Dear Black Diamond Residents,
The purpose of this letter is to stress the importance of the proposition regarding Public Safety and how its failure will affect the citizens of Black Diamond. This proposition is going to be on the upcoming ballot in May and it is vital that it passes. We feel as though we must share some rather disturbing information which was discussed in the Citizen’s Awareness Committee meeting that we attended last Tuesday evening. Some of the blunt realities of what is to come if this proposition fails again:
Based on population and activity, the necessary size of the Black Diamond Police Department should be 12 officers. This is the number of officers needed to effectively “Protect and Serve” this community on a daily basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At the beginning of 2009, there were 12 officers on staff, including 3 new officers. By the end of 2009, when the proposition failed, they were down to 9 officers. The remaining officers have to carry the burden of being short handed and some programs were scaled back to meet the new budget. Should this proposition fail again, the department will be forced to cut 4 more positions. The department cannot effectively function on a staff of only 5 officers. With too few officers, the ability to respond to calls will be prioritized by order of importance and response times will become much slower.
With a reduction in staff and budget, some programs will be eliminated, programs like DARE and the summertime patrolling of Lake Sawyer will effectively be cut. Many of us on the lake already complain about the minimal patrolling of Lake Sawyer. It will be virtually nonexistent. Those who live on the lake know the results of a minimally patrolled lake, it will only get worse.
The general knowledge of a financially strapped police force, especially in a smaller town, typically results in an increase in crime. If a potential suspect knows the police force can’t effectively respond or follow up on reported activities, it becomes “Open Season” for offenders. Your property values could fall as a result of this.
This last issue regards the internal dynamics of the department from the police officers’ perspective. Police officers are team players. They rely on each other and are more effective knowing they have backup. A reduction in staff may decrease the officer’s safety; without back up they will be entering into dangerous situations alone. Given the recent tragedies of late regarding police officer safety, this is a legitimate concern for every officer.
Public Safety Programs are like life insurance, you take a gamble by not having it, hope you never have to use it, but feel much better knowing it is there if you need it. This proposition has a serious impact on the quality of living in our town. It is important that each person takes the time to fully understand what this proposition is about. It will be the only issue directly connected to Black Diamond on the next ballot. Those of you who wish to be more actively involved and would like to join the Citizen’s Awareness Committee are also encouraged to attend our next meeting at the Black Diamond Bakery on March 18th at 5 pm. Ask yourself, “is my family safe”?
Thank you,
Jason & Renee Brealey
