Police to Public: Bug Us Too Often, Expect a Bill

Police to Public: Bug Us Too Often, Expect a Bill

www.foxnews.com

The first homeowner to be billed under a law that allows police to charge people got a tab for $23,000 last week.

Police have been called to the home dozens of times since last summer and 10 times so far this year, they said.

An ordinance that took effect in 2002 calls for taxpayers to pay for the first eight police responses to a home in a year. After that, the homeowner may be charged $500 per visit, what police estimate it costs to pay officers and maintain equipment for a single call.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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I understand where they are coming from, BUT, who's paying them to begin with, the taxpayer, so as long as you call the police and it isn't a "false" call, they should answer EVERY VALID call they get, without charging ANYBODY!

It seems to me like EVERY part of government is just trying to get more money out of the publics pockets!

And I think $500 IS a little steep!

I know some cops and most make around $24 to $30 an hour, so they go to a call for a 1/2 hour, then do a 1/2 hour of paperwork, (cost $24 to $30). So it cost them $470 in "maintenance" for this 1 hour it took the officer??

They better get a better maintenance program together pronto!

No wonder they are looking to charge the public for calling them!

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 23/1/08 by Keyhole]

People fail to realize that the job of the police isn't to protect the individual. Their job is to keep public order. That's why the disarming the individual (violating the second amendment to the Constitution and idiotically refusing us the Castle Doctrine) is so harmful; you can't expect the police to protect you from everything, always. They're a peace-keeping force, not your team of personal bodyguards.

I don't agree with that, though. It's insane.

This is a GREAT thing. People need to stop relying on the police. People need to ignore the police, let them die off useless and unfunded. People need to take control of their own safety and security and the police need to back off when people do.

Basic economics: if you subsidize something you get more of it, if you tax it you get less. Well, here's the police "taxing" us so hopefully we get less police standing in the way of the people.

Well there's also the amortization on the taser and an hour's worth of electricity to recharge it, and of course the cost of gasoline. There's the missing $$ right there.

But seriously, if you have 8 unnecessary police visits to your home in a year, number nine should be paid by you. The vast majority of citizens don't have that many in a lifetime.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
This is a GREAT thing. People need to stop relying on the police..

Well, when it's illegal to shoot someone who comes into your house and tries to kill you, there's not much else to do.

Thanks, New York.

reply to post by Keyhole


That's BS our TAXES pay for cops. They want more money they need to start reselling those drugs the confiscate.

Originally posted by gottago
But seriously, if you have 8 unnecessary police visits to your home in a year, number nine should be paid by you. The vast majority of citizens don't have that many in a lifetime.

I didn't read the original article but from what was posted it doesn't look like they are distinguishing between unnecessary and necessary.

What happens if your home is invaded 9 times in 1 year? Are we to pay the police to protect and serve us which is their job?

Everything will be outsourced, the police will be security guards you have to pay. Just look at the way things are going.

I'm sory, but I disagree that they should charge the taxpayers for calls!

They ALREADY have their budget for the year, the equipment they need, and everything else. They don't NEED the extra money because the taxpayer already GAVE them what they need!

And the $500 "fee" is just NUTS!

(I wish I could charge $500 when we get called out for an emergency call! My company does water & fire damage restoration)

It's the police departments job to answer calls, that's what they do, that's what they get paid for by the taxpayers!

[edit on 23/1/08 by Keyhole]

Originally posted by earthman4
Everything will be outsourced, the police will be security guards you have to pay. Just look at the way things are going.

I figure the way things are going all police will be replaced by UN Peacekeepers. Then we'll all get to sit around unarmed and helpless while they rape our wives, daughters and pets and give our babies HIV.

reply to post by Keyhole


where i live in the past when i used to call the police after witnessing criminal behaviour taking place outside my house ----they used to come---these were not false alarms---example a kid pulling out a knife and threatening 2 other kids with it.dogs from the indian reserve a mile away running in packs down our street at night growling at people outside and"hunting?" for cats? and other dogs?


apparently i called too many times for things similar to this but the police refused to come anymore----i must have reached my limit---whatever it might be?

now i dont call them anymore because they might not come anyway-----i'm not so stupid that i would place myself between parties that want to fight-----its a shame to see people hurting each other with a police force that couldn't care less.

they dont seem to have a problem visiting the same old dives every day for a break or handing out speeding tickets for minor infractions in the same hotspots where its hard to see them parked before its too late.

