Mayor Joe Ganim and Police Chief AJ Perez will swear in a class of 22 recruits into the Police Department Academy Sunday 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace.
This represents the second class in Ganim’s first year back on the job as he tries to replenish dwindling police ranks lost to retirements and poaching by area departments. Police professionals fear this new class when it comes fully on board will only keep pace with the attrition expected for 2017. Police officials peg authorized strength at roughly 440 uniformed officers. The department is currently under 400.
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Remember Joe’s “Trumpian Pledge” to hire 100 police in a year? Impossible like most Trumpian statements, but that does not stop their flow, does it? Was it 32 in the first class but 29 graduated with the Department to begin service, and now 22 more? But they will not finish in the same calendar/fiscal time period as the other, so another partial truth at less than 60%? Is that a failure, like STOP RAISING TAXES? Time will tell.
When is the last time an outside study was done of the police department? Do we have too many cops who work inside? Do we really need four deputy chiefs who cost us $500k A YEAR? Do we need 51 detectives? Hasn’t the PD changed the crimes they would respond to? Before we spend all this money, let’s survey the PD and see what is really needed. BTW, Joe Ganim is a lying jerk.
Andy, you are right, the MAC Report said both the police and fire departments should do away with those positions.
Considering what some cops are going through it’s amazing there are still people applying for the job here. You wonder how many are going to stay and how many are going to look for greener pastures elsewhere.
I wish them well.