| Can You Wait Two Hours for Help? |
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| Misc |
| Written by Daniel White |
| Wednesday, 28 January 2009 05:38 |
 As budget cuts continue to rock the state, fears about cuts in law enforcement staffing have begun to be realized. Earlier this week, Lorain County Sheriff's deputies were unable to respond to a welfare check request for two hours. When they arrived, they found the subject of the check to be deceased. In this case, it turned out the man had died even before the call, but officials fear it is only a matter of time before someone dies or is seriously injured because of a lack of manpower. Citizens calling in home invasions could find themselves on their own for far longer than average, even though those calls would be prioritized. Deputies themselves are at risk due to the fact that backup might be on the other side of the county when it is needed. Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti said he used to have 5-6 deputies working each shift. That number is down to four, and could drop further if more cuts are necessary. Stammitti noted this incident was the second time a call was given a low priority this month only to have it turn out to be more serious than originally thought. A call about a suspicious vehicle in Carlisle Township wasn't immediately responded to. It turned out the vehicle belonged to burglars who might have been caught in the act had more officers been available. Fortunately, in that incident, nobody was home. Had the occupants been at home and under attack, the incident could have turned out much worse. These trying times show us more than ever that you could very well find yourself beyond the help of law enforcement in an emergency situation, and you need to be prepared to handle the situation appropriately. Can you hold out until help arrives? |