Here is City Councilman Andy Dulin’s vision for Charlotte: a place where you’ll have plenty of cops to call when your car falls into a giant pothole. Dulin is pushing for more police officers on the streets right now, dammit!, even if it means using money designated for resurfacing the city’s substandard roads.
Here’s some background: Police Chief Rodney Monroe wants another 125 officers; in response to his request, the city applied for federal stimulus money that would allow for 150 officers. The city won’t know whether it will receive the stimulus funds until this fall, but the new city budget will go into effect July 1. In order to be sure Monroe gets his extra officers, Dulin and, apparently, City Manager Curt Walton, are willing to shift money from other departments to accommodate the police chief. Dulin, as quoted in the , says, “The extra road resurfacing would have to wait for community safety.”
Sounds great, Dulie, until you realize that crime is down in Charlotte. Let me say that again, in case you thought you had misread it: crime is down in Charlotte, according to the police. On top of that, the condition of our roads sucks so bad, drivers are routinely seen veering into other lanes to avoid potholes. If Dulin and those in city government have their way, not only funding could wind up being shifted, but also the whole concept of what “community safety” means.
This article appears in May 19-26, 2009.
