Add to this the substantial growth in our surrounding areas such as Malta and Wilton, and you have the potential for the perfect storm.
So is growth a bad thing? Absolutely not. Take a weekend drive across the center of the state where there has been negative growth and you will find poverty, crime and boarded up business fronts. Or call the good people of Detroit and see what they have to say about growth; I imagine they would respond with a resounding “Bring it on.” I personally consider myself very blessed to be a business owner in such a vibrant region.
So what do we do to combat the crime issue while embracing our vibrant and robust status as a year-round tourist destination as well as a technology hub?
There are a lot of theories related to the causes of crime such as: the economy, mental illness and drug addiction, which definitely do correlate to crime rates. But I think there is a simpler solution that we can begin working on immediately: get more boots on the ground.
In 2009 the Saratoga Springs Police Department had a total of 72 patrolmen. Flash forward to today and you see a roster of 58. That is a reduction of 20 percent! Yes, 20 percent!
As our city is flourishing, our law enforcement ranks are shrinking.
How can we justify this reduction to local law enforcement while approving continued growth? We can’t. We need more officers. There will be some naysayers that want less police presence, but to them I ask this:
Question: Who doesn’t like to see police officers walking the streets and patrolling the neighborhoods?
Answer: Criminals!
If you aren’t a criminal you should welcome additional officers. If you are a criminal I couldn’t care less what you think. Follow the simple rules of society or suffer the consequences.
So I say to City Council: Figure this out. Our families deserve better. Our businesses deserve better. Our tourists deserve better.
