CHP To Patrol Eureka
Why do I find this bothersome? I should be happy that an overworked police department gets a little help. I guess it's because now we have to worry about getting nitpicked for vehicle violations once the CHP starts frequenting the streets of Eureka. I guess I'll have to fix those lights on the trailer I'm always dragging around.
It makes me wonder, too, about whether there's some problem within the Eureka Police Department that causes them to be continually short on manpower. It seems we've been hearing for quite some time that the department is understaffed. Some in the department claim that it's because people leave for departments with better pay or benefits. I'm sure that's true in some cases but might some just find the work environment there not to their liking? I know one cop that worked for Eureka that switched to Arcata and then to other agencies. When I asked him about leaving EPD, he replied along the lines of, "I was glad to get out of there...". He didn't elaborate, but I was surprised. He seemed like a gung ho EPD type from what little I'd known of him.
This also makes me wonder if other departments are going to try to get in on the CHP gravy train? I thought I'd heard that Arcata PD was short staffed as of late. Are they going to be asking for help soon? What will this lead to in the long term, although this CHP assistance is supposedly temporary? Truth be told, local agencies have always been able to get help from other agencies. You'll hear them on the radio referring to it as an "agency assist". I guess its just the suspicious, conspiratorialist libertarian in me that wonders if this is some scheme to increase funding or manipulate financing for the local cops.
**********
In other news, one of my favorite editorial writers, Steve Greenhut of the Orange County Register, was awarded the Thomas Payne Award by the Institute for Justice. The Institute for Justice is a kind of libertarian oriented ACLU type group. They award the Thomas Payne Award to journalists who advance individual liberty through their craft. In this case it's certainly well deserved. Congrats, Steve!
posted by Fred Mangels @ 10:00 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
A “zero-tolerance policy” will be in effect, she said.
That is what bugs me the most. Now that the cash cow of "Super Safe 101" has dried up, they need somewhere else to patrol. Here is a fun fact, now that the safety cordor no longer has double fines, I no longer see a CHP patroling it every time I go through it, and that's every day!
Remember folks taillight out IS A GREATER HARM TO PUBLIC SAFETY THEN A METH DEALING HOOKER WITH AIDS.
For those of you who are products of the public schools, translation: Eureka welcomes the "highway Gestapo" and it is ALL about cash flow.
Well, it's starting to happen. EDP is on heavy traffic patrol, I saw many people pulled over for tail light outs and stuff like that. Which is sad because I sat and watched a drug deal go down a quarter of a block away from a traffic stop.
Good Job EPD!
Post a Comment
<< Home