Cash strapped police department wastes resources on show and tell for media.
[Former] Police Director Joe Santiago called a press conference Monday afternoon to trot out his latest initiative for improving public safety in Trenton.
Word around town was that members of the TAC unit were detailed to ferry patrol cars back and forth from a Hamilton Township carwash (what was the matter with the one here in Trenton?) so they would look spiffy for the dog and pony show.
Apparently, the program for the media circus was to announce the deployment of the newest officers to assignments in various hotspots around town. For the benefit of the assembled media, the rookies were all called in early, along with their sergeants and lieutenants and paid four hours overtime each, so they could make a show of leaping into their cars and rushing off to their assignments.
What happened to our fiscal responsibility and having to cut expenses by 10%? What about the fact that we are so short of labor we have had to disband the Narcotics Enforcement Team?
As if that was not bad enough, the concept of the initiative being touted involves teaming up the newest officers fresh from the academy and putting them on the streets to patrol without the benefit of seasoned officers at their side to guide them.
As we understand it, while there will be Sergeants and Lieutenants supervising these teams, the rookies will be paired with each other and put on the street to sink or swim.
This whole episode was just a waste of our scant resources and the new initiative puts the newest, most vulnerable members of the department at increased risk for harm.
Way to go, Joe!
4 comments:
I thought he was given a stay of decision to accomodate an appeal, not to take the whole department down with him. How can an individual whose authority is so much in question be allowed to reorganize to such an extent? Shouln't some kind of "maintain whole" provision be in effect until a final ruling is made, or did I miss something?
I know nothing about law enforcement, but aren't police canines used to sniff out drugs?
Since King Douglas and Prince Joseph would never, NEVER do something that could put this City at risk, can you tell me which human officer(s) were trained in this task by the outgoing canine(s)?
The dogs were basically officers who worked for free. Real budget savings there, Prince Joey. You're a total mope for firing them.
And, I completely agree with Cal: how on earth can that guy -- a guy whose job's been put on hold by the courts -- be allowed to make such significant changes?
It certainly does appear as if Mr.Santiago is hell bent on wrecking all kind of havoc on the police department and at the same time jeopardizing public safety.
This is a leader? A person worthy of special exemptions from the law?
No. Not in our book.
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