Remember when we were in the merging mode of our police to PB County Sheriff’s Department. A year goes by quickly. The issue for me was all about Cost and Control. It was never about whether the Sheriff would be better at the job or not. It was going to be the same 91 men and that was a guarantee that the same men would stay on the job here for at least the first year. The following are the costs for police:
2007…..$13,402,305
2008…..$14,499,375
2009…..$16,053,718 budgeted with $15,294,500 forecasted
2010…..$15,567,000 budgeted ?
Several neighboring cities just received Stimulus money for their police departments:
If you attempt to drop by the police department after normal business hours or on weekends, plan on using the phone at the door that will connect you to
I have hit Lois Frankel hard in the past for what she did regarding the city center but I also will give credit where it is due. Her city’s police union is voting on whether to pursue a merger with PB County but she, and the rest of her commission say “no, not interested.” If anyone can stand up to the
Just consider if we had kept our own police department, we would not be faced with 7% raises; we could have been a part of the Stimulus that would have offset a tremendous cost during this horrible economy. And we still would have our own police department that says we are a full-fledged city instead of being a mere shell of what we were.
The Sheriff's deputies make many more arrests than the L.W. Police did.
ReplyDeleteThat's a vast improvement.
They also actively remove those illegals off our streets WAY better than L.W. Police ever did.
There's no comparison. The only ones that should dislike the change is the criminals.
Please share your statistics with us. How do you know that the Sheriff makes more arrests? How do you know that they are removing illegals from our city streets better than before the merger? Because of the economy, we just have less aliens loitering around Lake and Lucerne. A lot of them have moved elsewhere. You are correct about the criminals not liking the Sheriff. Just their presence is imposing. Knowing that sometimes you get what you pay for, what about the cost? Without stats, it is impossible to justify the $million more a year. Is that ok too? I would like a complete report from the Sheriff's Department as well as a complete breakdown on costs from Mr. Bates. To run this city correctly, you have to know the facts and then analyze the data.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention the city needs to make up any shortfall in the police pension. With the stock market down again the city would have had to make up close to a 2 million shortfall. The market may not turn around around soon so the city would have to make up the shortfall again next year. You forgot to mention PBSO always responds when they are called, usually within 10 minutes. LWPD rarely did at all. You forgot to mention PBSO has negotiated with other local cities to have no increase or a minimal increase in fees. You don't need statistics to see the city is safer. When was the last time there was a gang shootout? Is that due to the economy as well? Why does having PBSO instead of an overwhelmed ineffective local PD make the city a shell? It's a lack of viable businesses and decent housing stock that makes the city a shell. As usual you only report 1/2 the story. The 1/2 that suits your spin. Just like O'reilly and Hannity.
ReplyDeleteThats for posting. All of these things have been mentioned time after time. We still pay for 47 of them (over half) who stayed with the LW Pension. I DO need statistics and will say again, it is the only way to evaluate their success. We had a gang shooting in March at 1409 S. B Street. Let's see the overall stats and lets get a run down on the costs. That to me is a normal request. Then if you are right, I will post it.
ReplyDeleteLynn, about your comment as far as LW being a number, and having to use the telephone outside our local headquarters after hours and on the weekends. Guess you never needed help after hours before PBSO took over. Nothing about getting in touch with our force has changed. We had to use the phone before too! While you claim we still have just as many officers as before, you seem to forget that many more are on the street due to the fact that we no longer have our own detectives, swat team, evidence personnal and the list goes on. Not to mention that our officers now have Back up, ensuring their saftey!
ReplyDeleteall that is true, poster at 6:26 but asking for statistics is the thing to do. Why doesn't the Sheriff just give them? Is crime down? If so, is it due to them? Have the gangs moved on to another city? What is going on out there? I don't see sheriff's cars on the streets. I do see C.O.P.'s out there at times. all we hear is that crime is down. If it is, let's see the facts. How come you are so cavalier about our money that we pay to support public safety?
ReplyDeleteThe 9:10 post is hogwash.
ReplyDelete"Statistics" aren't necessary at all. That's absurd.
Sheriff's deputies, in their cars (not just C.O.P.'s) are all over the city and are seen more than frequently - anyone who says otherwise is either blind or a liar.
Lynn - There isn't a single arrest in all of P.B. County that doesn't go past my eyes. The Sheriff's deputies are arresting many more people than L.W. Police ever did. I get involved.
It is true, as well, that before the Sheriffs came to Lake Worth, that you could call the police and never get a response at all - you'd just stand there waiting and waiting....hours later still NOTHING. Not so with the Sheriffs.
Thank God they're here!
Lynn I agree with you on one FACT WE NEED PROOF! The residents of our city deserve that, we employee them. I believe that is why they are called PUBLIC SERVANTS. For months I have heard many of our residents request it at meetings especially Javier Delsol and to no avail. It is a very simple report that can be printed from their database. If it is true that PBSO is doing so much better why aren't they eager to produce proof of that? Lyn I enjoy reading your blog but why post comments from people who are not willing to identify themselves? What are they afraid of?
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend and I am looking forward to hear from you to schedule our meeting.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Parrilla
:-)
To poster at 5:53 am. It is a fact that home burglaries are up all over the city of Lake Worth. So, I don't know where you get your information but it is wrong.
ReplyDeleteTo the anonymous poster on July 31 @ 10:25am. Please put more effort into practicing your reading skills. If you had, you would see that I am not saying whether they are or are not doing a good job of reducing crime. I am stating that I want to see proof of it since there are so many posters here who seem to be so sure they are doing a great job and how much better off our city is. If true they should have no problem providing PROOF.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Mark A. Parrilla