County Security-up date #3

[bluelinebill]

I was told yesterday that Mecklenburg County plans to do away with its Security Police department. I don't have all the details about this story but heres what I know.

County Security is a small police department that does the same job as CMPD only on County property like DSS, mental health and other County buildings. The department works closely with CMPD and is dispatched by 911 and takes police and crash reports using CMPD's reporting system.

Apparently Mecklenburg County plans to replace them with a security company.

I have to wonder how will this affect CMPD?
Because now a CMPD Officer will have to be dispatched to a County building
to take a report that would have been taken by a County Security Officer.

I was told that the area around Billingsley Rd.
(DSS-Mental health) gets a lot of calls.

Kind of reminds me of what happened to the park rangers back in the early 90's. Soon after Mecklenburg County got rid of the Rangers it was scrambling to deal with a lack of coverage in the parks.

I guess we will see.

[bruce]

I think maybe the county thinks it is their job to ASSIST the criminals instead of fighting crime with common sense policies.
What a cesspool the Billingsley Rd area is. I worked at the Tom Ray center for a while and did quite a bit of shopping at the near by Home Depot and I saw the Police there all the time.

Everyone knows what the real cause of the crime problems are there but like everywhere else in this country you are not allowed to speak the truth when it comes to crime and who is responsible.

[bluelinebill]

Apparently CMPD and a lot of County staff are just finding out about this situation.

One has to wonder how this is going to look after the first staff members are assaulted at a County office because the only thing between them and a pissed off client at DSS, mental health, or some other County place is a rent a cop.

Rent a cops serve a purpose but it's hard to get any cooperation from thugs and crooks and problem people even if you are a sworn City or County Officer.

Then theres the problem of hired security company people putting their hands on and detaining someone till the
(Real Police ) get there.

Think what fun the rent a cops are going to have.

I say get ready for the law suit.

[bluelinebill]

I found out this week that there is a silver lining to this mistake.
The Officers will be offered jobs with the Sheriffs Office or in the County. That is a positive to this otherwise sad turn of events.

[bluelinebill]

It seems that all those County offices that used to depend on security and Police services from County Security are now going to have to get used to longer response times and in some cases being told to call non emergency police reporting after a incident

A very large sum of money is going to be paid to a armored car company for deposits.

As I have said before, back in the early 90's the County elected to disband the Park Rangers and in just a few day's of that choice the county was asking for off duty officers to cover the park's. The County since has spent a large sum of money for that choice.

I think the end result of disbanding County Security is going to be a harsh reality slapped on county customers and staff.
It's going to be much more than just money lost. It will be a price paid in the loss of safety and security.

[bluelinebill]

It look's like it's over.
Guess only time will tell if this choice by the powers that be turns out bad or good.