East St. Louis Police force being downsized

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I commented that we would see more in previous post https://www.survivalandpreparednessf...ire-Department and here is another one.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/i...7a4a78c22.html

Layoffs to gut East St. Louis police force

The Rev. Joseph Tracy said he

[crossbow]

it's time for the citizens to get together and protect themselves, stop waiting for the cops.it' probably their union that has placed their salaries out of reach for the tax payer anyway. the tax payers are stretched out and the unions don't want to give up anything

[Gordon]

The city offered them a deal but the union would not hear of it. Some pay is better than no pay. Hard times are hitting everywhere.

[Bearman202]

Living not too far from there, (or at least not far enough) I have some thoughts on this. Keep in mind that East St. Louis is NOT technically part of St. Louis, Missouri. It's across the river, and has been "economically depressed" for a lot of years. I can remember a guy telling me over 20 years ago that in order to get to his job, he had to drive through East St. Louis. He told me then that the crime was so bad at night, with people robbing people at gunpoint at intersections, that after 10 p.m. they turn off the traffic lights. In other words, you were on your own. Now, with the rise of gangs, etc. it's worse. In many cities, robbers no longer walk up to you and stick a gun in your face and demand money; they shoot you and take the money off the body. No warning, no time to react, nada. BANG! and they take what you have. Because of this, I personally don't believe the Federal Reserve prints enough money to entice me to be a cop in East St. Louis. Some of the people there have NO respect for life or property whatever.

[crossbow]

Living not too far from there, (or at least not far enough) I have some thoughts on this. Keep in mind that East St. Louis is NOT technically part of St. Louis, Missouri. It's across the river, and has been "economically depressed" for a lot of years. I can remember a guy telling me over 20 years ago that in order to get to his job, he had to drive through East St. Louis. He told me then that the crime was so bad at night, with people robbing people at gunpoint at intersections, that after 10 p.m. they turn off the traffic lights. In other words, you were on your own. Now, with the rise of gangs, etc. it's worse. In many cities, robbers no longer walk up to you and stick a gun in your face and demand money; they shoot you and take the money off the body. No warning, no time to react, nada. BANG! and they take what you have. Because of this, I personally don't believe the Federal Reserve prints enough money to entice me to be a cop in East St. Louis. Some of the people there have NO respect for life or property whatever.

30 yrs ago, I used to stop at a truck stop in ESL to get fuel and some sleep, I only stopped there a couple of times because the parking lot was over run with hookers and theives. just parking in the second row and walking to the dinner was like taking your life in your hands.I know more than one driver who turned around to find a gun in his face and a hand in his pocket.