Cities That Have Fired Their Police Forces

24/7 Wall St.:

On December 1, Youngtown, Ariz., joined the ranks of the many U.S. cities and towns that have fired their local police forces. In recent years, it has become somewhat of a trend across the country for municipalities to disband police departments, most often due to financial restrictions. 24/7 Wall St. has identified six cities and towns that have completely dissolved their local law enforcement groups.

Read the whole story: 24/7 Wall St.

Comments

[R500]

10:10 AM on 12/15/2011

"Hold your fired" might be the worst pun I've ever read, and I love bad puns.

[GalaxieGal]

12:55 PM on 12/15/2011

Even worse that they misspelled it.

[jchandjd]

11:18 PM on 12/14/2011

The fact is if the citizens are not wealthy enough, or decide against putting up the required taxes to fund a police department, then they do not get one.

[javajava]

02:10 PM on 12/14/2011

San Carlos and Milbrae are both bedroom communities on the SF peninsula. Niether is exactly a hot bed for crime, which is why both had small police departments in the first place. Both are being served by the San Mateo Sheriff's Department and I haven't noticed an uproar because of lack in protection.

From what I understand fire protection is being consoladate in some of those same communities too. Instead of having municipal departments Calfire is providing protection. Calfire is a state department.
I live a couple of towns away.

[pinetrale]

01:40 PM on 12/14/2011

well I can see a naive green gung ho kid barely 20 wanting to be a police officer as it sounds exciting and important and interesting. But I don't get 30 year olds being police officers, carrying a gun and taser, basically being state sponsored bouncers who spend most of their time doing traffic stops, hassling drivers, corralling trouble makers, miscreants, and honest protestors? Sure their are glamorous specialities like intel and swat, but for most officers its a lot of beaurocratic red tape, the occasional training and joint task force, and court time. Maybe its better than working 9-5 in a factory making widgets or selling cars, but I wouldn't want to be in a constant conflict position with the public, arresting and ruining peoples lives who I knew didn't even deserve it. What are the odds, even in a full career, that an officer will really get to do any of that csi LA stuff? Instead they will be appearing in court over a resisting arrest or drug charge or family situation gone to seed or manning a city jail or stopping some motoriistn or being part of some minor sting operation bagging a few miscreants and wayward citizens putting them in the system for prosecution or worse.

[teachone]

12:35 PM on 12/14/2011

Ignorance!! The only members of the police force that need to lose their jobs, are those working for the republicans/teaparty/wallstreet/filthy wealthy/ big business who are brutalizing the OWS protesters and stepping on ALL AMERICANS constitutional rights in this country!!!!!!!

[rkmerriman]

09:05 AM on 12/18/2011

Republicans have no police working for them!
The Tea Party has no police working for them!
Wall Street has no police working for them!
Filthy people have no police working for them!
Wealthy have no police working for them!
Big business has no police working for them!

The OWS are a bunch of unwashed clowns who are doing "NOTHING" except pretending they represent 99% of Americans, which is an outright LIE, you represent no one!!!!! You are Ignorance personified, get up off your butts and go to work or home, you are simply in the way!

[GalaxieGal]

12:21 PM on 12/14/2011

Hold your fired... Hold your fired what?

Who writes these headlines?

[JScott]

10:34 AM on 12/14/2011

Ohh jeez they make this sound way more ominous than it is, but that's typical of the source of the post (aka one of Rupert Murdoch' media properties) At least in California it's been this way for many cites since at least the Eisenhower era---in fact Lakewood Ca. was one of the first incorporated cities that was a contract city-the law enforcement was provided by LA County Sherriff dept. and many cities do that. THIS IS NOTHING NEW!!!!!!!

[jchandjd]

11:21 PM on 12/14/2011

Exactly, nothing new. For some older, blue-collar cities it is the only affordable way. Lakewood uses the Sheriff, but I doubt Beverly Hills will be giving up the local control of their own department in any near future....

[Corpilot]

11:24 PM on 12/13/2011

Great news! There are too many cops out there now. Its time folks took responsibility for their own lives. What folks dont seem to get is that police are at best a reactionary force that arrive AFTER the fact. I take proactive measures to ensure the security of myself, family and property. The only time I've ever interacted with a cop is when he is collecting road taxes.

[xUSAT]

10:43 PM on 12/13/2011

What happened to the "law and order" bunch? Betcha they finally discovered L&O cost money and that means taxe$. The same situation applies to border enforcement. You can only do so much with out increasing revenue. "Do the crime and do the time" means we taxpayers pay the dime.while sucking lime.

[Officer Ed]

07:42 PM on 12/13/2011

Read more about Youngtown's situation here: http://www.change.org/​petitions/​petition-to-reinstate-the-y​oungtown-police-department​.

[Officer Ed]

07:32 PM on 12/13/2011

Except that Youngtown's situation is unique. It was a scam by the town manager and the mayor to get rid of a police department that has been exposing the illegal acts and corruption of the town administration for years. The town manager fabricated a grossly inflated police budger - one that has no basis in reality - and then sold the lapdog town council on all the "savings" to be had by contracting with the sheriff's office. In FACT, the town will now have ten times less police protection for more cost!

There's an online petition that explains the circumstances even better here: http://www.change.org/petitions/petition-to-reinstate-the-youngtown-police-department?share_id=imbseTtUik&

[dizmo4]

06:23 PM on 12/13/2011

In other words, here are a list of cities to go to if you want to commit crimes.

[Sorenson]

08:32 PM on 12/13/2011

Literily came here to post this. Burglery spree, ho!

[stape45]

05:15 PM on 12/13/2011

Is it time for the 99% to start clinging to their guns, while the freedom to do so, still exists?

[loki]

04:25 PM on 12/13/2011

maybe they are bringing in prison labor to be police, like some cities are talking about doing with firemen.

But the core reason is, police are US citizens and often side with the masses. The Ruling Class can not control us with them, so its time to bring in Contract Mercs, like blackwater/acedemi who hire people who hate Americans to do their dirty work when the enslavement comes

[blueken]

04:15 PM on 12/13/2011

Well I guess that is smaller government. Ann Ryand would be proud. Tell grandma she needs to get some "protection". Then we can all feel safe. "Now where did I put my 6 shooter?"