According to the Charlotte Observer's Tim Funk:
Tampa police thought they needed 200 new surveillance cameras for next year's Republican National Convention.
Then the bids came in, approaching a total of $5 million.
Sticker shock!
So, as the St. Petersburg Times reported last week, Tampa's finest have trimmed their shopping list to 60 cameras. It set a top price of $2 million, and cut extras like helmet cams and unmanned drones.
So what does the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department say about its wish list? How many surveillance cameras?
Who knows?
Unlike the Tampa police, Charlotte's police won't give specifics.
Department spokesman Rob Tufano answers questions with a statement that says that the CMPD is working hard to develop a "seamless security plan," but that "the means, methods and specific resources to carry out protective responsibilities will not be discussed publicly in advance."
Cedar's Take: Yep just like the Airport Security Plan.
9 comments:
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
I for one do not to see millions of citizen dollars stolen to protect King Obozo (or the GOP nominee) and his flock.
Security should be privately funded.
Cedar, you are usually pretty good about things and I tend to agree with most of what you say. BUT, when it comes to the security purchases for the DNC it's kind of a no win situation. The anarchists (sp) are smarter than people give them credit for. If anyone thinks that they are just an unorganized group of hell raisers they are sadly mistaken. These guys study police tactics and ways to defeat them. They research and train. I don't want them to know anything about what the city is doing to prepare. That being said, I also understand how much everyone pretty much hates CMPD (now) and want to know where every penny of the DNC money is going which is understandable. So, it's really a no win. Besides, it doesn't really matter because it is going to be a no win for the department. If there is alot of damage to the city and it appears the city is lost for a few days then everyone is going to say CMPD sucks, but if the anarchists get their asses handed to them then prepare for civil rights violations because that means department leaders did what needed to be done. There really isn't a good way to put it. We'd need a department of 10,000 officers to really come out of this thing with very few issues. All the whiz bang technology in the world isn't going to help if the leaders handcuff the officers from the start.
CMPD silent? That's most likely because the DNC is staged to have so many more problems here than in previous years. People are angry, fed-up. Wait and see how the City, CMPD and DNC Committee tries to down play it all.
My biggest hope is that the Charlotte Fire Department is ready for all the potential uptown mayhem. Haven't heard much about CFD preparations have we?
The trouble with CMPD started at the top, with lie number one. It has been down hill ever since.
Never in the history of CMPD has there been such a high disregard for a police chief, such low appreciation of police officers, and such a wide spread level of low morale.
Now every time Rob Tufano answers a question it is a half truth. Chief Monroe openly lies to City Council while they all nod up and down and shake their heads in agreement and disbelief at the same time.
The idea that by lying we will all be safer has proven to be completely false. Case in point Marcus Jackson, the Tisdale death, and the uptown riots of 2011. In each case Chief Monroe told us lies, but to this day there are few if any changes in the way CMPD screens recruits, airport security is still weak, and Officers are still unprepared for any sort of mass confrontation.
I don't expect to be told where the resources are placed or even how they will be used. But when the department answers a simple allocation of resources question with 'CMPD is working hard to develop a seamless security plan', you can be assured that they have no plan and they are in far over their heads.
If there was any indication that you could trust Monroe, if he had not shown how truly untrustworthy he is, AND IF HE HAD NOT SHOWN SUCH POOR ASS JUDGEMENT BY PUTTING HAROD MEDLOCK IN CHARGE, then just maybe people would be more inclined to trust him with their taxpayer money.....because believe me, we will end up paying for this.
It will be the same security issues for the RNC, so would the racists leave Obama out of this.
This has everything to do with the total lack of transparency with Rodney's cmpd, and the corruption that has and is going on with HIS cmpd.
The lack of leadership and judgement at Rodney's cmpd is shocking.
What makes anyone think he is going to suddenly develop leadership skills and sane, unbiased judgement now? He isn't, he will continue to make the very same ego driven decisions he always has. And when you lead with your ego, disaster always follows.
And Medlock is just the totally wrong person to be in any way in charge.....freaky deeky.
perfect cartoon.
Cedar, you are 100% on point. It's demoralizing from inside CMPD and outside to see this continue unchecked. The list of arrests that should happen continues to grow. The aiders and abetters should be on that list, too.
Tufano should stop what he's doing, and so should Cunningham.
Very tragic chain of events at a pub that results in the life of another being taken away...sensless
Let's see, on Rodney's To Do list for today:
Stonewall on Kamesha Bridges
Stonewall on Officer arrested for DWI
Stonewall on Officer arrested for assault
Stonewall , no, make that LIE, on Taser "deal"
Refuse to give out info and Public Records Requests for just about anything.
Find those pesky "missing" fifty cars.
Refuse to put Significant Event Log back on CMPD website...and any other thing leading to any kind of transparency ay CMPD.
Sign up for Night Classes to get legitimate degree, or become a "Phoenix".
Find all missing files at the Academy!!!!!
Find all missing files pertaining to Marcus Jackson.
Promote and give "special, favored" assignments to my "Buddies".
Give Ricky Robbins a raise!
Make sure HM is on his PM's.
Add your own to this list!
The reason they are not giving any details is because no decisions have been made. They can't make a decision because it is waiting on Monroe to tell them what he wants. (which side of the bed he gets out of on what day. Shoot from the hip)
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