---Why are the cops leaving? They are utterly demoralized. They face low pay to fight a losing war against crime in a city that will not commit resources to the battle. “We have to use our own shotguns," one patrolman was quoted in the New York Times. "This isn't theirs; this is my personal gun."---
This has been the problem for forever there. Back in the 70ss and 80s it wasn't uncommon for policemen with more than three kids to qualify for foodstamps. The city didn't even pick up all of their salary - the state supplemented it and it was still not very good.
And there was an attitude about paying cops. A friend of mine once said, "It's a very good salary for someone with only a high school degree."
People complained about graft and corruption and brutality in the police force. Back when I paid attention to this, which was probably in the 80s, lot of times blacks were hoping white cops would respond because they felt the black cops were more likely to be brutal.
Yet no one was willing to do what it took to get quality people and retain them.
And they didn't have enough to do the job the city needed, anyway.
Slogan for years has been the city that care forgot, but in many ways, it was the city that forgot to care.
Yes, good points. One of the policemen who used to come to our neighborhood watch meetings told us that there wasn't even a health benefits program for the police. This was in the mid-80s. We couldn't fathom the concept of no health care for someone in a dangerous line of work.