Delving into the PD report
There was a little something for City Council buried in Carroll Buracker's extensive review of the Greensboro POlice Department:
Greensboro police officers think council has too many knee-jerk reactions.
The report doesn't say exactly what officers were referring to when they made this comment. But there is an interesting dynamic between the council and the police department. Many council members got elected on promises to make Greensboro a safer community and clean up the police department.
They have voted according to those promises. They have added a gang unit. Added $500K extra to the city budget for police. They wanted more money for the robbery suppression unit.
Perhaps some of those decisions were knee-jerk reactions. After all, the consultant reports that the city doesn't need a 17-member gang unit -- which was approved by council earlier this year.
But then again, just about the only thing council is empowered to do in regard to the police department is spend money and make policy decisions. When they have residents complaining about the police department, what else can they do?
"Do your job right. Do it swiftly, and you won’t have a problem with council," Councilman Mike Barber says of the police department.
So, dear Scoop readers, have you found anything interesting in that police report? Dive in and let us know.
Comments (1)
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While I agree the gang unit was poorly conceived and a waste of manpower I find it troubling that the report recommended doing away with T-set as T-set makes up our only patrol and should be the largest unit in any police department.
Higher numbers of officers on patrol and more officers available to take calls are the most effective and proactive policing available.
Overall the report was a waste of taxpayer dollars when rank and fill can tell you everything you need to know. It's too bad GPD rank and file are not allowed to openly express their thoughts to the media.
Posted on July 9, 2008 7:12 AM