More City Police Officers Drastically Needed

[Police Moderator]

More City Police Officers Drastically Needed
posted October 9, 2009

Re: 3 Shot On South Kelly Street; 1 In Critical Condition

I have property in the area off Kelly. A few weeks ago, three young teenagers walked slowly down Kelly Street. One boy looking to be about 14 slowly pulled what appeared to be a 9 millimeter handgun out of his baggy pocket and brandished it at some people standing on their porch several houses away. He then slowly slid the gun into his pocket.

I called 911. It took 23 minutes for an officer to arrive. In the meantime the boys walked away. The officer was very professional.

I read where the mayor and police chief say there is no crime problem. Only about 10 percent of the crime is reported any more, in my opinion, and that makes the statistics look safe I suppose. It appears nothing is ever done after it is reported, and I have not found a way to discover the rate or types of crime by area or location.

chattanoogan opinion

[Tsavodiner]

"We've ALWAYS done it this way, we'll ALWAYS do it this way--AAAAHHHHUUUUMMMMMMMMM".

Funny how local issues parallel world issues. All the generals say we'll lose in Afghanistan unless we infuse troops; we've already lost one good soul to Chattanooga's archaic and reactionary personnel policies. Putting five people in Fox Team on any shift is exactly like what we tried in Somalia and Iraq before the "surge"; war cannot be waged correctly on the cheap or without sufficient troops.

Gene Roberts-TOLD Jon Kinsey--TOLD Bob Corker--TOLD Ron Littlefield--TOLD

[professorx]

Oct 11, 2009 17:13:21 GMT -5 Tsavodiner said:

"We've ALWAYS done it this way, we'll ALWAYS do it this way--AAAAHHHHUUUUMMMMMMMMM".

Funny how local issues parallel world issues. All the generals say we'll lose in Afghanistan unless we infuse troops; we've already lost one good soul to Chattanooga's archaic and reactionary personnel policies. Putting five people in Fox Team on any shift is exactly like what we tried in Somalia and Iraq before the "surge"; war cannot be waged correctly on the cheap or without sufficient troops.

Gene Roberts-TOLD Jon Kinsey--TOLD Bob Corker--TOLD Ron Littlefield--TOLD

You know that educating the public about the recent proposed vehicle policies worked. The idea of understaffed areas, officer and public safety seems a lot more important...

There's got to be a non-controversial way to explain to the public the situation as it is factually.

A don't know what a Fox Team is, how large their AOR is, how many calls that area gets a day, etc.

I do know if I have to call the cops, they are showing up. .. and showing up ASAP. I'd rather not have an unduly stressed, over-worked, or super-fatigued officer to deal with my personal crisis.
I'd rather him not have to fight from one end of town, to my side of town.

[bhmc449]

Fox team incorporates from McCallie Ave to the Georgia line (Rossville Blvd, E23rd, Dodds Ave, 4th Ave and parts of I-24) Needless to say they are very busy on any given day on any shift. It's a lot of ground to cover in eight hours and much of it is spent running call to call. On a good day you might have five officers in the Fox Team area. There are other parts of the city that are just as bad such as Brainerd and East Brainerd.

As a police officer I feel the need for more officers, because our numbers are always in decline (retirements, washouts, termination, quitting) I firmly believe that not having a police academy for a period of time will hurt some services, but I also believe that we can handle it. Nothing to be scared of, no fear to be instilled. It's just one of those things that one day the big man in charge will realize that need instead of operating off bare personnel

[Warkitty]

There certainly needs to be more officers for Fox team at any given time.

[Justin Thyme]

I firmly believe that not having a police academy for a period of time will hurt some services, but I also believe that we can handle it.

I applaud your conviction but I don't believe you can handle it as well as it really needs to be handled to keep yourselves and the public safe. You may be able to handle the calls but with an increased presence the total number of calls should drop just because people don't do stuff when you are around and you would be around more often.

[rstewart]

There is no need for more officers, just ask Ron Littlefield he'll tell you the "truth".

[LimitedRecourse]

If we will agree to his annexation plan, he'll start another academy.

[frayne]

Oct 12, 2009 15:13:13 GMT -5 LimitedRecourse said:

If we will agree to his annexation plan, he'll start another academy.

Yes, and I have some swamp land in Florida to sell as prime real estate too !

[goomba]

we have always been short on cops.

and the city makes it hard as hell to get hired.

[professorx]

Oct 12, 2009 15:13:13 GMT -5 LimitedRecourse said:

If we will agree to his annexation plan, he'll start another academy.

In places that have a "Metropolitian Police Department", how is the differentation made beteen Sheriff's Offices and Police Officers? I ask because it seems like a lot of counties have metro police departments. Would/is it that both departments share the same territory?

Whould it be Hamilton County Metropolitan Police, or Hamilton County Metropolitan Sheriff's department?

[Police Moderator]

we have always been short on cops.

Why? The great pay and benefits? The support they get from their administrators? The great hours and holidays off? The snappy blue polyester outfits? The exercise one gets from toting 20 pound of gear plus Kevlar around all day? The six months one is expected to live after retirement? The background and drug tests? All the extra employment opportunities to make ends meet? Last and the very least....The BS thrown at them by the likes of Duke?

I figured people would be beating down the door to the personnel office.

(Or are those the ones that are trying to get out?)

[professorx]

Oct 12, 2009 9:43:24 GMT -5 bhmc449 said:

Fox team incorporates from McCallie Ave to the Georgia line (Rossville Blvd, E23rd, Dodds Ave, 4th Ave and parts of I-24) Needless to say they are very busy on any given day on any shift. It's a lot of ground to cover in eight hours and much of it is spent running call to call. On a good day you might have five officers in the Fox Team area. There are other parts of the city that are just as bad such as Brainerd and East Brainerd.

As a police officer I feel the need for more officers, because our numbers are always in decline (retirements, washouts, termination, quitting) I firmly believe that not having a police academy for a period of time will hurt some services, but I also believe that we can handle it. Nothing to be scared of, no fear to be instilled. It's just one of those things that one day the big man in charge will realize that need instead of operating off bare personnel [/quote

Thanks for the information. This sounds like the area where the shooting was a while back. It seems like all the officers might have been on scene... There are no close-by back ups if need be?

It seems like as a matter of safety, there should be more police.