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.