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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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February 11, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Arrests fall as violent crime rises in Detroit
Low police morale cited; union points to pay cuts, 12-hour shifts
By George Hunter
Detroit — Violent crime is up but arrests are down, and some inside the Detroit Police Department blame low officer morale.
The fourth quarter of 2012 saw significantly fewer arrests in most precincts and districts compared with previous years — and the largest declines were in some of the city's most crime-ridden areas.
In the Eastern District, which Cmdr. Steve Dolunt called "the most violent district in the country," arrests plummeted from 1,899 in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 1,700 during the same period last year.
Two years ago, the district had 2,342 arrests in the fourth quarter.
"We're down; I'm not happy about that," Dolunt said during a recent Detroit Police Command Accountability meeting. "I think it's morale — (officers) don't want to make arrests; they don't want to go to court."
Interim Police Chief Chester Logan said he's "concerned" about the drop in arrests, although he said he isn't sure what's causing it.
"I can't say for sure whether it's morale or not, but it's something I'm definitely going to look into," Logan said.
Last year, salaries of Detroit police officers were cut 10 percent and benefits reduced. The city also imposed 12-hour shifts to put more police on patrols. Mayor Dave Bing recently acknowledged the switch from eight-hour workdays is "difficult on our officers."
Since 2010, two police chiefs have quit amid sex scandals.
The combination of pay cuts and controversies has taken their toll, said retired Detroit Police Officers Association president Joe Duncan, who warned last year that arrests would plummet when the city imposed pay and benefit cuts on officers.
"This isn't unexpected at all," Duncan said. "When you feel like you're undercompensated and underappreciated, you're not going to perform your job as well as you would otherwise. That's just human nature."
Current union President Mark Diaz agreed the imposition of longer hours and lower pay has made the job tougher.
"The stress of being a police officer in a city with a crime rate like Detroit is only enhanced when a tour of duty is extended by an additional four hours a day, and pay and benefits are slashed to a point where our members are also concerned whether their homes will be foreclosed on," Diaz said. "The unintentional result is a decrease in personal effectiveness."
Some observers said the reforms stemming from a 2003 federal consent judgment have contributed to the decline. The decree — which is still in place — identifies and scrutinizes officers who make large numbers of unjustified arrests.
Now, those officers are making fewer wrongful arrests, said one official, who likened the situation to declines in traffic deaths after the passage of seat belt laws.
Another longtime Detroit police officer, who declined to be identified because of fear of reprisal, acknowledged the morale issue.
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We're not shirking our duties when it comes to serious stuff like assaults and robberies," the officer said.
"But they're not bothering with the smaller things. Officers are tired from working these 12-hour shifts.
"On top of that, a lot of them are single parents, and they're losing money having to pay baby sitters now that they're working 12-hour shifts. So, yeah, morale is down, and arrests are down."
A third Detroit officer said his incentive to perform had been reduced.
"They keep taking money from us, and, to be honest, I'm just not as motivated," said the officer, who also requested anonymity for fear of repercussions.
"I'm not going to let some citizen be in danger, and I'll still answer my runs — but am I as willing to go chase some guy because he's got drugs on him, and take a chance of getting killed? No."
Arrest statistics for the entire year weren't available. But fourth-quarter numbers show arrests declined throughout the city.
In the 2nd Precinct in northwest Detroit, there were 984 in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The number fell to 486 during the same period in 2011 and to 366 in the fourth quarter last year.
In the 4th Precinct in southwest Detroit, officers made 240 arrests in the fourth quarter — down from 458 in 2011 and 845 in 2010.
"People are afraid out here, and nobody seems to want to do anything about it," said Tamela Morton, a mother of three who moved from the Martin Luther King Apartments near downtown after someone riddled her unit with bullets in April.
"It's ridiculous," she said. "The police aren't arresting these people — and when they do arrest them, they're back on the street in a few days. A few days before my house was shot up, a young man broke into someone's apartment. The police arrested the boy, and two days later, he was right back out there."
Dolunt said while the number of arrests in the Eastern District has dropped, his officers are making "quality arrests."
"We're getting guns off the street," he said.
"But I'm certainly not happy arrests are down."
ghunter@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2134 |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:07 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint Police most likely has a morale issue! Their pay was cut far more drastically than Detroit and more than other governmental units. They have a lawsuit pending Genesee County Crcuit Court over the drastic pay cuts.
There is a federal lawsuit over the Police Department not following the Collective Bargaining Agreement and other personnel policies regarding promotions within the department. White officers are alleging reverse discrimination.
But watch out for more officers, black officers, who may file suit over the improper promotions that were most likely based on cronyism.
The Chief got visibly angry last night when this Detroit article was mentioned and he was questioned about the impact of the 12 hr sshifts on morale. He shot back that the officers loved the shifts and would fight to keep them. That is odd as the officers voted to not have 12 hr shifts prior to the administration enacting them.
The Chief also stated the city was broken down into 4 quadrants. He said each quadrant has 2 cars manned by 2 officers each and a 1-man car that was a roving car for emergency dispatch to other areas of the city. That would mean 20 officers per shift. I have yet to see these 2-man cars. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:18 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I was just reminded that the police law suit over the pay cuts also asked for an end to the return of the 8 hour shifts.
So much for the veracity (truthfulness) of Chief Lock. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:30 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
I was just reminded that the police law suit over the pay cuts also
asked for an end to the return of the 8 hour shifts.
So much for the veracity (truthfulness) of Chief Lock.
You previously stated "
He shot back that the officers loved the shifts and would fight to keep them.
That is odd as the officers voted to not have 12 hr shifts prior to the administration enacting them."
What does "end to the return of the 8 hour shifts" mean? Looks like they could be asking to drop discussion about returning to 8 hour shifts. If that's true, Lock must be right. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:54 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Typo- I started to say end the 12 hour shifts and return to the 8 hour shifts.
frustrated because of the ads that pop up just as I am hitting submit and I end up losing my post. Then I keep timing out.
Also the law suit regarding the 312 arbitration asked to end the 12 hour shifts. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:01 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
frustrated because of the ads that pop up just as I am hitting submit and I end up losing my post. Then I keep timing out.shifts.
OT: If you're using Firefox, try plugin Adblock Plus. Or, with Internet Explorer or FF, also set your popup blocker. |
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Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:46 pm |
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