Quote:
Originally Posted by chillrob
I don't think it was trivial. But also they did lower their head count quite a bit, and got rid of the street crime unit, like Memphis just did.
And things got a lot worse.
The way I look at it, this shows how much worse things get even with what you call trivial cuts, so things will likely get worse even faster and further with bigger cuts.
The funding cuts that many cities enacted (and many quickly retracted) is a separate issue than the decrease in proactive policing, although I am sure there are some correlations. And the funding coming back hasn't necessarily brought back proactive policing as if they were directly correlated.
But yeah, Portland is the poster child for disastrous effects of getting rid of special crime units. Although a big part of the problem leading to the dramatic uptick in homicides and drug overdoses (which probably deserves its own thread) is the dual headed monster of:
1. The open southern border where cartels are bringing in fentanyl to sell on the streets.
2. Progressive drug policies of ignoring, and in some cases facilitating, fentanyl use.