Proposed budget cuts gonna be hard for DeKalb residents

Among the cuts probably headed our way according to AJC article:

Library to close

The library board voted to close the Scott Candler branch on McAfee Road. Other libraries will see reduced weekend and evening hours.

Cuts to police on the ground

A memo from Police Chief William O’Brien says he plans to cut 46 police officers, including the 40 vacancies the June academy was scheduled to fill and six new cadets

Closing precincts and response times

The chief is also looking at closing the Flakes Mill Precinct in south DeKalb and limiting responses to theft, fraud, harassing phone calls, vandalism, gambling and other non-emergency calls

Fire cuts personnel and stations

The fire department’s proposal calls for cutting 197 positions to privatize ambulance services. That includes 89 current employees and 108 vacancies. Of the 89 current employees, 83 are now in the fire training academy, according to a memo from Fire Chief Eddie O’Brien. He has also proposed temporarily closing stations 3 in Avondale Estates and 10 in east Atlanta during renovations

Dead bodies can wait

The medical examiner has proposed stopping weekend autopsies and storing bodies until weekday staff can handle them

More furloughs and layoffs

elections workers being furloughed 18 days and the voter registration office closing two days a month, except during October and November. Human resources, Planning, Geographic Information Services, and other departments have proposed layoffs

I guess they have trimmed all the fat and cut into the meat, now they are working on  the bone.

Using reserve officers to protect public buildings

Dekalb Officers: Case Is Proven For Police Reserve Unit.

This is an idea that should be looked into. When I read the story in the AJC about the county eliminating, or curtailing private security at county owned buildings, I gasped. What the heck are they doing. You are going to take security away from areas that need it, then you are going to go public as to which buildings would not be staffed with security personnel. You are begging for a rise in criminal activity. Then I read the blog at DeKalb Officers. If the county could do this it would make sense. No officers have to be pulled from the street, yet you still get the professionalism that comes with reserve officers. I don’t know what the cost would be, or if there are liability issues to deal with, but there seems to be very little, if any downside to this Idea

Fired DeKalb firefighters say blame dispatch also

Fired firefighters say dispatchers should share blame for fatal Dunwoody fire – 11Alive.com

Totally agree with the firefighters. In my heart of hearts, I believe that the firefighters acted reasonably. If there were no signs of fire, no smell, no smoke, no glow, I think most people would have done the same thing. It is easy for us to say what we would have done since we know things now that the firefighters did not know at that time. Maybe a reprimand, or some additional training instead of firing them. I think all but one had no negative marks on their records.