Back in the realm of issues that really matter to the great majority of Anaheim voters, Mayor Pro Tem Kris Murray and Councilman Jordan Brandman have called for restoring public safety staffing levels to pre-recession levels. From the OC Register:
City Council members Kris Murray and Jordan Brandman called for restoring public safety staffing to levels not seen since the start of the recession – an undertaking that could cost up to $11million by the middle of 2017.
The effort calls for hiring 49 recruits to bring the Anaheim Police Department back to 403 officers, its highest staffing level since 2008. The Fire Department wants to add 23 hires, allowing it to reach its high of 229 firefighters in 2008.
“I think it’s important that now we’re in a period of recovery that we work as hard as possible to bring our core services back to pre-recession levels, and that starts with public safety,” Brandman said about the proposed staffing levels.
Murray and Brandman said they wouldn’t call for any new assessments to fund the endeavor, relying instead on Anaheim’s recovering hotel, property and sales tax bases. Some hiring has already happened.
This is brass tacks – the kind of stuff (as Barack Obama might put it) about which residents truly care – because the primary thing we expect our local governments to do is keep us safe from criminals. As conservative icon Barry Goldwater once said:
“Security from domestic violence, no less than from foreign aggression, is the most elementary and fundamental purpose of any government, and a government that cannot fulfill that purpose is one that cannot long command the loyalty of its citizens. History shows us – demonstrates that nothing – nothing prepares the way for tyranny more than the failure of public officials to keep the streets from bullies and marauders.”
The reality of Gov. Jerry Brown’s “re-aligment” is that we are less safe from that element. Last fall, the Anaheim Police Department detailed the negative impacts of re-alignment on the city, and there’s no reason to expect that to change given the fiscal and political realities of state government. It is incumbent of cities, where and when possible, to beef up their ability suppress the criminal element, and that means putting cops on the street.
Violent crime reportedly dropped dramatically in Anaheim last year. I guess you just conveniently forgot that.
Gabriel, it’s the street-gangs that are causing this proposal. If the parents will not accept responsibility for their gang raised kids then police, Boys and Girls Club and ESCRI will have to do it for them.
Please include staffing for School Resource Officers.
The SRO is a valued partner to school districts, they work with us to ensure student safety on our school campuses. They know the kids, the teachers, and the layout of each school, but more importantly they know who belongs on our school grounds and who doesn’t. The SRO role is critical to assisting our school districts in their effort to protect our children because they provide essential threat assessment advisement to school leadership. If something goes wrong on our school campus, the SRO will be the one we all know and trust. As a school first responder, the SRO is the most valued member of the school district-APD partnership.
Diane Singer
School Board Trustee for Orange Unified, representing Anaheim Hills
Here is my re-staffing plan for the Anaheim police department based on over 17+ years of experience.
Fire the police chief and the entire command structure.
Fire anyone remaining that has been a police officer since before 1997 (the Loretta Sanchez milestone)
Don’t re-staff with white/latino/asian male cops.
Re-staff with female police officers
Re-staff with black male and female police officers.
This will prevent another 1925 style embarrassment.
With this plan you will further reduce crime and not require additional police officers. Win-win.
You’ve got to be kidding me. I guess hiring officers based on knowledge, merit and skill should be thrown out the window.
Knowledge on how to deliberately destroy a Latino man’s life is the sort of knowledge this community can’t afford much longer.
Would someone other than me explain to Gabriel the only reason crime dropped is because many of the most dangerous gang members were removed from Anaheim and though the overwhelming domination has subsided the threat is still obvious. RIP Lil Clumzy Moreno. GOD Bless Anaheim Police Dog Bruno for a Speedy Recovery.
Thank you Mayor Pro Tem Murray and Councilmember Brandman. This is what we need. Thank you for actually advancing meaningful policy in Anaheim.