer
for nearly 40 years, is either buy yourself an attack dog, put bars
on your windows and doors and get yourself some firearms because
you’re going to have to protect yourselves. We won’t be able
to.”
Rivera inadvertently gave good advice whether or not the mayor
goes through with the cuts. The Supreme Court has ruled
previously that police officers don’t have any specific
obligation or duty to protect any specific person. As seen by the
variety of specialized units under threat from the cuts, the police
in Miami-Dade appear to spend a lot of time doing the kind of
police work that doesn’t specifically relate to maintaining
anyone’s personal safety—things like narcotics unit actually have
the opposite effect.
A few years ago Michael Bloomberg suggested cops go on strike
until the gun control laws in this country become stricter, as if
police violence wasn’t a problem. Mike Riggs’ response
works here too.
from Hit & Run http://ift.tt/1mRMg7Z
via IFTTT