09/23/05  Some neighborhoods have no police patrolling now!

Say what you like, but if Dallas police officers are not routinely patrolling our neighborhoods and parks, then they have NO BUSINESS getting "extra duty pay" to do so in neighborhoods and at businesses that can afford to pay over and above their tax rate to have them there!  Especially if these officers are using our squad car, our uniform, our badge, and our guns and ammunition.

I can assure you that if you asked them to tell you if the rate they charge covers the costs of the car's operation (gas and oil), maintenance, and depreciation, it would not even come CLOSE! 

So, once again, the average taxpayer gets the short end of the stick!  The rich guys win again -- and at our expense.

Some officers contend that their low pay requires them to have to work extra jobs.  Two things come to mind here --  

Please answer a question for me.  If an officer commits an error, kills someone accidentally, or wrecks the squad card on their "extra duty" job, whose insurance and liability kicks in?  I really don't know the answer, so a response from someone in DPD or the City's Risk Management office would be helpful here.

Let's not forget DPD's response recently at the Zoo when the gorilla got loose.  The area chief delegated this crisis to his lower level staff because it happened at the end of the day just before he was heading off to his "extra duty job"!  Talk about an officer who should have been fired!  He put his extra duty job before his responsibility to the citizens of Dallas who made either of his jobs possible in the first place.  Maybe had he been late for his extra duty job, the gorilla would have lived and some of his experience and expertise would have benefited the citizens of Dallas.

Most of us really do support and respect Dallas police officers.  But enough is enough! 

Based on performance, what other group of City employees gets a 15% raise and does not answer 911 calls, does not respond to burglar alarms, costs us millions in Fake Drug law suits, (and on and on)?  What other group of City employees gets to use City equipment and resources to do "extra duty" work?  Thankfully, NONE!

DallasArena.com has correctly pointed out for years that the split between the "haves and the have nots" in this city is growing.   When we allow a system of City subsidized "favoritism" (I am trying not to use the term "class discrimination") to exist and flourish, then unfortunately, we average voters, citizens, and taxpayers, deserve to be underserved.

In my opinion, the Police are completely over the top on this issue and the Council has turned its back on the citizens they are supposed to represent.  The Council has also abdicated their duty to help make Dallas a great place for all of us.

It hurts my feelings to know that 80% of our uniformed police and fire officers do not even live in the city limits.  It's about 70% for our civilian employees.  Does it bother anybody other than me that our city is being run by "outsiders" -- workers who do not have a stake in how things are done and how things turn out?

Citizen D