The lack of timely response by the Greensboro Police Department was a continuing theme of speakers at Mayor Nancy Vaughan’s town hall meeting on Monday, July 26 at Barber Park.
The town hall meeting was to discuss a proposal that would establish a City of Greensboro Safety Review Board, made up entirely of city employees, to meet with owners of bars and restaurants after a violent incident at their establishments.
However, speaker after speaker talked about calling the police, only to have no one show up. Most of the speakers didn’t blame the police officers, and from their comments many had cordial relationships with police officers. One speaker said on a ride-along with a police officer he kept hearing “10-100” on the radio and didn’t know what it meant until he was told it meant no officer available to answer the call.
Several speakers said that they understood their calls were not being answered because there was no officer available and didn’t blame the police.
Josh Kirkman, one of the owners of Jake’s Billiards, said, “You guys with a depleted police force have put us in a bad situation.”
Drew Wofford, the owner of Chemistry nightclub, talked about security and how bars are being asked to hire off-duty police officers for security and said, “When I put in for off-duty police officers I can’t get any to come.”
He added that when he needed a police officer, “I call and can’t get anybody to come.”
Vaughan and Assistant City Manager Trey Davis spoke about the need to open up lines of communication while the bar and business owners spoke about the lack of response from the police because of the shortage of officers.
Davis noted that the Greensboro City Council had increased the number of sworn officers authorized for the Police Department.
But increasing a number in a budget document doesn’t increase the number of officers out on the street, and the Police Department is currently far below the number of authorized officers.
One speaker said, “This is all smoke and mirrors to make the city look like it is doing something.”
According to the speakers, what they need from the city is to have enough police officers that, when they call for help, a police officers responds, and what they don’t need is to have to meet with some committee to give them advice on how to run their business after something does happen.
The City Council was told that one of the hindrances to hiring new police officers was that Greensboro didn’t offer police officers take home cars when almost all the other jurisdictions in the area did. The City Council declined to spend the money to start providing take home cars.
Keep this City Council—and you ain’t seen nothin yet!
Why on earth a law enforcement professional would work in Greensboro NC is beyond wonder.
Our government is completely incompetent in its fundamental, bedrock, core duties – defending the border and preserving law & order. This while they have more money than they know what do do with, as they print and borrow more than any nation in human history. Even our obscenely incompetent Guilford County Schools are offering $20,000 “Signing Bonus” for every new schoolteacher (at the same time they’re peddling the lie that “educators” are underpaid).
What disgusting profligacy. What disgusting incompetence.
Only fools rely on the police – Government – for protection. You want protection? Buy a .45.
Only fools subject their children to Government Schools. You want an education? Buy one at a private academy.
The Greensboro “So Called” City Council Blames Everybody but the Real Culprit which is THEM! They’re Greensboro’s Worse Enemy……enough said!!
Bet you the first ones to call, are the ones yelling defund the loudest.
tis better and safer to be a city sanitation worker than a police officer in Greensboro these days. Our beloved city is beginning to look like Detroit.
Thankfully, the city can give cars to the IRC. That makes up for it, right?
In Greensboro, when seconds count, help is only hours away!
Before the entire city councils resigns and steps down, they should do one more thing – rename Greensboro to Clown Town. That’s all it is these days. The city council is nothing but a bunch of clowns, and the citizens of Greensboro are a bunch of clowns – they’re the ones who keep re-electing these idiots.
I hate to say it, but the day when it is everyone for themselves is fast-approaching (or even here in numerous places).
Packing has become more important, even in so-called “safer” places, such as a park, or a restaurant. There are many places in Greensboro where I would not park my car – day or night.
When my neighborhood and home is being threatened, and my police calls are unanswered, I become my own defense. It’s easy to say that, so we’ll see. The very last thing I want to do is harm anyone.