From the INBOX: Jackasses
Posted by Andy on July 24th, 2007
Just what a city struggling with its safety image needs, Cops trying to fill budget gaps by issuing tickets.
(WCCO) Anyone driving through Minneapolis should keep their eyes on the speedometer and watch those red lights. Police are cracking down on traffic violations to help fill a gap in the city’s budget.
The city said the police department is nearly $6 million over budget and money from traffic tickets is down more than a million dollars as well.
So to help get back in the black, the number of traffic tickets handed out in Minneapolis in recent weeks has gone up more than 13 percent.
City leaders say raising money isn’t the only motive. However, news of increased police traffic enforcement on Minneapolis streets is getting a mixed reception
“I think they have bigger fish to fry,” said Minneapolis resident Wallace Durham
The story goes on to spin that they are targeting high-crime neighborhoods, but frankly how does increasing traffic tickets deal with the types of crime that are plaguing the city?
Only in a liberal run city would police funding be left in such disarray. Cops should be the #1 priority in municipal budgets!
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July 24th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
They announced this months ago. I am of two minds about it. Yes, it is a stupid shakedown. They are doing it for the wrong reasons and they ought to have cops doing other stuff. Nevertheless, part of the lawlessness we see daily in the hood involves people doing stupid sh*t in cars on neighborhood streets: Going 60 miles an hour on a neighborhood street where children play. Check. Tricked out rides with noisemaker mufflers and illegal tinted windows. check. People driving the wrong way down one way streets, check. Loud music that rattles your windows. Check. Blowing through stop signs, check. It’s all law breaking and it all sucks.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
In the 2nd Precinct, they pulled three experienced officers off patrol and 911 response to handle traffic, which I am told also requires a very seasoned officer. In return those officers will be replaced by three wet behind the ears officers.
I fear these officers won’t be able to do the same types of things that were working at bringing violent crime nominally down or at least keeping it in check and that we will soon revert to 2006 levels of criminal activity.
Then, more tax base emmigrates from the city and there are even bigger budget problems and the downward spiral accelerates.