7 Responses to “RRHA cops?”

1. posted by John at July 24, 2006 5:19 pm :
   

   Apparently they already have a security force, which they would like to increase in number. Designation as a police force may provide them access to more $$$, too.

   An increase in numbers might free up the city police a little?

2. posted by amy at July 24, 2006 8:18 pm :
   

   wow. That’s good news for them - but it would take some serious cojones to be a RRHA cop, I think.

3. posted by ralph on 22nd at July 25, 2006 7:58 am :
   

   yea I wonder if Vick Macke is looking for a job?

4. posted by Bob at July 25, 2006 7:42 pm :
   

   New York got rid of its seperate housing (and transit) police in 1995. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEEDD1339F932A35756C0A963958260

   A move that was credited in contributing to the historic decline in NYCs crime rate. While I realize Richmond ain’t New York, having done research into PHA police in another city, I think that RRHA would be better off getting the HUD money and contracting with the RPD for police services that would augment a larger sector based policing strategy for the developments and their larger environs. Issues of different standards (i.e. lower) for housing police, bad management at the organizational level, lower levels of public accountability etc….were all issues that led to NYC’s move away from agency specific police. Toss into this the issue of coordination and information leakage, and you have even more of an issue. Anyway, believe it or not, crime is generally higher in neighborhoods that abut PHAs/. Anyone who lives around here can figure this one out. For starters, most of the males that wreck havoc on these properties are not tenants (and thus the no-tresspassing enforcement push lately); there is a lot of abandoned property around these developments; availability of alcohol related retail just off site; HUD policies that led to a decline in on-premises drug markets; etc.

5. posted by ht at July 26, 2006 9:22 am :
   

   Bob, it would be great if we had enough RPD to contract out to RRHA but we don’t. They’re stretched thin as it is and most of the calls in RRHA require backup before it’s even safe enough for RPD to enter.

6. posted by ann at July 26, 2006 12:55 pm :
   

   An RRHA police force would be trained in law enforcement and have arrest powers. ‘Ht’ is certainly right about RPD being stretched thin…

7. posted by Bob at July 26, 2006 2:13 pm :
   

   Not to besmirch anyone professionally or personally, but, traditionally, PHAs have shown little organizational ability to properly manage their own police forces. While I just read the RRHA acting directors letter in Style Weekly today in support of such a move (with particlar emphasis on the quality of training and coordination with the RPD), I would think that the public should ask that the RRHA get its main mission in order (that is, providing decent, affordable housing) before it expands its mission to include law enforcement. I am suggesting that for the same level of resources expended, that the RPD could do the job better because they already have the organizational capacity and leadership in place as well as a broader strategic outlook. While there may be some resource and tactical logic to a PHA police department, I think the usual issues that vex these PDs trump these advantages.

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