Montgomery County's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 criticized County elected officials on social media Thursday for "defunding MoCo police" amid a crime wave. The posts on Facebook and Twitter called out County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Council for eliminating 27 police officer positions in the budget. They also cited violent crimes in the county that made area headlines in the last few days.
"3 carjackings in 2 days (2 @ gunpoint, 1 w/ serious injuries) when is @MontCoExec and @MoCoCouncilMD going to get their priorities straight and stop defunding MoCo police?" the posts asked. Officers have reported that morale on the force and officer recruiting efforts are both trending downward.
"Just because of the, so much of the anti-police sentiment, not being treated well," County Officer Petr Speight told CBS' Ted Koppel in a report aired Sunday. "Those kind of things are just discouraging people from wanting to stick around. Things have just changed, the way people view us, and the way they view our role in society and our jobs."
While anti-police sentiment has markedly increased after the death of George Floyd, declining police morale has actually been trending in Montgomery County for more than a decade, based on what officers have told me over that time period. The County Council tried to slash disability benefits for officers in 2009, approving a modified version of that plan in 2011. Councilmembers, and the Washington Post editorial board, falsely characterized officers seeking disability benefits as schemers and scam artists without evidence to back up those claims. Both have publicly criticized County police on a regular basis for a variety of grievances since that opening move.
Everyone has a woke breaking point. At some point, it'll hit close enough to home for the elites running things to demand change. Unfortunately we're not there yet and more people will be hurt/killed until we are. What a shame. What a waste. That's why I'll be conceal carrying.
ReplyDeleteWhen were the Montgomery County Police "defunded"? And by how much?
ReplyDeleteSeems like blame-shifting for their own inability to control the recent spike in crime.
@6:04 AM: Start with this....
ReplyDeletehttps://dcist.com/story/21/03/15/elrich-proposes-cutting-positions-montgomery-county-police-department-mental-health/
6:04 AM: I don't blame the MoCo police for not controlling crime. Given the way they are being treated by elected officials, and the risk that they would end up being prosecuted themelves if criminals die in police custody, why should they bother even trying to control crime? Why should they put their necks on the line? Elected officials are in control of the local police, and I think the police are correctly reading the signals from these officials.
ReplyDelete9:24 is suggesting the police force is actively trying to not do their jobs? That's awfully insulting. And if you are right then I suppose police funds should be redirected to functional departments, yes?
ReplyDeleteMontgomery County State’s Attorney Launches Study On Possible Racial Bias In Prosecutorial Decisions: https://dcist.com/story/21/06/03/montgomery-county-prosecutors-racial-bias-research/
ReplyDeleteConsidering they're all Leftist Democrats, this doesn't surprise me at all. Of course, they're actually the system that apparently perpetuates the systemic racism that they're complaining about. Oh lord I can't keep this straight. My head hurts.
9:36 AM: They're aren't any functional departments under the current leadership. And the police are doing exactly what they have been instructed to do by this leadership. Get real.
ReplyDeleteMy elderly parents were home invaded off bradley blvd section of Bethesda a once safe area
ReplyDeleteThey have very little to steal
No iPads or computers or fancy tv
They are 85
These criminals are stealing from middle class now
Desperate
The police are stretched so thin
The officer was so kind and instructed them to get s house alarm
Crime is out of control
Democrats are disgusting and blm are communists
I think if the police would stop those stupid speed traps on roads posted at silly low limits (think River Road, wide open, 2 lanes between Burdette and Kenwood)
ReplyDelete35 miles an hour, and 3 cop cars giving tickets - you don't engender good feelings that way. Or the cop who sits near the 7-11 coming DOWN the hill on University to Kensington - was 45, then 40, now 35 - a ridiculous speed trap, a money grab.
THAT's not policing, that's revenue enhancement. Apparently they are 54 officers short, but still have time to stick their hands in your pocket.