Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Clinton's police corps idea called 'goofy' Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 15:33:28 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \HD Clinton's police corps idea called 'goofy' \BY Jerry Seper \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Law enforcement officials say Bill Clinton's proposed National Police Corps is "a goofy idea" that could cost taxpayers more than $3 billion and divide the country's police agencies. "It's absolutely absurd, a goofy idea that won't work," said Officer Ron Robertson, vice chairman of the Labor Committee of the D.C. Fraternal Order of Police. "He's proposed a plan that doesn't make any sense, will cost too much money and isn't going to save anyone a dime in taxes." Don Murray, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, said the plan would "factionalize" law enforcement agencies by funding officers with no loyality to specific jurisdictions and no commitment to make the job a career. "We all want the best and the brightest to serve - men and women who will look at the job not as means, but as an end - a career they can be proud of," Mr. Murray said. "Mr. Clinton's plan does nothing to satisfy that need and would serve only to divide and factionalize police agencies everywhere." "The program will conservatively cost $3 billion a year," said Mr. Murray, citing annual average wages for police officers at about $30,000. "And that only includes salaries - not training, equipment, vehicles, college tuition fees or support staff." He said costs could "easily double" if the "extras" are taken into account. "Officers in Boston go through a training and probation period that lasts a year," Mr. Murray said. "Under Mr. Clinton's plan, these federal officers would be half through their commitment before they ever got off probation." Sgt. Richard Darling, president of the National Trooper's Association, said the plan lacks specifics, particularly on how the proposed federal force would be trained. "Every police agency has its own level of training - designed specifically to meet the needs of the city, town or region it serves," said Sgt. Darling of the Michigan State Police. "Whose standards is this force going to train for and are we going to have to accept these officers based on what the federal government determines are our needs?" "The plan, as stated, takes local control away from individual police training standards," he said. The Democratic presidential nominee proposed hiring 100,000 police officers to combat street crime across the nation. The officers would come from the ranks of unemployed veterans and military personnel. The proposed national force would be paid for with federal funds, and the officers involved would be guaranteed college tuition in exchange for two years of service. Mr. Clinton first described the plan in midsummer during campaign stops in Texas. The idea later was included in his formal economic strategy. He has not, however, said how much it would cost, in what federal agency it would fall, or how it would relate to existing local and federal law enforcement agencies. The proposal also calls for an expansion of community policing, increased funding for drug treatment programs and the creation of community "boot camps" for first-time, nonviolent criminals. The plan is not new. It originated more than 10 years ago, the idea of Adam Walinsky, a longtime Democratic activist and once top aide to Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Mr. Walinsky proposed a federal police corps in 1980 that involved "term service," in which college tuition would be exchanged for four years' employment in a police agency. The officers, he said, would be required to undergo police training each summer during college and continue testing to ensure they remained ready and willing to serve. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM