Pay now or pay later
During the past five years, Desert Hot Springs PD in California has steadily increased funding to its police department so much so that it now encompasses more than 60 percent of the city’s budget. But that’s what happens in the wake of cuts, pay reductions, layoffs and reduced training that happened in the past which always catches up.
An August study by the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training has found that violent crime rates here are more than 250 percent higher than the national average. Yes, you read that right – 250 percent.
Last month, the city declared a fiscal emergency; a legal maneuver city leaders are hoping will give them more legroom in their efforts to make the necessary cuts, which are being hashed out during ongoing negotiations with city unions, such as the teamsters and the Desert Hot Springs Police Officers’ Association.
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