Police no longer coming to burglary calls...

[pirateron]

Just another reason to make sure you can cover your own ass...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010...5_ST_N.htm

Budget cuts are forcing police around the country to stop responding to fraud, burglary and theft calls as officers focus limited resources on violent crime.

Cutbacks in such places as Oakland, Tulsa and Norton, Mass. have forced police to tell residents to file their own reports — online or in writing — for break-ins and other lesser crimes.

"If you come home to find your house burglarized and you call, we're not coming," said Oakland Police spokeswoman Holly Joshi. The city laid off 80 officers from its force of 687 last month and the department can't respond to burglary, vandalism, and identity theft. "It's amazing. It's a big change for us."

sounds good, i can take matters into my own hands and call after i gunned down the burglar that broke into my house.

i really dont know why cops wont respond to this what if someones life is in danger and they still wont respond to a break in?

well the burglar can enter my home at his own risk.....

wonder if i can intervene if i see someone trying to steal my truck?

Did you even read the story?

I quote, "as officers focus limited resources on violent crime"

I quote again, "If you come home to find your house burglarized and you call, we're not coming"

An active burglary in progress is a "violent crime" hence, they will respond. It will free up officers from filling out paperwork so they CAN respond to the violent crimes, its not a license for every gun owner with a hard-on to start shooting willy-nilly.

[vjf915]

sounds good, i can take matters into my own hands and call after i gunned down the burglar that broke into my house.

i really dont know why cops wont respond to this what if someones life is in danger and they still wont respond to a break in?

well the burglar can enter my home at his own risk.....

wonder if i can intervene if i see someone trying to steal my truck?

Did you even read the story?

I quote, "as officers focus limited resources on violent crime"

I quote again, "If you come home to find your house burglarized and you call, we're not coming"

An active burglary in progress is a "violent crime" hence, they will respond. It will free up officers from filling out paperwork so they CAN respond to the violent crimes, its not a license for every gun owner with a hard-on to start shooting willy-nilly.

I agree with this guy. The article said they would not respond to a burglary SCENE, not that they wouldnt respond to a burglary.

[nepawolf]

Yeah, but it will still take them 45 minutes to get there unless the burglary is in a donut shop.

[vjf915]

I dont know about PA cops, but thats not the case here. And you know that police departments have policies against officers taking gratuities.

[Nate]

Well I for one would be glad to know the cops could now dedicate more of their limited resources to protecting me from violent crime......yah right. The one thing they WERE good for, they're no longer doing in many areas. I know they're often well intentioned, but by the time they get to the scene of the crime, the crime has already happened. Especially violent crime. Oh hang on bad guy, police are coming and will be here in, oh say.....half an hour or so. Better run! Nope, give me my 1911 any day and when the cops finally get here, they can pull out their trusty notepads and pencils and do what they do best....take a report. Or, if they so prefer, I would be more than happy to take care of that myself too and save 'em the gas money. Hell, I'll even take care of disposing of the bad guys corpse for 'em too. I'm a full service citizen. And guess what, taxpayers don't owe me a dime!

[vjf915]

Again, I dont know your area, but here they respond relatively quickly to any call. I called them ~4 months ago because my downstairs neighbor fell asleep with her tv on, and it was blasting at 2 in the morning. They were knocking on her door in ~20 minutes. The multiple times they have been called on me, regardless of the time of day, they have showed up quickly. Called them for a couple accidents, again, less than half an hour.

[Nate]

I don't hate cops, just the crooked ones. But even the best cops can't be everywhere all of the time. I think it's important for people to be able to defend themselves in the event the cops can't make it in time to provide that service. I have to admit though, I'm not afraid of a criminal. I can defend myself against a criminal. I'm straight up scared of cops though, one bad cop is a bigger threat than a hundred violent criminals....and usually less stable.

[YukonDon]

Just remember....when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

[Nhrafan26]

Hmmm... someone remind me again, what happened in New Orleans in the past few years when people decided to "wait for help from local and national government"??
Oh, never mind, it's coming back to me now.
/sarcasm

I know, different situations but same basic concept.

[pirateron]

Hmmm... someone remind me again, what happened in New Orleans in the past few years when people decided to "wait for help from local and national government"??
Oh, never mind, it's coming back to me now.
/sarcasm

I know, different situations but same basic concept.

Man, I see what you're saying, but comparing police not coming out to take a report after a non violent crime, and a natural disaster followed by killings by cops and a complete breakdown of society, ain't the same concept. It ain't even close. The New Orleans travesty started as a natural disaster THEN became a human disaster, Regardless of lack of, or due to, the govt interference.