Im sorry but police have better things to do then go to houses when the majority of police calls are for downright STUPID reasons. The neighbor who calls the police because of loud music, a group of kids just being kids, and generally anything they can when they have real criminals to chase.

If I called the police only to have them take too long to reach a crime scene where the criminals escaped because they were too busy tending to the eighty year old lady who complains about everything anyone in the neighborhood does - id be pissed, as well as expect her to pay for a waste of resources.

I used to have neighbors that would call the police every night I had friends over, every time someones car was "too loud" (im sorry but its hard to make a 800 horsepower camaro quiet), and generally anything they thought they could call for they did. Now the police dont even bother with them, and I hope something really does happen so they realize that they shouldn't of cried wolf so many times when it was unnecessary.

Let the police do their job - there is no reason you need to call the police more then eight times in a year.

This is awesome, I fully agree people call the police for ridiculous reasons far too often. In my "city" of just under 100,000 people, there were 124,000 911 calls last year (granted that's police-fire-medical together)... but geez! If you've had to call the police 8 times in a year something is critically wrong. I've never dialed 911 in my entire life, let alone developed a first-name basis with the emergency operators.

The only problem I see with this is that if you live in an area where you have to call the police on a regular basis, there's probably no way you can afford a $500 hit.

reply to post by deadline527


There ARE laws about playing music too loud at night AND about cars being too loud, that is why you can't go down the road with open headers.

A car on the road and music being played at night (in some areas even in the daytime) have to be (at least are suppose to be) below a certain decibel. I don't know if your music and cars were loud enough to break the law, but there are laws pertaining to how loud they can be.

As long as people are calling for a valid reason, they should NEVER be charged a fee by the police and the police should ALWAYS answer their call!

[edit on 23/1/08 by Keyhole]

I think a lot of people are commenting just on that little part thats quoted and not the whole article. The rest of the article says that its not the houses that are doing the calling that get penalized, its the ones they get called to (and that domestic violence and medical emergencies don't count).
So if you are running a drug house and your neighbors complain enough, its gives them another way to get rid of you. I would think that if people are complaining about you that much, there is most likely something you can and should be doing to change. Some may have little respect for the police, but most will listen when it starts to affect their money.

[edit on 23-1-2008 by Fogweb]

reply to post by Fogweb


That lends itself to another set of problems. What if you don't particularly care for a neighbor and you call the cops with bogus complaints over and over. You'd be setting them up for financial ruin or at the very least a terrible inconvenience of having to prove their innocence in a your word against mine type scenario.

Also, if the calls are legitimate and some deadbeat trashy family next door finally does get hit with a fine or bill why on Earth would they pay? After all they're a bunch of trashy deadbeats who, given that the police get called on them over and over, really don't care one way the other about civility or propriety. They'll just ignore it like they'd ignore child support or parking tickets or even court dates.

Originally posted by deadline527
Im sorry but police have better things to do then go to houses when the majority of police calls are for downright STUPID reasons. The neighbor who calls the police because of loud music, a group of kids just being kids, and generally anything they can when they have real criminals to chase.

I used to have neighbors that would call the police every night I had friends over, every time someones car was "too loud" (im sorry but its hard to make a 800 horsepower camaro quiet), and generally anything they thought they could call for they did. Now the police dont even bother with them, and I hope something really does happen so they realize that they shouldn't of cried wolf so many times when it was unnecessary.

Let the police do their job - there is no reason you need to call the police more then eight times in a year.

Um, all of the reasons that you cited as "Stupid" are precisley what we have police for. People violating noise ordinances and kids vandalizing or loitering are criminal activities. It is the duty of the police to ensure compliance with the laws - ALL OF THEM - not just the ones you like.

Sounds to me like the police got called on you because you and your friends have little or no respect for your neighbors or your local laws. Would you have rather your neighbors come over with a 12 guage and fill your POS Camarro full of holes and your stereo as well? Because without the police to remind you of your obligation to be considerate of others and live within the ordinances established in your township - that would be the alternative!