cuts and furloughs to the men in blue may cut local revenue

[gpatt0n]

Face it cops are happy when their protecting the public and writing tickets for those who are doing wrong.

 

What happens if they are not so happy?

 

I get the idea that they may just stop writing as many tickets. If each cop, on average, writes 20 tickets a day and the average ticket is $80.00, that would be $1,600 a day in revenue for the local government. This would compare to $250 or so salary per day meaning a county or city may make $1400 or so a day from the employment of a cop.

 

If they cut the number of tickets they write by 25 percent - they write only 15 tickets a day, that cuts the revenue to $1200 minus their salary knocking net revenue to about $900 a day. That means the county stands to lose the difference between $27,000 a month net and $42,000 net or about $15,000/mo ... actually a bit more because the number of furlough days knocks off total days worked.

 

But you get the idea and that should inform you how out of touch, at least the Cobb County Commissioners are in regard the officers that serve that county.

 

pubby

[dapandlap]

So you are saying that the local law enforcement agency is purely for raising revenue, is that what they mean by to serve and protect?

I guess that just proves that red light cameras were truly only used as a revenue generating tool also.

[NumberCruncher]

oh, shove it.

 

my husband writes zero tickets a day.

 

zero.

 

yes. he works for cob county.

 

and....your assumption that law enforcement would purposefully turn a blind eye and not ticket someone who deserved it...ludicrous.

 

and asinine.

[jmd]

the old saying goes you get what you pay for. I heard the health ins. went up also.

[NumberCruncher]

the old saying goes you get what you pay for. I heard the health ins. went up also.

 

 

not everyone is money motivated.

 

and yes, health insurance went up a few months ago.

[justgettingby]

If they won't do the job they were hired to do, the county should save money by firing them.

[dapandlap]

If they won't do the job they were hired to do, the county should save money by firing them.

Are you also saying as pubby that the boys in blue were only hired to generate revenue?

[justgettingby]

Are you also saying as pubby that the boys in blue were only hired to generate revenue?

 

 

Did I say that?

 

I said that if someone is not doing the job they were hired to do, they should be fired. If part of their job is to enforce traffic laws (i.e. STEP) then they should be doing that.

 

Stop trying to read into everything. Not everyone has an agenda.

[NumberCruncher]

why has no one suggested that the fire fighters won't put out any fires or respond to any medical emergencies?

those things cost money, but generate no revenue.

 

wouldn't the county save more if on the firefighters were furloughed?

 

 

/s

[bookreader]

why has no one suggested that the fire fighters won't put out any fires or respond to any medical emergencies?

those things cost money, but generate no revenue.

 

wouldn't the county save more if on the firefighters were furloughed?

 

 

/s

 

 

The firefighters were furloughed! and there is more to come when October rolls around. I know that my husband will not stop doing his job even though he has been furloughed and I do not believe that most police officers will stop doing their jobs for that reason either. Teachers in Paulding have not stopped doing their jobs and they have had TEN furlough days this year and will have AT LEAST TEN next school year as well.

 

To insinuate that any of the people who went into a public service profession will stop doing their jobs is ludicrous and it really bothers me!

[solosoul]

Just consider the source.

[zoocrew]

DeKalb police wrote fewer tickets to protest furloughs. That cost Dekalb $2 million.

 

My Link

Edited May 3, 2011 by zoocrew

[+subby1]

not everyone is money motivated.

and yes, health insurance went up a few months ago.

 

 

I LOVE that statement!!!! In fact, I base my business on that very thing. Sure, I want to pay my bills and keep my house, but I ALSO (VERY MUCH) want to help my community by providing great service, at rates that people (in this economy) can afford. I can't begin to count how many policeman are regular customers of mine, and they are TERRIFIC men!! They put their lives on the line for all of us, and get very little in return. I have the utmost respect for that.

 

I can't tell you how many times people have told me "you don't charge enough for your work you provide". Okay....so, maybe I don't charge enough, but that's not my company's theme (or goal). My company is (and always will be) founded in providing the BEST service, at rates that people on skid row can afford. To hell with the money factor....it will always come in second place to reputation, and providing the best service, lowest rates, and any other thing I can come up with to HELP my own community. Without your customers' satisfaction, you have NOTHING. Period.

[Ugadawgs98]

Bottom line....the criminal justice system costs the tax payers much more than will ever be generated in fines. The less fines taken in the more that must be budgeted from the general fund. Furloughs on patrol officers combined with low moral can/will cause less enforcement actions where fines are obtained.

 

To think the average patrol officer writes 20 tickets, or even 5 a day, is a common minconception that is way off base.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Ugadawgs98

[granny ma]

So you are saying that the local law enforcement agency is purely for raising revenue, is that what they mean by to serve and protect?

I guess that just proves that red light cameras were truly only used as a revenue generating tool also.

I know there is one LEO in Cobb that wants to raise enough revenue to stop any furloughs. He issued a ticket to my grandson-in-law for a burned out tail light, instead of a fix-it ticket. It cost my GSIL $100. Before any one brings it up, my GSIL is not a wise_a$$ as a matter of fact he is taking law enforcement classes because he wants too become a LEO, he is tired of the plumbing game.

[Ugadawgs98]

I know there is one LEO in Cobb that wants to raise enough revenue to stop any furloughs. He issued a ticket to my grandson-in-law for a burned out tail light, instead of a fix-it ticket.

