Civilian Police Recruitment Growing By The Thousands As Budgets Tighten

USA Today:

Police agencies across the country are recruiting thousands of civilians for a growing number of duties previously performed by uniformed cops, in an unusual concession to local budget cuts.

The positions -- some paid and others volunteer -- are transforming every-day citizens into crime-scene investigators, evidence gatherers and photographers in what some analysts suggest is a striking new trend in American policing.

"It's all being driven by the economy and we should expect to see more of it," says University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris, who analyzes law enforcement practices. "As budgets are squeezed, an increasing number of duties are going to be moved off officers' plates."

Read the whole story: USA Today

Comments

[AndyWright68]

08:24 AM on 10/12/2010

They already have children spying on you. http://snapscouts.org/

[PRONESE]

07:13 AM on 10/12/2010

Not to worry. President Obama has a solution for this problem.
The Civilian National Security Force will protect you!
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2yGzHfy7s
More Coffee.
R/ PRONESE

[AndyWright68]

08:24 AM on 10/12/2010

http://snapscouts.org/

[Democrat58]

07:08 AM on 10/12/2010

Now I understand how all of this works, simply read a three paragraph edited article and you instantly become an expert. Criminal Justice has always had a non-sworn component, long held sworn positions are now becoming non-sworn to save money. This is not a bad idea, it allows swron officers to resopond to 911, investigate crimes and make arrests. There is no reason to have a swron officer perform crime scene evidence collection. A true forensic techinician has completed hundreds of hours of training to become an expert in their field, as opposed to a sworn officer who was taken off patrol duties for various reasons. Using members of the community to help solve crimes has always been around; does anyone remember Neighborhood Watch? I am all for saving money when and where it makes sense and this change makes sense. You may now return to your uninformed rants.

[KIVPossum]

06:11 AM on 10/12/2010

Why do they need to do this? CSI has show us it takes a very small staff to investigate a crime, do all the forensic testing, and solve the case in almost no time.

[Tator]

05:36 AM on 10/12/2010

You Progressives might want to run down to Toys R Us and pick up some toy guns (and black paint to cover the orange tip) and practice yelling BANG BANG real loud since your terrified of real guns, but then self protection and self sufficiency is out of character for a Progressive.

You let you politicians cut police, fireman, and teachers instead of secretaries and clerical people...I see now why you think yourselves the intellectual elite. We are going to enjoy what you are about to experience because you did it to yourselves.

[madisonhack]

06:24 AM on 10/12/2010

I doubt this is being driven by Progressives. No, this is driven by Teapublicans who want to privatize everything.

Blackwater will be so happy to have a job in this country when they're done killing and raping people in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[moose and squirrel]

06:31 AM on 10/12/2010

what are you talking about? conservatives and baggers were the ones denouncing firefighter and police unions.

[gypsy508]

03:47 AM on 10/12/2010

They have to hire civilians to do the work. In San Francisco these days police are too busy making money for the city by writing tickets for virtually everything. The new one on the ballot Nov. 2 is for anyone sitting on a sidewalk - street performers, garage sales and the homeless.

[moose and squirrel]

02:58 AM on 10/12/2010

great. now more cases can be challenged on the ground of improper evidence collection/ scene tampering.

[CommonSenseForChange]

06:11 AM on 10/12/2010

That was the first thing that came to my mind about this, too. The second thing is how everyone is adopting the AH way of getting everybody to work for free. Can someone tell me how this is not exactly the same as enslavement and how going back to slave days is good?

[FRobert]

08:42 AM on 10/12/2010

Volunteerism is quite different from slavery. Whether it's looking for a lost hiker in the mountains or working on a political campaign, there are those who want to help and do so. If you do not want to help, that is your choice.

[KIVPossum]

06:12 AM on 10/12/2010

Heck yes, can you image all the evidence that will be questions because of possible contamination, erroneous collection, and half baked chain of custody.

[madisonhack]

06:27 AM on 10/12/2010

This actually says a lot about how people regard the whole police science thing - quite insulting to someone who spent years learning a profession like forensic science.

[zombywulf]

02:50 AM on 10/12/2010

Do your duty, spy on your neighbors, doesn't that old guy down the street always out working in his yard just as the elementary school gets out??, doesn;t that woman next door have "too " much company at night? what's that funny smell coming from that new forgien familys house all the time

[AndyWright68]

02:05 AM on 10/12/2010

The cops just need to be abolished. All they do is harass, tax and abuse the people. They serve and protect the state, not the citizens. They refer to us as civilians like we live in a war zone. And no wonder. They are militarized and told we are all potential threats. We are their enemy. Cops use fear and brutality to keep the people compliant. All this does is create a violent society. Abolish the cops and the people will be much safer.

[KIVPossum]

06:13 AM on 10/12/2010

Awful early in the day to being doing drugs.

[mamapower]

01:45 AM on 10/12/2010

This is the America that Ronald Raygun and his conservative ilk envisioned.

Sad!

[madisonhack]

06:27 AM on 10/12/2010

Yup.

[moose and squirrel]

06:29 AM on 10/12/2010

funny but this is not the way I thought the collapse would happen. but here we are.

[Mark Morlock]

01:30 AM on 10/12/2010

This is ridiculous. You can't trust laymen to perform as well as a professional. This is better left to people who have degrees whether they're in short supply or not.

[BligeTheVOTE]

01:26 AM on 10/12/2010

Post-Mortem Bar - Zane Campbell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dukIb4UU094

[BligeTheVOTE]

01:25 AM on 10/12/2010

Jimmy Somerville - Someday We'll Be Together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brpb6lHtaGo&feature=related

[Canuck Canuck]

01:21 AM on 10/12/2010

Clair de Lune ...........Debussy - no comments necessary - I'm really out now; )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LXl4y6D-QI

[Smedley Butler]

01:27 AM on 10/12/2010

Smooth dreams :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faJE92phKzI&feature=related

[maslin]

01:58 AM on 10/12/2010

Nice.

[BligeTheVOTE]

01:32 AM on 10/12/2010

lovely

[SteveBrown]

01:19 AM on 10/12/2010

Whoa! That guy wearing a dark police uniform shirt and white trousers is what, half cop and half civilian?