Facing large budget cuts that will eliminate hundreds of officers, Miami, FL residents are being told to buy guns and take other measures for their protection.
“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,” police union president John Rivera stated. “We won’t be able to.”
Gimenez said if no concessions are made by the labor union, “then you’re looking at about 250 police officers” who will lose their jobs.
The police force will attempt to fill the gap, Gimenez said, by placing law enforcement staffers from administrative posts on street patrols. He wants the labor union to meet him in the middle.
“This is the amount of money that we have, and if I have to pay more for the employees at the end, we are probably going to have to have fewer employees, unless I continue these concessions and get a 15 percent reduction in our healthcare costs,” he said. “Then we can maintain most of the employees.”
The Miami mayor vowed that a tax hike will not be forthcoming regardless of what union concessions do or do not materialize.
“We will not increase the burden on our residents through higher taxes,” he said.
In addition to the police department cuts, the mayor also is proposing:
- reducing the library department by 200 employees.
- downsizing mowing and maintenance cycles in some areas.
- increasing attention to signal, sign, flooding and pothole repairs.
- reducing Zoo Miami hours.
- increasing bus and Metrorail fares.
- closing a golf course.
- postponing police officer and correctional officer training classes.
Specialized law enforcement units which focus upon tactical narcotics investigations, robbery and gangs would also be reduced.
Response time to non-emergency calls is expected to increase from 13 to 30 minutes in some areas due to the department cutbacks, The Miami Herald reported.
Rivera reportedly feels that the mayor was wrong to use hotel taxes to support a $350 million renovation at Sun Life Stadium.
“You don’t enjoy the safety and security you deserve. But you can certainly enjoy a Dolphins game,” the union president said.
Source: offthegridnews.com
Photo: NBCMiami.com
Thanks for the heads up but in backwoods georgia prowlers get shot on the daily.
Yeah, start blastin perps!
Everyone needs to buy guns REGARDLESS! The GOVERNMENT will be coming soon enough!
No taxes, no police. Pretty simple concept.
Time to fire the mayor and the police commissioner and defund the police – if they are not going to do their job stop paying them
cops are never there any way until it is to late so less officers will make it better for the innocent citizen they arrest for no reason
It’s not the police job to protect only to serve. I think every city around the country should reduce their police force to a few and throw out victimless laws like seat belts and speed limits and drug laws. Our country is #1 in incarceration rates in the world and what do we do to curve that number ? More cops more laws more restrictions on the people. When will it stop ? When we stand up and say no to the lawless who enforce the law. The criminals with badges need to seek out gainful employment away from the government system
Nice sounds good
Wish ny saw it that way tthey just added 168 more troopers
I bet less innocent people will die after all those cops get off the street