 

Most jurisdictions do not have 'fix-it-tickets" like some states. It is not even an option on the GA Uniform Traffic Citation. You either cite or warn.

[its mr sarcastic to you]

It's been a while since I got a ticket but they must have come WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY down if they average $80 now, I have gotten a couple of minor speeding ones and a fine of $80 would have been a dream come true!!

[rednekkhikkchikk]

Doubt it.

 

I got a ticket for illegal window tint that was a $65 fine over 10 years ago...

[Coppertop's Pop]

When pay for police officers gets cut, the number of citations written goes down. It's been shown in many jurisdictions that is true.

 

Also, complaints tend to go up as a result of "attitudes". Best way to resolve that is for the elected officials not to dump on the police or other public servants.

[gpatt0n]

I'm not suggesting they aren't doing their jobs.

 

Rather I'm suggesting that they may not write as many tickets. They may be inclined to issue a warning. They may choose to do their speeding stake out on a road that has half the traffic (and would generate five to ten fewer tickets over the course of a day); they may extend their lectures when they give warnings by five minutes ... basically do things that are doing their job but purposefully not doing what they might to maximize revenue.

 

Is that to say their purpose is to maximize revenue? No. It is, however, an element of what they do.

 

For instance, it would be sheer folly to suggest that one of the interests/benefits of doing drug investigations is that officers through the courts, can confiscate real property that is used in drug trafficking. You'll see at any courthouse (or in the New Era) notices that the sheriff is confiscating $4,550 in cash seized in a drug bust; a car seized in a drug bust and even houses have been seized by the DA in connection with the illicit sale of drugs. To suggest that, you'd have to believe that we had no interest in Iraq's oil. You may believe that but then there are some people who look out at the horizon and say that the earth is flat.

 

pubby

[NumberCruncher]

I'm not suggesting they aren't doing their jobs.

 

Rather I'm suggesting that they may not write as many tickets. They may be inclined to issue a warning. They may choose to do their speeding stake out on a road that has half the traffic (and would generate five to ten fewer tickets over the course of a day); they may extend their lectures when they give warnings by five minutes ... basically do things that are doing their job but purposefully not doing what they might to maximize revenue.

Is that to say their purpose is to maximize revenue? No. It is, however, an element of what they do.

 

For instance, it would be sheer folly to suggest that one of the interests/benefits of doing drug investigations is that officers through the courts, can confiscate real property that is used in drug trafficking. You'll see at any courthouse (or in the New Era) notices that the sheriff is confiscating $4,550 in cash seized in a drug bust; a car seized in a drug bust and even houses have been seized by the DA in connection with the illicit sale of drugs. To suggest that, you'd have to believe that we had no interest in Iraq's oil. You may believe that but then there are some people who look out at the horizon and say that the earth is flat.

 

pubby

 

 

 

based on.......what?

 

 

also, cops are not idiots. they're being furloughed because of funding issues. why would a non idiot person retaliate by purposefully reducing funding? because they want more furlough days?

 

yeah. that'll show the man.

[Ugadawgs98]

 

 

Is that to say their purpose is to maximize revenue? No. It is, however, an element of what they do.

 

For instance, it would be sheer folly to suggest that one of the interests/benefits of doing drug investigations is that officers through the courts, can confiscate real property that is used in drug trafficking. You'll see at any courthouse (or in the New Era) notices that the sheriff is confiscating $4,550 in cash seized in a drug bust; a car seized in a drug bust and even houses have been seized by the DA in connection with the illicit sale of drugs. To suggest that, you'd have to believe that we had no interest in Iraq's oil.

 

I still think you are still looking at it from a strange angle. The motivation to sieze funds and cars gained from criminals acts is to cripple the criminal enterprise, not to gain money for the government.

 

I have never met an officer whose motivation was based on the revenue they generate. We enforce the law, fines and seizures are a form of punishment for those crimes. Punishment and the awareness of potential punishment for wrong doing is what we are after. It is one of the best ways to correct and deter criminal activity.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Ugadawgs98

[Coppertop's Pop]

Sounds like Pubby knew what was happening,,,,

 

 

http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/cobb-drivers-see-fewer-973514.html

 

 

 

Police in Cobb County have written 27 percent fewer traffic tickets this year, reflecting added budget pressures that have meant furlough days for cops and elimination of their overtime hours.

 

Mestre said officer morale is very low because of the budget cuts.

 

"It is negatively affecting every single unit," Mestre said.

 

County employees must take five furlough days between April 1 and Sept. 30, when the county's fiscal year ends. But budget woes won't end there. Declining tax revenue means Cobb County is heading into the new fiscal year with a projected $15 million deficit, which is likely to prompt more furloughs and other cost-cutting measures.

 

Mestre hopes commissioners will raise the millage rate. He doesn't believe services can be maintained at the current level given the cuts to police, fire and EMS workers.

 

"Somebody will not get the services they need in a timely fashion," Mestre said. "It's going to cause somebody to either be hurt or killed. I can't tell you when it's going to happen, I can't tell you where it's going to happen, but it's going to happen if they continue these cuts."

[bwitchy]

Teachers have been furloughed for the past few years. However, our workload hasn't decreased--the state obviously doesn't care if students--i.e. future voters-- come out "stupider" since we don't generate revenue.