More police? Pay more to current police?
At the City of Miami's Budget Meeting last week, a large crowd of incensed Coconut Grove residents asked for more police officers, they demanded it in light of the uptick in crime around the Village, which has spread to The Roads and other areas of Miami. It was standing room only in the Commission Chambers, literally you could not fit inside the big glass doors.
In the end, the City's budget passed with a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Willy Gort, Frank Carollo and Michelle Spence-Jones were in favor, and Commissioners Marc Sarnoff and Francis Suarez voted against it.
Grovites asked that $10 million of the budget go to hiring 100 new police officers for the whole city. One issue is that police budgets and salaries have been cut for current police officers, and they were there in force (no pun intended) to demand a return of their benefits and salary before any new officers are hired. Which begs the question, are the underpaid cops not as efficient due to malaise? Would giving their benefits and salary back increase their morale and then give them more gumption to deal with the increased crime in the Grove?
I'm not saying they are not doing their jobs, but low morale is a big issue.
These cops wore yellow shirts at the meeting which read, “You Can’t Hire 100 New MPD Cops If You Can’t Take Care Of The Ones Already Here.” That's true, isn't it?
Now, I am on the Grovites' side, I would love to see more police on the streets and in the neighborhoods. I would love to see this crime wave end. I also would love to see our underpaid police force treated fairly when it comes to salary and benefits.
City employees ended up receiving a one time 3 percent bonus. That still doesn't solve the problem.
In the end, the City's budget passed with a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Willy Gort, Frank Carollo and Michelle Spence-Jones were in favor, and Commissioners Marc Sarnoff and Francis Suarez voted against it.
Grovites asked that $10 million of the budget go to hiring 100 new police officers for the whole city. One issue is that police budgets and salaries have been cut for current police officers, and they were there in force (no pun intended) to demand a return of their benefits and salary before any new officers are hired. Which begs the question, are the underpaid cops not as efficient due to malaise? Would giving their benefits and salary back increase their morale and then give them more gumption to deal with the increased crime in the Grove?
I'm not saying they are not doing their jobs, but low morale is a big issue.
These cops wore yellow shirts at the meeting which read, “You Can’t Hire 100 New MPD Cops If You Can’t Take Care Of The Ones Already Here.” That's true, isn't it?
Now, I am on the Grovites' side, I would love to see more police on the streets and in the neighborhoods. I would love to see this crime wave end. I also would love to see our underpaid police force treated fairly when it comes to salary and benefits.
City employees ended up receiving a one time 3 percent bonus. That still doesn't solve the problem.
posted by Tom Falco at 6:00 AM
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6 Comments:
LETS PUT POLICE EVERYWHERE ! YEAH THATS THE ANSWER TO ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS.LETS MAKE A POLICE STATE !MORE CAMERAS ON EVERY STREET, PLATE SCANNERS AND RESIDENT CARDS TO KEEP OUT UNDESIRABLES.MAYBE EVEN A WALL BETWEEN THE WEST GROVE. Curfew may also be effective ? We could also subcontract this work out to military contractors for alot less than we pay the police .A.K.A our personal security force. Since they want more $ for more arrest.
So these officers are basically saying that they don't need any help. Just pay them more and then they'll protect us better?
If the crime rate is going up how will paying the cops more for a job that they are apparently nott doing well enough to begin with lower the crime rate. Hiring more cops for higher visibility sounds much more effective than paying out more cash to a group of guys who are basically saying, " Hey, we'd love to help yooz guys out but you gonna have to give us more money."
Full disclosure/
I think the cops are doing fine on crime suppression. Considering the state of the economy and the huge disparity of wealth in Miami I'm suprised there is not more crime.
Decaf.
Look into it.
Miami's officers are hugely overpaid at that top. That's the problem. the hundreds of officers making well over 6 figures is the problem.
All officers make over $50k - that's not bad for the level (or lack) of education required. Really though, the problem is how much those at the top make.
Sounds Like A Protection Racket .Everyone is talking about crime who are the criminals ? Most crime is drug related, and on record the banks launder Billions or dollars of drug money. Wells Fargo Chase, Bank of America ect.Have been caught! Look it up ! but I never see any bank manager in cuffs .AT most they pay a small fine and go right back to business.In FACT the SbS Tower in the grove was built with 100% drug money. It seems to me anytime we talk about crime we want to target a certain demographic of people in the grove for petty crime and then everything will be okay. It is Time to be more honest with ourselves about the Drug Problem In the GROVE .And It is THE WHOLE GROVE Who Buys And Uses across all social and economic backgrounds Who is Buying Them ? It is not the west grove who has A disposable income boats and planes so lets be for real.You Could hire 100,000 more cops But until you really deal with the High level dealing And those who protect them you will never get crime under control yet alone petty crime.
I use to attend the community meetings in the grove. I read an article from 2010 where coconut grove crime
was going down. The leadership and morale in the department at the time were different. For the first time in history of statistic according to the article there was not one single robbery in the Grove.
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