Port Angeles Police to Scale Back Traffic Controls
Because of staffing issues, Port Angeles Police are no longer monitoring downtown and neighborhood traffic for speeders, red light runners and drivers who think crosswalks are only good for target practice. Police Chief Terry Gallagher said:
“I know there are certain people that benefit from that. Essentially, the police department here has our finger in the dike. We have little traffic enforcement that occurs in the city of Port Angeles. We get calls all the time for traffic enforcement in neighborhoods that we are not able to provide.”
Port Angeles has 32 police officer positions, compared to 36 in Aberdeen which has a somewhat smaller population.
“I know there are certain people that benefit from that. Essentially, the police department here has our finger in the dike. We have little traffic enforcement that occurs in the city of Port Angeles. We get calls all the time for traffic enforcement in neighborhoods that we are not able to provide.”
Port Angeles has 32 police officer positions, compared to 36 in Aberdeen which has a somewhat smaller population.
posted by Tom Harper at 8:28 PM
13 Comments:
Clearly, the city needs to raise taxes in Port Angeles.
Oh, never mind that 36% of residents in Port Angeles have to have their utility bills subsidized because they can't pay the taxes as they are.
We have spent tens of millions of tax dollars on Cutlers' Tank o Crap (which failed to stop the 3.5 million gallons of crap from spilling into the harbor during this last storm), but providing such basics as traffic enforcement in town? Stop red light runners and crosswalk threats? No money for that.
Why don't we just recall the whole bunch of current council members, and start over? Given all the bad news about this town over the last week or so is reason enough.
Oh yes, let's really get this message out there. Hey Port Angeles residents, it's a traffic free for all now!
Call me a cynic, but this smacks of an impending tax increase. First thing to do is to create a sense of terror (it's traffic anarchy out there!). Next present a solution (more money is needed to hire more police). Then let the voters or council or whoever decides to raise taxes put 2 and 2 together.
The question I have to ask myself is when have the police ever worried about people running red lights? It happens all the time and I've never seen any steps to prevent it. Hardly anyone goes the speed limit here they either go real slow or real fast. No one cares. Had one lady pass me on Lincoln right in front of that school, no one cares. Downtown has been insane for years, no one cares unless you use up your allotted shopping time.
I know police can't be everywhere but even when they catch someone nothing happens. It's pretty common knowledge that if you kill a pedestrian you'll be let go with barely a slap on the wrist, even if you're drunk driving or even if the pedestrian is legally crossing on a green. It's all boo hoo running over the pedestrian caused the driver such emotional trauma boo hoo. Oh God my truck is dented let's sue the victim's family!
This town has had traffic problems for years and years. The only reason to worry about it now is if there's a tax increase on its way. Afterwards you can bet the traffic won't get any better.
Oh and don't forget the hardest working traffic enforcer is also the most vilified.
Not much incentive for cops to crack down on Clallams most popular and beloved sports - tailgating and playing CHICKEN with pedestrians. I don't blame them.
Actually, I've never had much of a problem with traffic here, most folks are pretty good at letting you get in the lane and things like that.
It seems like we have a lot of cops for a Mr. Rogers neighborhood but I seldom see many of them, or maybe I just don't notice them.
Where I grew up we didn't have a single cop in town, we just beat the shit out of each other when someone got out of line.
Anon 9:11
You know why that 3.5 million gallons of sewage was allowed to dump out last week? The city is looking for another $20 million to spend on the project.
This town sucks.
So, the Clallam Health Officer quit.
Is this bad news or good?
Clallam HEALTH!!! Oxymoron!!
Maybe we should organize drag races down First or Front. The City isn't going to enforce traffic laws, and all.
I wonder what other laws they can't enforce?
Hmmmm
We just don't have the resources! All over the country, violent crime is on the rise and they put the resources where the muscle is needed....lol.....just kidding. Teabaggers run rural America and they want to make all of government look bad and Clallam and PA are an embarrassment and the area's image is TOAST, thank you very much.
Drag race FESTIVAL!!!! But someone tell Esprit that THE GAYS aren't involved....don't want them to pull out too!
Speaking of the areas' image. Good to see the PDN has 3 articles on Port Angeles' heroin problems that they keep running day after day.
They should run the one about the toxic contamination of the water over and over, too.
I think this City should re-name the city council to be the Clown Council!
Seriously. Look at the priorities. The City has the highest suicide rate in the state, and the highest opiate-drug use rate, but turns away the free program other cities nearby are using that has a proven success rate of reducing suicides by 40%!
They have millions to spend on the landfill, to keep future garbage from tumbling into the strait.
They have millions to spend on a rain garden project.
They spend tens of millions to stop sewage from being dumped into the strait, but when the first big storm comes along, they still dump million of gallons of crap into the Strait!
They have a "harbor Clean Up" tax on the utility bills, and will spend millions to clean up the contamination created by all the past private businesses in the area.
They have millions to spend building a beach next to the log yard operations, with great views of tankers being repaired in the harbor, and Nippon's smokestacks.
But money to pay police for the kind of basic service ANY town expects, traffic enforcement? Nope. No way.
Clowns. Except, it isn't funny.
I'm not perfect but if everyone was like me we wouldn't need any cops.
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