In this episode of "Try to Control Your Shock and Amazement"...
While it's true that police departments across the country are struggling to meet their recruiting goals — particularly in high-crime-rate, Democrat-run cities — the Alameda, California Police Department is really struggling to meet its goals, despite a six-figure starting salary and a highest-in-the-nation signing bonus.
Is it any wonder?
The Alameda, California Police Department is struggling to meet its recruiting goals. Is it any wonder? pic.twitter.com/thkvZ18who
— MikesRight (@RealLibSmacker) January 14, 2024
The department is now offering recruits a $113,654 starting salary — which is more than most officers make in San Francisco and Los Angeles — along with a massive $75,000 signing bonus. Again, it's hardly a wonder they're having a hell of a time. I mean, other than actually living in Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom's state, can there be a worse job in the no-longer-Golden State than trying to police it?
Former San Francisco police officer Joel Aylworth explained to "Fox & Friends" on Friday that the recruiting crisis is driven by the out-of-control high cost of living in the Bay Area — and more than a decade of anti-law enforcement rhetoric.
This has been building up for over 10 years. I can remember back in Occupy Wall Street, that's like almost 15 years ago, where this anti-police, vitriolic narrative has been being pushed on and on.
Aylworth added that his $200,000 salary wasn’t enough to make ends meet in San Francisco.
I told my wife, ‘We will never be able to afford a home here’ because I just can't catch up. The pandemic really opened people's eyes that they can move to states like Texas, have a better quality of life, and make pretty much similar money.
It gets worse.
Aylworth emphasized that the fundamental purpose of a police department is being diminished in the Bay Area daily.
Instead of ‘Go out and catch the bad guy,’ they're being told, ‘Go move the homeless.' And there's so much oversight at all the departments right now from complaints to the DA that they feel very restricted. Their purpose is being diminished daily.
I think there's a lot of benefits to not being a police officer, and that's why these guys aren't chomping at the bit.
Toss in the number of repeat offenders, many of whom have committed one or more violent crimes, who are regularly released — and re-released — back to the streets, and it doesn't take Einstein to figure out the level of risk that law enforcement officers face daily in high-crime communities.
You can watch the segment here.
The Bottom Line
Yup, it's no surprise that Alameda is struggling to meet its police department recruitment goals. In addition to the causes I noted in this article, add in the despicable way law enforcement officers are portrayed by the left-wing media, along with the present state of the criminal court system, then say — out loud — "Well, duh."
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