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Alto, TX loses entire police force due to budget cuts

MKEgal

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Joined
Jan 8, 2010
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4,383
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in front of my computer, WI
http://www.policeone.com/rural-law-...6-Entire-police-force-laid-off-in-Texas-town/
Former police chief Charles Barron and four ex-officers secured the evidence room, changed the passwords on their computers and locked the department's doors, preparing for a closure that will last at least six months.
...
Now, county sheriff's deputies will handle calls in Alto, but that means police response times that were less than 3 minutes are now up to 15 minutes, and deputies are spread thin, according to CBS News. Twenty-five deputies and reservists will oversee a 1,000 square mile county.
Any questions from the "why do you need a gun? the police will protect you!" crowd?
 

pooley

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Jan 10, 2011
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185
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texas
http://www.policeone.com/rural-law-...6-Entire-police-force-laid-off-in-Texas-town/

Any questions from the "why do you need a gun? the police will protect you!" crowd?

No local police is a pretty common thing in east TX. A lot of communities have to depend on deputies or the constable because they're not incorporated. We're somewhat accustomed to the force being focused on seatbelt tickets & handling our own disputes. (within reason... I don't mean the sort of vigilante stuff in the movies)

Not quite a parallel, I know, but the outcome is the same. It sucks for the LEO's losing their jobs when hiring in somewhere else generally means moving & that's if they can find a municipality with the money to spend on an extra officer or two.

PS: I'm hoping nobody reads any of my comments as derogatory toward LEO's. Their's is a difficult job, being second guessed after every encounter & generally not receiving even 5% of the training they need on Texas law. There are always exceptions, but the few that I know take their job seriously & aren't in it for the power-trip.
 
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hermannr

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Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
2,327
Location
Okanogan Highland
TX isn't the only state that contracts with the county for police protection. We have the same here in WA. Small towns have a hard time making that payroll. I know several small towns here in WA that held out a long time by very strictly enforcing the traffic laws on the state highways that went through their towns, just to provide revenue to pay their salaries. That has pretty much stopped, and most of those local police are now gone.
 
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