Budgets Cuts on Police Departments

How many police and firemen are going to be let go because of budget cuts before the quality of living in our communities is adversely affected?

Oakland police department recently cut 80 officers due to budget constraints and I cringe. I cringe because I look at their Mayor and think mmmm really the police are what you cut from your budget? Oakland has one of the highest rates of crime in the Bay Area and yet the Mayor and his colleages choose to cut men and women who protect and serve. Sure any institution or an organization should do a major over haul every so often from the top to the bottom but when your city is now more known for crime than the Oakland Raiders there is a problem.

Then this morning I heard San Jose Fire Department is having lay offs as well and I think when and if this will happen to Livermore?

I feel we are blessed with Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department and the Livermore Police. We have now lived here for 12 years and have had to contact them on a few different occasions. Every time they have been more than responsive and professional.

We had to call 911 three times when Emma was little and each time LPFD was there within minutes. Each time from Emma’s seizure to her choking on throw up, LPFD made us feel like calling them was the right thing to do and for us it was.

The last time we called Livermore PD I came home and the front door was open. The police like LPFD were there quickly and it was only after they left I remembered I had left the door open on accident. However, I know if I lived in a different city, perhaps even Oakland, I am not even sure the police would have come out.

So let me say that if ever Livermore decides to cut services for the Police or Fire Department, think again. Not to dig on the City Manager, but first begin with cuts on her salary and other top people around her. She is paid well but if it means to keep a policeman on the pay roll cut her salary by the percentage of her last increase (if she received a 10% raise last time then cut her pay by 10% and you could easily get $10,000).

However, if police and fire are kept and there are no budget cuts then overtime and double-time should be carefully monitored (we do not want to have incident like another local city whose employees were retiring with a $200K salary because of all the overtime they were allowed to work prior to retirement).

It is a careful balancing act, when you look at police and fire department budget cuts. But in the end, are you willing to expose your communities? Are you willing to put a price tag on the quality of the community where you reside? I am not and I pray that our city, the city of Livermore will never ever have to make those decisions.