The Tourist Trap
The Tourist Trap
You are a veteran in a medium-sized police department, with the rank of major, and are often asked to consult with and assist in writing grants for smaller police agencies that are experiencing problems. The City of White Springs is a rural community of about 3,000 year-round residents.
However, given that it is both a prime skiing and shopping location, during the summertime and
Christmas holidays, the tourist population will easily double that number on any given day.
Normally there are few crime or traffic problems, but during the past few years the growing number of local beer taverns and nightclubs has increased the incidence of alcohol-related problems—fighting, domestic violence, drunk driving, and so forth. A small military base about
40 miles away has increasingly contributed to these problems. Your force of seven full-time and four part-time reserve officers is becoming strained and burned out during these peak times.
More and more time is also spent with false burglar alarms, starting dead batteries, unlocking vehicles, and so on. There is no more money in the budget for additional hires, and the department’s
$50,000 overtime budget has been exceeded the past 2 years, causing unhappy council members to dip into other municipal budgets to bail you out. The town’s charter requires that all members of the police force be graduates of the state police academy or trained by the department (for reserve officers).
Questions for Discussion
1. What are the major issues involved?
2. What are some possible solutions to the problems?
During times of a down economy and budgets all over the nation being affected, the tourist town of White Springs is faced with a difficult task of ensuring that its officers and citizens are protected and happy. The department I work for is facing trying times and has had budget shortfalls for the last 2 years. This case study will attempt to answer the questions of what the major issues are and
You are a veteran in a medium-sized police department, with the rank of major, and are often asked to consult with and assist in writing grants for smaller police agencies that are experiencing problems. The City of White Springs is a rural community of about 3,000 year-round residents.
However, given that it is both a prime skiing and shopping location, during the summertime and
Christmas holidays, the tourist population will easily double that number on any given day.
Normally there are few crime or traffic problems, but during the past few years the growing number of local beer taverns and nightclubs has increased the incidence of alcohol-related problems—fighting, domestic violence, drunk driving, and so forth. A small military base about
40 miles away has increasingly contributed to these problems. Your force of seven full-time and four part-time reserve officers is becoming strained and burned out during these peak times.
More and more time is also spent with false burglar alarms, starting dead batteries, unlocking vehicles, and so on. There is no more money in the budget for additional hires, and the department’s
$50,000 overtime budget has been exceeded the past 2 years, causing unhappy council members to dip into other municipal budgets to bail you out. The town’s charter requires that all members of the police force be graduates of the state police academy or trained by the department (for reserve officers).
Questions for Discussion
1. What are the major issues involved?
2. What are some possible solutions to the problems?
During times of a down economy and budgets all over the nation being affected, the tourist town of White Springs is faced with a difficult task of ensuring that its officers and citizens are protected and happy. The department I work for is facing trying times and has had budget shortfalls for the last 2 years. This case study will attempt to answer the questions of what the major issues are and