Tucson's upcoming election this November 3rd includes Proposition 200, which would amend Tucson’s Charter to mandate 2.4 police officers per 1000 people.
Every crime scene in Tucson seems to have an abundance of cops stumbling over each other. Just outside my place today are two officers for a cosmetic fender-bender. Most of the devices designed to squeeze revenue out of it's citizens are running full tilt. Parking two feet outside a designated parking area for 6 hours will guarantee a $300.00 ticket. A thorough study by the Federal Department of Transportation concluded that excessive speeds account for 5% of traffic fatalities. Despite this relatively small contribution to traffic fatalities, traffic schools are bursting at the seems with citizens chucking revenue for excessive speeds in areas containing ridiculous speed limits. People are being pulled over for making left-hand turns and simultaneously changing lanes with no traffic in sight. Many sleepless nights are caused by choppers flying overhead in the university areas to bust keg parties. Advertised teen hip-hop parties have been known to draw as many as 25 cop cars to one scene - with no laws broken. Police failing to make their case for pulling someone over will find things like cracked windshields and, if you can't afford to repair them, the city yanks your license. Bicycle cops, with nothing better to do, drift past houses with stereo's playing to bust people for possession of marijuana. For those not living inside of the gated communities or "the Foothills", cops are everywhere and, except for the rare occasions when they are actually needed, create more hazardous, stressful conditions for those who live in the city. Do "Prop 200" advocates think they can fund their proposal by squeezing more revenue out of the already gutted, less affluent population?
