Less Police On The Streets? Another Ramification Of A Struggling Economy

Vallejo California, which recently filed for chapter eleven bankruptcy is losing almost 40% of its police force in the next few months due to decreases in officer pay. Like most other cities across the country, after 9/11 Vallejo put a greater price on safety and started offering more benefits and better salaries to officers. The result was the average police officer in Vallejo being payed 121,000 dollars in salary and if you include benefits, almost $190,000 in compensation. As house prices fell and so did tax revenue the city could no longer handle to pay so many officers, as well as the pensions of retired officers. This issue is not unique and might affect San Mateo at some point. Any thoughts about how less police would affect life? As a long boarder who is tired of being harassed by cops I would like to say this is a good thing, but as a citizen who values the positive affects police can have if violence occurs, I have to conclude that this is bad for people everywhere. Well maybe except for drug dealers...