NBC 4 Investigates: Possible Police Cuts
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Police Cuts?
In one week, Columbus voters will decide whether to pay higher taxes or get fewer services. But can the city afford the cuts?COLUMBUS, Ohio—In one week, Columbus voters will decide whether to pay higher taxes or get fewer services.
The city wants to raise the income tax rate from 2 percent to 2.5 percent for Columbus workers.
Mayor Michael Coleman and other Columbus city leaders have said without the tax hike, the city would make massive cuts to all departments, including laying off hundreds of police officers and firefighters.
But can the city afford the cuts?
When discussing the impact if voters reject the income tax hike, Columbus Police Chief Walter Distelzweig said in May, “You’re probably not going to get much service on a minor crime.“
The cuts would include the possibility of laying off nearly 300 police officers. Combined with retirements, the hypothetical cuts would bring the police force down from 1,892 to 1,568, which would represent the smallest police division since 1993 when the city had just 1,537 sworn officers.
“Will this department ever recover if this happens?“ NBC 4 Patrick Preston asked Distelzweig.
“I don’t know. It won’t be in my lifetime,“ Distelzweig said.
NBC 4 wanted to know how Columbus in 2009 compares to Columbus from 1993. The first difference? Population.
Since 1993, Columbus has added nearly 130,000 additional residents for a total of 776,463 people—not counting those who work in the city, but live outside.
The city has also grown to 227 square miles of land, which is 28 more square miles for police to cover than in 1993—more new land than the city of Dublin (24.5 square miles).
More people, more land and more police officers. Is there more crime?
NBC 4 compared FBI crime statistics for Columbus from 1993 to the most recent statistics from 2007 and found that crime has decreased in five of eight major crime categories: murder, robberies, aggravated assaults, motor vehicle thefts and arsons.
So can the city afford to lose officers? It’s a question only time will tell, but http://www.policepay.net, a police compensation consulting company based in Oklahoma, points out that with 1,892 sworn officers, Columbus has more than 2.4 police officers per 1,000 residents.
That number is larger than the national average of two officers per 1,000 residents.
If the city was forced to cut sworn officers as Distelzweig discussed, Columbus would have two officers per 1,000 residents.
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Reader Reactions
Thought you’d all like to know in NBC4’s story on Pickerington Police they cited FBI guidelines instead of the internet
“The chief cited FBI data, which states there needs to be 2.4 police officers for every thousand people in the city” see story on Pickerington Police.
Minor Crimes aren’t really investigated much or solved often. So the response argument is null. I have had 2 cars stolen and the police simply show up 24 hours later and take a report and file it. That’s all they do. No search, nothing, and it takes 24 hours to show up. All our police force really does is catch speeders, find murderers after they have murdered and clean up messes. It’s not their fault, but more or less police officers will not change this.
As far as I am concerned, cut services. If I need my trash picked up once every two weeks, fine. I can drive to the dump. We need all forms of government to do what we do when times are tough, spend less and give us less.
wow09,
It’s not the pricetag of the helicopter fleet that is the problem. Do you have any idea what it costs to maintain and operate a turbine helicopter, per hour?
This morning The Columbus Dispatch ran an article on its front page indicating that a “$12.7 million federal grant was awarded to Columbus yesterday to hire or retain up to 50 police officers.“ If further indicated that it “does not lessen the need for a city income-tax increase, city officials said.“ $12.7 million is a lot of money!! Why is the income tax needed??? IT’S NOT. PLEASE VOTE “NO.“
The city screwed this up from the beginning by not making issue 1 a POLICE/FIRE levy instead of a blanket income tax hike. OK, so hundreds of police and fire personnel are on the chopping block. Voting yes will keep them and you will know your extra money is going towards that fact.
People are wise to the fact that this general income tax hike will just increase the mayor’s and city council’s pet project fund, and they do not have to put any money towards the police and fire departments if they choose not to.
I also think our city government is aware of this and that is why you don’t see them plastered all over the city begging for this increase to pass. Instead that part is being passed off to the police and fire departments who have no choice because it’s all or nothing for them.
The media in Columbus should have looked closer into Coleman’s office (which I was told by a city employee was almost an entire floor in City Hall) and his army of “assistants” for ways to cut the deficit. Others are aware of this because I’ve read numerous comments on this site about it.
Maybe others have heard, but ever since City Auditor Dorrian stated the levy would not bring us out of the red even if it passes, how will the budget be balanced for the remainder then? Turn I-270 into a turnpike? :)
Also I have not heard and answer regarding the income tax being returned the the pre-levy level when the economy recovers. The only responses to this I’ve seen are “we haven’t had an increase in 20 some years, stop whining!“ I assume the answer would be no, but who knows.
Taxation without representation is just wrong. Maybe legal, based on a court decision handed down almost 60 years ago. Long ago when the suburbs were just sleepy villages before white flight and freeways emptied the downtown areas of residents. Now over half the income tax receipts come from those folks who left the clutter and turmoil for a more open and peaceful environment. They don’t need as much police and fire protection as do certain well delineated ares according to published maps of locations of shootings, gun shots and violent crime in the immediate periphery of downtown Columbus. Getting shot on the freeway going to and from work doesn’t seem to happen around here, So, there just doesn’t appear to be any reason that a non resident, subject to the Columbus income tax should feel the necessity to fork over any more tax than he already does.
There are already more police per person than the average for a city this size. Maybe we could do with less.
Finally,if the mayor does fire 500 or so police and firemen; he needs to go down through his table of organization and explain to the people of Columbus why the retained personnel are more important than police and fire men to serve the people of Columbus. It is the duty of the mayor to “protect and serve” the citizens. Not for the citizens to “protect and serve” the mayor and city government by forking over more tax money.
It is important for residents of Columbus to remember that the income tax increase is asking all people who work in our city to help carry the burden of the services we all benefit from. Those who live in Westerville, Worthington, Dublin, Gahanna, Pickerington, etc and who work in Columbus and play in Columbus (theaters, festivals, museums, etc) need to help pay for the police and fire service they use when they come to our city. I think most of the opposition we are hearing from are from those who live outside the city and don’t seem to care if the residents of Columbus go without trash service, code enforcement and necessary police and fire. But you can bet your back side they will be screaming bloody murder and want instant attention when they visit the Ohio Theater or COSI and someone bumps their shiny new red convertible or breaks into their Hummer because they left their Satellite Radio or GPS on the dash. They should be responsible to help pay for the services they benefit from!
Hi, I have many answers to some of your questions.
1. Police helicopters are already paid for, they are not costing the city any additional monies. They have been paid for, for a long time.
2. The money Obama sent to save to recruits was only enough until the first of next year. That money is all gone.
3. The new toy (treehouse) was paid for by federal grant money. No city dollars spent.
Police use money given for the toys everyone talks about, but they need the tax increase to keep their numbers. Please stop looking at what we have as a bad thing, they are all very important for day to day safety.
mor i couldnt have said it better myself..
NBC$ sez: “NBC 4 compared FBI crime statistics for Columbus from 1993 to the most recent statistics from 2007 and found that crime has decreased in five of eight major crime categories”......Well guys, there’s a reason for that. It’s called concealed carry, the castle doctrine, and armed homeowners. Protect yourselves folks, it’s YOUR duty, not that of the police department.
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