Partial list - DPOA - Tuebor - April 2017
Nine officers shot or killed since September !!!! Are Detroit Police Officers - Safe ????
For years now, I have said that DPD is at least 1,000 police officers understaffed, Chief Craig says he wants 1,500. DPD is losing police officers at a rapid rate due to low pay and benefits. I have said that the Mayor and Chief should go to Lansing and Washington to get State and Federal Grant money to pay for new officers, better training and better equipment. We have a President Trump that talks tough but provides nothing to aid police departments.
Mark Diaz, President of the DPOA (Detroit Police Officers Association) writes in the Tuebor (DPOA Newspaper) "By stripping retiree healthcare from Detroit's retired heroes the exodus from the DPD is like nothing I've seen before. With the bulk of our membership having between 15 and 20 years of service, the only option for us is to seek employment elsewhere so we can have some semblance of health insurance in our golden years.....The average police pension is a meager $25,000 a year....DPD officers seek employment elsewhere leaving a sparsely staffed PD in their wake..." (April 2017)
I was told at a recent LSA meeting that Academy grads are turning in their badges, having been trained and certified, as they leave the stage and / or the next day, so they can work for other police departments, in safer areas for better pay and benefits. DPD is losing about 25 officers a month - how many are in the Academy and how many are graduating ?
Can a DPD officer feel safe - when calling for assistance or back up, when low staffing is causing problems on all shifts. We see a multitude of police cars at a police officer shooting, as there should be, but what about in normal times, what about when a homIcide occurs and shift cars are called to respond - who takes the 911 calls.
With increased special events, baseball, football, hockey, basketball events and more people coming downtown - How many officers must be assigned downtown, uptown and Corktown and who is going to pay for the police protection - the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons, all owned by BILLIONAIRES, who have taken hundreds of millions of dollars - $$$$$$$$ for their sports palaces and developments, while DPD retirees have NO health care and police officers are low paid.
In the 80's I asked for reflective traffic safety vests for officers - I was hit by a car, on duty, in 1991 - do all DPD officers have a simple safety vest to wear at accidents scenes or in the night ???? The City must honor its responsibilities to the Duty Disabled Officers - Mayor Duggan is NOT.
George Hunter, of the Detroit News, documented for all to see the low manpower numbers - What has been done to increase the number of police officers ??? Has the Mayor / Chief forged an agreement for Ford, Ilitch, Gores, Gilbert and others to pay for new officers to protect their palaces and events ????
Detroit Police Officers need higher pay and better health and retirement benefits - NOW - the Mayor, the Chief know it !!!! This can't wait... Officers need to know they have back up and assistance when its needed and the people of Detroit need to be better protected - and can't be and are not - because of low police manpower.
To honor those Detroit Police Offices that have been killed or injured in the line of duty - the City must commit to their safety and public safety.
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