A large number of Police and Firefighters get canned in East St. Louis. What recovery?

Recently, East St. Louis has gutted much of their police force. Apparently this city already suffering economic strife and urban blight for years will be experiencing an uptick in violence, gang activity, home invasions, and other criminal activities associated with a significant depletion of manpower in law enforcement. Moreover, firefighters will be suffering layoffs as well. I hope property owners have their water bills current, because they may be putting out fires with buckets and water hoses?

East St. Louis Police, Firefighter Layoffs Take Effect

The embattled city of East St. Louis has 19 fewer police officers patrolling its streets and 11 fewer firefighters. The city council voted Friday to lay off nearly 40 workers, including the firefighters and police. The layoffs took effect Sunday. Keith Randolph, vice president of the police union, says the layoffs leave the city with about 30 officers.

East St. Louis has been known for years to be one of the leaders in homicide and violent crime. Unemployment has been high for years and the city is practically a cadaver of its former self in terms of prosperity and urban development.



The video above is from 2007, but the city has not changed much since then and has only gotten worse with the financial crisis. These recent cuts are likely to embolden criminals in their nefarious activities. We have seen what a undermanned police force has done for the City of Chicago. Criminals are shooting and murdering in broad daylight. As a matter of fact about a week ago, hoodlums shot up a public place where large groups gather at a Chicago Transit Authority bus stop.

Chicago Violence: 9 Shot At South Side CTA Bus Terminal

Nine people were shot Monday night when a gunman began spraying bullets at a South Side CTA turnaround.

Now, the shootings have been attributed to gang on gang violence, but still, a bus terminal; where there is significant foot traffic and motorists around? Then there were three police officers shot and killed. Two in robberies and one in a police department parking lot after shift change. Two were still in their uniforms.

Thomas Wortham, Chicago Police Officer And Iraq War Veteran, Killed In Robbery Attempt

Chicago Police Officer Thor Soderberg Killed with Own Weapon in the Line Of Duty

City bids farewell to Officer Michael R. Bailey

Three officers shot and killed in a matter of months? Chicago is also in budgetary abyss at the moment, and certainly an attribution to their own cuts in the police force and other vital services.

Chicago Budget Faces $654 Million Deficit

Chicago officials on Friday revealed an estimated shortfall of more than $650 million in next year's budget. Budget chief Eugene Munin says the deficit is a result of declining revenues and an increase in city expenditures.

Now, I mention Chicago as an example because I a familiar with the city. It may be a sign of what is to come for East St. Louis a city already ravaged by violence and budgetary woes? Then like Chicago, East St. Louis is ravaged by political corruption as well which could be a contributing factor to budgetary problems and abnormalities. Here is a brief snapshot of the corruption that has ravaged East St. Louis for much of its history and it is far ranging at that.

House of cards could fall with Ellis indictment

East St. Louis police chief Ronald Matthews, 55, of East St. Louis, Ayoub S. Qattoum 40, of Belleville, and Janerra Carson-Slaughter, 28, of East St. Louis, were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.

Another swipe was aimed at the city's director of Regulatory Affairs, Kelvin Ellis, 55, of East St. Louis, a convicted felon who was accused of obstruction of justice and filing false tax returns.

The indictment claims that Ellis attempted to obstruct a grand jury investigation regarding potential election fraud and other possible criminal investigations and sought to have a federal witness discredited by placing drugs on the witness, and later sought to have the witness killed.

Ellis is charged with four counts of obstruction of justice between Oct. 5, 2004, and Nov. 24, 2004.

Here is another example of someone associated with East St. Louis and a federal employee.

The former manager of an East St. Louis federal housing agency was convicted in 2006 for embezzling nearly $158,000. She spent most of the money on gambling.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

That is blatant corruption and on a grand scale. This criminality is appalling and epidemic. By apathy from the general public corruption continues is accepted. Moreover, as cities rot and decay, government continues to poke and prod people with tax increases. Where is all the money going and why is everything in terms of services and infrastructure in decline and disrepair? Taxpayers ought to be screaming at the top of their lungs and sounding the alarm at the rate of criminality affecting their communities, political system, and the significant tax increases for what turns out to be essentially nothing?

This latest move by East St. Louis is just another example of how bad the financial crisis truly is and how the MSM is purposely distorting the seriousness of it. Remember our benevolent leaders have told us we are in recovery. Perhaps what is affecting East St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, and other cities in peril at the moment may find its way to your place of residence? Watch your backs when leaving your home and guard your wallets. I hope the residents of East St. Louis remember their kevlar vests and sidearms before going to the store for a gallon of milk in the future, because the criminals are going to have field day at this latest announcement.


[edit on 2-8-2010 by Jakes51]

second Detroit in the making, what else can i say about this news, i'm totally not surprised because your government has been spending billions in black projects, 1.5 trillion dollars is missing, and add up the 2 wars thats another trillion wasted, the most interesting thing about this news is that your really screwed and your government still spending billions.

Maybe the road warrior type future is not such a far fetched prediction?
It seems reasoable that the worse the police get outgunned the more tempting the corrupt inducements become.
Here wanna take this ten grand or have your teen shot at school?
The pressure must get intense on the last good ones.
When police face these kinds of situations daily, the less time they have to pay attention to the niceties like rights and such as well.
Who could blame them sometimes for shooting first?
I am sure everyone wants to come home from work alive and in one piece....
I dont love the police, but they are having a tougher time every day.
I only see this situation aggravated in future

I can see in the not too distant future we will all have to go back to the days of the "Old West". We will have to take care of our own because there won't be anyone else around to help. Get your neighbors to have their buckets ready for the next big fire - round up a posse to catch a criminal, take the law into your own hands and hope when the sheriff gets back from out of town he doesn't lock you up.

