Thursday, September 22, 2011

Sacramento Loses Cops as Crime Concerns Top the Charts


The economic downturn of California over the last few years has impacted the state in various ways.  One of the most notable effects of this economic crisis is the reduction of police services due to budgets which have suffered at the hands of the economic climate.  This pattern can be seen prominently in the Sacramento area.

In August of 2009 the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department laid off 130 deputies marking the first time that a deputy has been laid off in the department’s 160 year history.  Similarly, at the start of the 2011/2012 fiscal year, the City of Sacramento was facing a $43 million deficit,  and as a result, the Sacramento Police Department laid off 42 police officers; a figure which would have been doubled if not for the saving grace of a federal grant. 


These figures do not even take into consideration the hundreds of civilian (non-peace officer) employees who also lost their jobs as well as the demotion of police administrators in an attempt to save costs across both departments.  To further explore what these types of reductions mean to the members of the Sacramento community it is important to examine the crime problems of the area. 

The city of Sacramento is currently ranked second in California for both violent and property crime and is home to over 8 parolees and about 10 gang members per 1000 population contrasted to roughly 2 police officers per 1000 population within the Sacramento Police Department.  While this figure is shocking, at least 2 officers per 1000 population is roughly the national average. The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department is looking at a staggeringly low .63 deputies per 1000 population within the county limits.


This is an obvious concern for the residents of the Sacramento area as police protection is in a state of decline.  Members of public expect law enforcement to respond when they feel police presence is needed.  However Chief Brazil of the Sacramento Police Department advises that there will be “no [police] response to some traffic accidents, most cold property crimes, and most misdemeanors,” and in addition, “there will also be no dedicated Problem Oriented Policing (P.O.P.) teams.”  Rather than a police response, it is likely that the victim of a non-emergency crime will be referred to an online reporting site or a telephone. Also, no P.O.P. teams mean less focus on gangs and other problems plaguing the communities of the urbanized Sacramento area.

To examine another perspective, the effects of this situation on the police/sheriff employees who have lost their jobs are extremely traumatic and damaging.  Consider the difficulty getting hired by a law enforcement agency and the scrutiny that police employees undergo before obtaining a sworn position.  An interview with Sacramento Police Officer Chad Coughran yielded some light on this topic.

As a lifelong Sacramento resident, Coughran graduated from CSU, Sacramento with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2006.  After testing, undergoing background investigations and attending the Sacramento Sheriff’s Academy, Coughran was sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff in January of 2008.  After working for the department for about 20 months, Coughran was among the deputies who were laid off in August of 2009.  Luckily, Coughran was quickly hired by the Sacramento Police Department a few months later and was able to continue his police career after successful completion of another term of field training. Sadly, Coughran was again laid off after about 22 months of service during the Sacramento Police layoffs of July of 2011.

Going from a college graduate at the age of 24 in 2006 and then through the trials of obtaining law enforcement employment, Coughran now at the age of 28, serves both as a reserve officer for the Sacramento Police department and as an on call officer for the Sacramento Sheriff’s department.  He is not guaranteed any hours, receives no POST credit or credit toward his retirement and does not receive medical benefits; which he purchases at a considerable expense to make sure he and his son are medically ensured.

Coughran’s situation is indicative of the effects of law enforcement layoffs on the sworn personnel in the Sacramento area.  Even more discerning are the hundreds of graduating college students seeking police employment that are going to be met with closed doors.  Even if the departments were looking to hire, those seeking police employment would still have to compete against the officers and deputies waiting to reclaim their jobs. 

These are trying times for the Sacramento population.  The public demands a level of service from its policing agencies.  This level of service will be difficult to meet for the administrators within the Sacramento Police and Sheriff’s departments now operating with a reduced staff against high crime statistics and a growing population of parolees.  In addition, the potential law enforcement candidates within the Sacramento community are looking elsewhere within the state at agencies that may open up a few positions; positions which will most likely be filled by those who have already attended a police academy or who have been laid off from other agencies.  Furthermore, these candidates may even end up far from home at agencies in other states with lesser retirement compensation. 

This is the main reason I have chosen to write about this topic.  My family and I have undergone an immense amount of stress and financial hardship so that I can go to school and prepare for a career in law enforcement.  As I near the completion of my Bachelorette program, I am coming to realize that there is not a police career waiting for me after graduation.  Instead I am considering even higher education such as masters and PhD programs so that I can compete against the growing applicant pool for a job which requires a high school diploma.

References:

1) Braziel, R. (2011, July). Cheif's July Message. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from Sac PD Blog: http://blog.sacpd.org/2011/07/18/chiefs-july-message/

2) Coughran, C. (2011, September 19). (D. Heaton, Interviewer)

3) Jones, S. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from Sacramento County Sheriff Homepage: http://www.sacsheriff.com/organization/office_of_the_sheriff/SacramentoSheriffsBudgetFiscal2011-2012.pdf

4) KCRA. (2010, June 22). 80+ Sac City Workers Face Layoffs. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from KCRA News: http://www.kcra.com/news/24000866/detail.html

5) KCRA. Sacramento County Lays Off 128 Deputies. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from Masscops.com: http://www.masscops.com/f80/sacramento-county-lays-off-128-deputies-79222/

6) SacPD. Department History. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from SacPD.org: http://www.sacpd.org/inside/history/

7) SacPD. Number of Parolees per 1000 Popluation. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from SacPD.org: http://www.sacpd.org/pdf/crimestats/parolees1000.pdf

7 comments:

  1. This is a problem that is concerning to all of us criminal justice students. We were all hoping for the economy to recover before we graduated but are being met with closed doors. Also, we all feel for those who were laid off because we respect what they do for us. This is a bad situation for everyone when there is crime and no police to handle it. My brother-in-law was one of the Sacramento Sheriff Deputies who was laid off. He went to Oakland P.D. to be laid off yet again. He was fortunate enough to be picked up by another agency where he currently works. These officers lay their lives on the line for our safety and are met with unemployment in return. Very good blog topic and I look forward to following it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting blog, I like the fact you included a few pictures to illustrate your point. It is sad but true police layoffs are taking place all over the country, and at what cost to public safety? It is interesting how people who work so hard to obtain a four year degree are struggling to find employment and keep it. I thought a college degree was the ticket to the American dream? It seems these days hard work and determination will not guarantee you anything. I have included a link you might be able to use about another city in America that is facing the same problem.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43525803/ns/us_news-
    crime_and_courts/t/cleveland-police-cadets-join-force-face-immediate-layoffs/

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a very interesting subject. It is sad to know that so many police officers are jobless and that future students like us are going to be jobless as well. It is scary to know that police officers are losing their jobs leaving our neighborhoods unprotected. Where is our safety? I hope that things get better for the well being of all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The law enforcement layoffs are very unfortunate, I have personally felt the impact of the loss of security. Recently, I became a victim of property theft, I notified law enforcement and was immediately directed to an online reporting service where it took several days to hear back from someone. Needless to say, I was beyond frustrated.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for bringing light to this. I have been on both sides of this topic and want very badly for the economy to turn around so we can get more help in the streets with new police officers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good blog. I always wonder how and what our local law enforcement agencies are doing. With all these layoff, what's going to happen if the crime rate escalated? I have a feeling that criminals are going to take advantage of the layoff and start to commit more crime.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you all for your comments. This is a topic that I am very passionate and frustrated about. There is an ever growing applicant pool of candidates wanting to get into law enforcement careers that are being met with closed doors. In addition, good cops are being laid off and their careers are being put on hold. I hope this situation changes soon!

    ReplyDelete