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Burglarized House? Oakland Police Want You to Know 'We're Not Coming'

By Bruce Carton

Via the free copy of USA Today that was left in my hotel room this morning comes this money quote from the Oakland, Calif. police on the effect of budget cuts in that city: "If you come home to find your house burglarized and you call, we're not coming." Clear enough? Cutbacks in places like Oakland have forced police to prioritize crimes as never before, and to simply "stop responding to fraud, burglary and theft calls as officers focus limited resources on violent crime." What happens if your home is broken into? In places including Oakland, Tulsa and Norton, Mass., you now must file your own report online (here) or in writing. USA Today reports that Oakland laid off 80 officers from its force of 687 last month; Tulsa has lost 110 officers to layoffs and retirements (it is now down to 739 officers) and no longer sends officers to the scene of larceny, fraud and car theft. Here are some of the other crimes for which Oakland says it will no longer be sending officers to the location unless it is "in-progress or there is a suspect on-scene:" ? Lost Property ? Theft ? Vandalism ? Vehicle Burglary ?...

Full post as published by Legal Blog Watch on August 25, 2010 (boomark / email).