I have been teaching in the police academy the past two days. Trying to keep up with my email and wedging in a few other unavoidable tasks and evening obligations, the blog has taken a back seat. Please accept my apologies for not keeping up with comments.
Here's what caught my eye yesterday and this morning: the census. The United States Census Bureau just released the detailed data from the 2010 count yesterday, and Lincoln's official population has reached 258,379. I keep my own population estimates, projecting average growth rates I calculate from the Census Bureau's biennial estimates in odd number years, and applying that to the current year. Looks like my best guess was low by 1,127 souls--as you can see from the chart I posted in my Monday post.
Population is an important number for a stats wonk like me, because it is the denominator in all those calculations such as crime rate, number of officers per thousand, false alarm comparisons, and so forth.
Lincoln's population increased by 32,798. My preferred way of explaining that is that we added the equivalent of the cities of Kearney and Milford to Lincoln during the past decade. Kearney has 52 police officers, Milford has 5. We absorbed the equivalent of both their populations, and we added 25 police officers in Lincoln during the decade.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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13 comments:
I know that LPD has one of the lower ratios of officer to population, but you added 1.3 officers per 1000 population growth. Seems reasonable to me.
The question for me is how many of the 25 officers were assigned to support positions such as investigations, training, etc.? Did the staffing in those functions increase as well?
8:32-
Again, the average for cities is slightly more than 2.0. That's the point: we are very small per capita. Had we been the same as Milford and Kearney, we would have added 57--not 25. Not complaining, just presenting the information.
Now, your suppport positions question: during the decade, the Education and Personnel Unit went from 17 officers to 11, and the Assistant Chiefs went from 2 to 1 (I'm not sure if you want to call that a support position or not.) Those were the reductions. As for increases in support positions, Criminal Investigations went from 33 to 37, the Traffic Unit went from 7 to 9 (not sure if you want to call that support or not), we put a sworn officer in the Forensic Unit after loosing a civilian technician, and Narcotics went from 14 to 17. So, overall 7 support positions went away, and 10 were added--a net gain of 3.
I think kearney is a bad example as they are much bigger than the census shows, it's a regional hub that attracts people from an hour and a half away, plus you add in the unk students and it can become much busier than what the "official" population represents, and financially with all those people spending money there they do pretty good, everytime I go there, there is something new
We can't afford any more cops, yet we can somehow afford a jazzy new arena. Go and figure.
Hey I would love to be a police officer, I met all the requirements, went all way through the polygraph test then was rejected because a few years earlier some trashy girl accused me of assault. though never convicted or tried, or even charge, how did they know about it, well its a poly graph test, I had to disclose it, though there is no record except possibly a police report!
I got mud on my face, you dont want people like me.
Re: increased poulation/officer shortage
Dear Cheif:
First, I would like to introduce myself. I am SS and admire you and have great respect for your office. I talked to an officer three weeks ago and expressed my concerns for our country. The drug culture, the hippie elements, the Husker nation, Black Shirts, etc. do not consider me as their enemy or as they call it, the establishment. I call it America and I love it. Sir, I can and will be of any service that I can to help the country out. I have no concerns or motives other than helping the country out. So, I wish not to be given a title or an appointed position. I can and will do more good if I were made a LPD officer at Large and I will help out by doing it my way through communications with people of all ages. First and foremost, I am an entertainer, but all I need is the local credentials.
Sir, I am staying at the Mid Plains Hotel, Room 505-506-507. I have two men who work with me by the name of Arrrrg! and Anonymous. I am registered under the name of Jon Burrows. I will be here for as long as it takes to get the credentials of a LPD officer. I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Big 12 brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing I can and will do the most good.
I am glad to help just so long as it is kept very private. You can have your staff or whomever call me anytime today, tonight or tomorrow. I was nominated this coming year one of America's Ten Least Outstanding Young Man. That will be in January 18 in my home town of Lincoln, NE. I am sending you a short autobiography about myself so you can better understand this approach. I would love to meet you just to say hello if you're not too busy.
Respectfully,
SS
P.S. I believe that you, Sir, were one of the Top Ten Outstanding Men of America Also.
I have a personal gift for you which I would like to present to you and you can accept it or I will keep it for you until you can take it.
A net gain of 3 commissioned positions. How many civilian support positions have been added over the same time period to assist with the additional officer and community growth?
Simple fact of the matter is that Lincoln has a structural imbalance in their revenue stream by using about half of their mill levy and relying on volatile sales tax for the rest.
Until politicians start thinking about the people/community/state/country and its future as opposed to their own re-election efforts nothing will change.
3:26-
Went down, from 107 in 2000 to 104 in 2010.
Just in case anyone thought that I was going off my rocker, the letter I posted was a copy of the one Mr Elvis Presley hand wrote to President Nixon offering to use his influence (and mad Karate skills?) to help fight the subversives of the day. With a few topical changes, of course.
Thought it might be funny...but may have been wrong.
Chief Casady, you can stop the background check on "The nutcase guy that offered to help."
I kind of wonder why people think "support staff" individuals are apparently wastes of human skin?
I have faith that the department wisely deploys these individuals, who work hard and do the jobs they are assigned to do, thus allowing street officers to efficiently handle other tasks.
I am getting tired of government employees being characterized as the new "welfare queens" of the 21st century. I realize it is politic to bash public employees in this present economy but they are NOT the root of our economic problems.
March 2, 2011 11:02 AM
Lincoln has a large "unaccounted" population too. UNL, Union College, NWU, Kaplan, SCC, heard of them?
We also, have people come from many miles around and are a regional hub.
Next argument...
12:31 inferred a lot from 3:26's post that simply wasn't there. Did you read anything else between the lines, perhaps about the illuminati conspiracy, or anything like that?
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