Well, you coulnd't pay me enought to be a public servant in that city. It was always a joke, heading from Chicago, not to get lost there, and I am talking the 70's and 80's for the time frame. Anyone remember National Lampoons, "Vacation?' It was funny, but so true.

If people wonder about jobs, for those that do public service in E. St. Louis versus Big Sir, or San Diego, who should get paid more? And would it surprise you who does?

If you have a cushy cop job, on the beach, why should you get paid more than a cop from East St. Louis?

It isn't right, that people have to live in fear to call the cops, because of budget cuts.

Spread the dough around to places where people need it, so we have some freakin consistancy in this country.

Move the San Diego Cops to East St. Louis, as they are public servants.

reply to post by aspx


In the case of Chicago, it may very well be a second Detroit in the making. Their budget deficit is phenomenal and crime is the highest I have seen in a long time. With East St. Louis, there has always been high crime and high unemployment for the last 30 years. Therefore, it would be in the best interests of the city to maintain their police force at the very least and set aside adequate funding. People with a lot of idle time will resort to crime, and a police presence would hopefully keep people civil. Then they want to continue raising taxes after all these cuts to services. Tax always go up but never go down. In the case of these lay-offs, are residents going to get a decrease in taxes? Probably not, and more money will disappear into thin air.

reply to post by stirling

Yes it seems society to is being groomed for a survival of the fittest way of life. Those with the most guns, most resources, and deepest pockets will have the power. That may be the future as thing steadily decay and dissolve. Lawlessness will become the new law.

Before the eventual collapse happens as police continue to face manpower shortages, pay cuts, and obsolete equipment? The instances of corruption, brutality, and aggressive will commence as they try to stem the tide. Most of the acts will be out of frustration for most. People act out in unspeakable ways when faced hindered by frustration and an uncertain future. Then some cops are just bad to begin and sociopaths in blue uniforms. It will be difficult for the good ones to swim in the pool of sharks which could one day be their department. E. St. Louis is just one city but there are others facing the same perils or will in the near future.

reply to post by crazydaisy

It seems the society is devolving into the "Old West." If the police are unavailable to maintain order and justice? Then the people will take the law into their own hands and can anyone really blame them? Cities, States, and even the Federal Government seems to be in steady decline. Their frivolity and waste knows no bounds. Instead of cutting taxes, cutting spending, and going after corruption it is business as usual. Raising taxes which goes to anywhere but where it is supposed and playing their fiddles as Rome burns.

reply to post by Blanca Rose

I would not want to be a public servant as well. If one has any ounce of integrity and respect for the law, they are usually looked upon as a pariah. It is a sorry state of affairs. Criminality is at epidemic levels and everything is for the taking. From the common criminal all he way to the man wearing the business suit. I wish they would spread the dough around and use the tax payers dollars responsibly.

All this financial crisis has shown me is that many cities, states, and our Federal Government have been shaking the tilt at a horrific rate. I find it absolutely unacceptable all the financial peril and corruption affecting government. It seems almost impossible to fix. The country seems to eating itself from the inside out. The cancer has definitely spread into the bones and practically untreatable. Tough times ahead.

I read a news article about this yesterday. Don't know if this was mentioned in your source.

Mayor and council tried to negotiate with the union about taking days off and a pay freeze in exchange for no layoffs. The union told them no. Mayor and council had no other means but to layoff. The union leadership is greedy and just plain brain dead.

I'm a startin' to think that the public employee unions feel Obama will bail them out instead of suffering the same cutbacks and pay freezes normal people have to suffer. Time will tell on this within the next 4 months after the midterm elections but before the new House and Congressmen take office. If nothing is done to bail State and local public sector unions out with a bailout, there will be even larger layoffs next year in many States and cities.

I'm actually a big union guy and use union craftsmen at just about every opportunity with my bids. BUT, I can also see the handwriting on the wall and some of these public sector unions better be paying attention.

A trade union, plumbers pipefitters, electricians,etc; are totally different than public sector unions for Federal, State, and local governments. There are big differences about why these unions were formed. People just lump all unions together without knowing the history or reasons of unions for certain segments of workers.

It's all over the US.

Oakland, CA - July 13, 2010 - Laid off 80 Police officers
www.sfgate.com...

Oakland, CA - Jul 26, 2010 - Violent Crime Spike Follows Oakland Police Layoff
cbs5.com...

Camden, NJ - Aug 2, 2010 - To lose 50 to 100 officers
Trenton, NJ - Aug 2, 2010 - To lose 110 officers
Newark, NJ - Aug 2, 2010 - To lose 250 officers
www.philly.com...

I'm sure other cities are following suit. And also for firefighters.

reply to post by stirling


That reminds me. I need to invest in mohawks and ATVs.

reply to post by Dbriefed


Thanks for the additional info and I was aware of the layoffs in Oakland. In the case of those New Jersey cities, that is new. This is not an isolated incident but one that may be at epidemic levels. It seems local and state budgets are in free fall and this financial crisis is very far reaching and far from over.

Here is another example of mass lay-offs in the city of Flint, Michigan and the affects it had on the community.

In late March, Flint laid off 46 police officers. One month later, Flint Mayor Dayne Walling had to publicly dismiss a former state representative’s suggestion that officials call in the National Guard to address a crime wave that swept the city, resulting in 100 reported assaults and nine homicides that month. A member of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, Brenda Clack, described Flint’s situation as “civil unrest” and said residents “feel like they are prisoners in their own homes.”

www.mlive.com...