Written by Bernie Carr
We’ve been hearing about major cities’ plans to defund their police departments, but today, we are hearing that with all the turnover going on, there may be aleady be police shortage in many areas.
86% of police departments have staff shortages
According to a recent study reported by the National Police Foundation, almost nine out of ten police departments in the country are experiencing staff shortages.
Authorities are concerned that this is going to be a threat to public safety.
What’s going on?
More and more police officers are:
- Retiring
- Looking for other employment
- Moving to other areas
- Low morale
In some cities, police personnel are being singled out and attacked. Add that budget shortfalls in many cities, difficulty in recruiting, and you are looking at a possible severe shortage of police officers in a year or two.
Just a few examples:
San Francisco:
As politicians debate the future of San Francisco policing, there is another discussion going in the station houses: the record number of officers resigning.
In the first six months of the year, 23 sworn officers resigned, Police Department records show. Of those, 19 took jobs at other law enforcement agencies, both in California and elsewhere.
By comparison, 26 officers resigned in all of 2019. And only 12 officers resigned in 2018.
Source: Officer.com
Atlanta:
Atlanta is also having a critical police shortage, as the city is down approximately 400 officers, according to Fox5.
Seattle:
What does this mean to communities?
Because of the shortage of police personnel, it will take longer to get responses to 911 calls. If you are accustomed to police showing up within three to five minutes, it may take nine minutes or longer for a response.
Nine minutes is a long time to wait, as crimes happen within seconds to a minute or two.
If you live in a community that is having mass exodus of police personnel, you need to:
- Avoid problem areas.
- Improve the security of your home or apartment. Make your doors and windows more secure.
- Think about what you would do if you had to barricade yourself in your apartment.
- Consider how you will protect yourself and your home legally if you are threatened. If you choose a weapon such as a firearm, learn everything you can to use it safely.
- If you live alone, you need to pay even more attention to security.
- If you do choose to own a firearm, make sure you have legal protection in the event you need to use it. Our contact offers a free survival kit when you join.
- Think about whether this is a good time for you to move to a safe area, or at least a gated community. Of course this would only be if your own personal circumstances allow it.
Most of us still need to live in or near the city due to family, work, school and other necessities. Not everyone can just pick up and move. You just need to be aware of how safe it is in your area, areas to avoid, and find ways to make yourself safe where you are.
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About the author:
Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
If you can afford it at all, look into getting things like window film that traps the glass if it’s broken and a door stopper that makes it much harder to kick in your door. When I lived alone in a studio apartment and worked night shift, I had one of those screamer keychains that deafens you if you set off the siren. They have them for doorknobs. A lot of crime in the city is opportunistic and people will leave if they realize the apartment next door is less secure. Another really good thing is blackout curtains which are about $25 apiece on Amazon and less at Walmart. For some reason rioters are drawn to lighted places and if you have your blackout curtains up and secured at the edges, they’ll throw rocks at a lighted window instead. It’s sad we have to think of these things, but it’s always better to be prepared as much as you can.
Also, say hi to all your neighbors if you see them in the parking lot or laundry room. We had a fight break out between two rival gangs once and my neighbor and I heard someone outside say “No, they’re cool.” and move on. Turns out my neighbor and I had the habit of saying hello and just being civil to everyone, and that gave us a reputation. Knowing us personally I guess made it harder to take out their frustration on than someone anonymous. It’s a simple thing that doesn’t cost anything and it could literally save your life.
My other advice would be not to yell out at people. Some of my neighbors take it on themselves to point out what others are doing like littering or hanging out on the stairs. Call the landlord or even the cops if you need to, but don’t be the rules nazi because that will make you the first person thought of when there’s unrest.
Most of the people in my apartment building were decent people, although their lifestyle or habits didn’t accord with mine. Sometimes you have to accept that others don’t have your lifestyle, your work hours, your taste in music or your tolerance for noise, and that acceptance pays off when there are problems. We’re all in this together. You might even find out that the guy you didn’t approve of speaks up for you when you least expect it.
Hi Aunt Mary, That is some great advice. Window films are a good way to reinforce your glass doors and windows. I do find most of my neighbors are decent people once you get to know them. Thanks for taking the time to share valuable info! I appreciate it.