Police response times: Is it really a failure if success isn’t an option?
posted: June 28, 2008 | category: community
tags: crime, news, police
Today’s News & Record above-the-fold headline reads: “Greensboro police fail to meet response goals.” But can you really “fail” to do something if success isn’t an option? GPD is being asked to serve an ever-growing population and an ever-expanding land area without a proportionate increase in officers.
There seems to be a general consensus that the six-minute response goal is unreachable with current staffing. But the failure is not on the part of the officers. The Greensboro City Council has failed to fund a fully-stuffed police department. And not just the current Council. This problem has been going on for years. Law enforcement is a basic function of government. It says a lot about our priorities as a city that we can find money for arts and flowers and birthday celebrations, but not for basic public safety.
Too often, patrol is 10-100 — no officers available — to answer calls or to assist other officers. That jeopardizes not only the safety of residents, but the safety of the officers, as well. There’s an interesting article on the GPOA site about officer safety and the pressure to reduce response times. And Joe Guarino questions the emphasis on response times, and also relates the “curious circumstances” (understatement) of the timing of a consultant’s report on the PD in relation to the budget process.
The News & Record article quotes Chief B:
“Some days I wake up and say, ‘Oh, my God.’”
Keep on praying, Tim. I’m joining you. I think it’s going to take a miracle to get the City Council to hire enough cops.
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7 Responses to “Police response times: Is it really a failure if success isn’t an option?”
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Two years ago I was ranting that GPD was understaffed by 50% and nothing has been done by “local leaders” to change that fact.
In the meantime, the Guilford County Sheriffs Department has one of the fastest response times in the nation.
PS. My little black hen, BB, is going to be a momma soon. Seems she had it so bad she adopted one of Elizabeth’s eggs.
And you should see the two younger hens I got.
Bless her heart. I need to come visit.
Good post, Michele, and thanks for the link. You make a great point about priorities.
Thanks, Joe.
This one we agree on Cara Michelle Honey! I do so love your soul and am thrilled when I can agree with you.
So here goes: I have a lot of beefs with the GPD and city leadership but response to calls in a city that has so far outgrown the man power available to the GPD is not one of them. BB
Love you, too, Brenda. Thanks for commenting.