Atlanta to receive $11.3 million in stimulus funds to hire cops
July 28, 2009 at 8:34 pm by Thomas Wheatley in News
Thanks to some Obamabucks from Washington, D.C., Atlanta residents could see more police officers patrolling the streets — possibly this fall.
Vice President Joe Biden today announced $1 billion in economic stimulus funds to hire 4,700 police officers in cities across the country. The funds will be administered through the U.S. Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, program.
Atlanta’s set to receive $11.2 million of that loot — enough to hire 50 police officers. (You can view a PDF of Atlanta’s award letter here.)
That’s a far cry from the 200 officers Mayor Shirley Franklin had hoped for earlier this year. But after a weekend of high-profile shootings, killings and carjackings, it’s good news for a city that looks safer on paper than it feels on the streets.
In a statement about the funding, Atlanta Deputy Chief George Turner said:
…the goal is to have a recruit class this fall with the 50 new recruits. Once the officers are trained they will be dispatched into the community. The police department is proud and happy to add 50 new officers to the force, said Chief Turner. All the positions awarded under the grant must be used to initiate or enhance community policing in the City of Atlanta.
There’s a catch, however.
Again, from the release:
When the grant funding ends, there must be a plan to sustain the additional officers as the City seeks to increase the police force to reach a minimum goal of 2,000 police officers.
That means the city will have to find the cash to keep those additional officers on patrol.
You’d think the press release announcing the award would include a quote from Police Chief Richard Pennington, who’s been noticeably silent after this weekend’s crimes. After all, this is good news. But no, no quote from Pennington.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
July 28th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
This makes sense to me because I am stupid. I like Obama. I think it is stimulative to support a police department that ran over its budget by 10 million without a corresponding reduction in crime. I think it is smart hire new officers while more experienced officers are on furlough, and that’s because it makes sense that we will wake up one day with money trees in bloom. I trust that the 10% and climbing unemployment rate is what my president meant when he said it would not pass 8%.
Gee, everything is swell. I’m going to eat me some chicken and a watermelon.
July 28th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Wow, this is almost exactly the same amount that the city council voted to spend (read: borrow and then spend) on the MLK papers last week (Yes, the papers that were supposed to be bought with private funds). This city is very good at spending money that it does not have.
Of course we need the police. There are just a lot of other things we do not need and in two years (because that is all this pays for), there are going to be 50 police officers that the city cannot afford to pay because of fiscal malfeasance.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:32 am
if forrest gump has taught us anything it’s that stupid is as stupid does.