By Arthur Moore
What is meant here is that they will take much needed money from the police department and shift it to other departments. We need for the police department to stay up to date on equipment and purchase new types of equipment as it comes out to stay the best. They are doing work that can have their life end in a moment or injured to a point where they lose their career.
Our police department here in Somerville has not had problems like some of the rest of the country. Looking around it appears we also need to be increasing our police force. But this has to come from the police department on what their needs are. Certainly not council members who have no clue what these people need or should have. In these bad times there looks to be much for them to do.
Traffic enforcement for one. That would look like one thing to increase to cut down on the drivers and bikers that do not obey the rules but make it dangerous here. For money we should be looking into the many extra things this city spends so much on that is not needed. We are in a bad state of problems right now and probably will be for quite a while.
And I expect that we are going to see many increases to make up for lost revenue at a time when people are out of work and many are facing losing their homes as they simply cannot hang on for so long. We need to be helping them also. Let’s look for wasted money which is not hard to see. And leave the police alone. We are lucky to have a good department so let’s not screw this up. I am watching other cities actually increasing funds for the police. Why is it they can’t see this?
My own experiences with the police department has shown they have a lack of equipment and manpower. So I know first hand they are not all sitting down at a donut shop all day doing nothing. As much as we like to make fun of them. Let’s defund non essential services starting within the council itself. I have been in this city for over 70 years and have never seen things so bad as this council unwilling to do their job and work for the people and do what the majority wants. And to just take and make our decisions for us just defies what this country was built on.
This needs to end. If the council members are not going to work for the people of Somerville then do the right thing and hand in your resignation. That would be the right thing to do. And work with the police, not against them. Maybe you don’t need them but we certainly do.
I am watching as around the country we have a police chief resigning, several swat team members and who know how many more we haven’t heard about yet. How many are now getting ready to leave? I can imagine many are searching for new jobs now as the system is going to make their jobs more unbearable. There is a limit to what you can add to the job they have. Peter Lucas said it well. “Forget about the politicians defunding the police; it is the police who should be defunding the politicians.”. We stand to lose so many good police where we should be doing what we can to keep them and figuring out how to get rid of the few bad apples.We are going to have the same problem we have with politicians. The ones we need and can be good are not going to run and go through all the crap that will be dealt to them. The media is a huge problem for so many things in our daily life now as it is. They have screwed up politics and now to take away a badly needed police department. We have no problem here in Somerville. Why start making a problem where there is none. Don’t be surprised if we lose good people because of the bull shit politics of our mayor and council. They have shown the lack of leadership skills quite well. If anything we need training for our elected officials. They need programs to learn how to do and handle things. As for the police in Somerville, if it aint broken don’t fix it!.
Arthur why no talk about the shootings that occur almost every other week down here at Mystic Housing. Our neighborhood is not safe and he lives across the ave.
Defunding the police will only make things worse. There are thugs running amuck at night especially when the Police are gone and there is no public outcry. Last night another shooting and they cant do much cause the courts are not taking action against the bad people to get them out.
Lets see he the Mayor is going to defund the SPD. How many of those officers did he appoint because they were qualified, passed the test, interview and training.
There may be a few that had a little extra pull. But at the end of the day it ludicrous to think he is sending anyone packing. They may remove certain funding that will reappear in another fashion through an appropriation that the board of buffoons will have to approve.
Otherwise the ward car, community officer or bike patrol will suddenly disappear.
Then what will the privileged geniuses do for their constituents who are hit on their bike, or their back pack was stolen , or someone is blocking their bike route.
Do you see where this is going political rhetoric that’s all.
Joe stop cowering to the liberal socialist movement its dying.
How did Bernie do on round two for president. Oh where did Lizzie end up back in Boston, yes she is back for a lecture from grandma.
Once the protesters are back in school or back to work things will quiet down. Then everyone can have a mature discussion on how to protect and serve everyone equally.