As I was preparing to post a new topic tonight, I happened to hear the local newscaster talk about budget cuts here in Minnesota. The Minneapolis Police Department disbanded their narcotics enforcement unit today, saving the county 5 million dollars. Approximately 50 positions were lost, and this comes after significant cuts in their auto fleet and community service divisions. Can you believe that? Wow. This is the first major police department in the country without a narcotics enforcement unit.
No jurisdiction is immune to the poor economy. I guess I am surprised that Minneapolis decided to compromise public safety in their budget reductions. We should be thankful that Kauai County has not jeapordized public safety while trying to trim the budget. The public here is not happy with this decision, although the Chief has stated that the war on drugs will continue. The narcotics unit investigated 4000 drug cases last year. I'm not sure who will work on these drug cases without the unit. Oh well, lucky we live Hawaii.
I just hope this action by Minneapolis will not start a trend throughout the country. Drug enforcement is vital to public safety, especially when history tells us that drug use increases during tough economies. We will have to see the results of this very bold budget move.
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