| Many of us are sure to have had experiences | | | | of the contributing factors to this understaffing. |
| where we have waited for longer than we would | | | | Mayors who do not pay heed to the concerns of |
| have wished for the services of the police. Many | | | | the emergency department and don't support the |
| people get really wild since it might take hours for | | | | actions of the cops also contributes to loss of job |
| these emergency management people to come | | | | satisfaction. They have very low pays and moral |
| to the spot of the problem. Some treat them in | | | | support considering the strain of their work. |
| the most unwelcome way because of this. Sadly, | | | | Budget cuts reflect severely in most local police |
| it is not the fault of these selfless people. Much | | | | departments and show their ugly face out in the |
| unlike your imagination, these people are not | | | | form of insufficient ammunition and pay cuts. |
| whiling away their time will you call out for them. | | | | Lack of funds for encouraging people to join |
| In 99% of the cases, they would have been at | | | | these forces by offering better pay packets and |
| some other emergency location. The greatest | | | | incentives also leads to understaffing of local |
| reason for the delay is not their negligence but | | | | police. There is more to recruiting people than |
| the lack of staff in the police and emergency | | | | money, which remains the most important though. |
| departments. | | | | These small things, or the lack of it may make a |
| While the rate of crime and number of | | | | person join or leave these forces. They feel |
| emergencies that occur in most areas is going up, | | | | insecure, unloved and unsupported. They are |
| the rate of recruitment of new staff and the | | | | facing legal and moral problems due to lack of |
| number of people in the crime-control and | | | | support. This makes them become mere puppets |
| emergency departments is in fact going down. | | | | and makes them lose emotional contact with the |
| This makes the situation as bad as it can get. | | | | job. If criminals notice this disunity, they might |
| There are various reasons contributing to the lack | | | | increase the crime rate even more and openly |
| of staff in these departments. Some of these are | | | | deepening this vicious circle. |
| job-related injuries and deaths, and rarely | | | | To make them feel cared for is in the hands of |
| ,misconduct while at work. It is easy for us to | | | | the state or city government. Spread the word |
| shift the blame back to them saying that they | | | | that these people need support. When more of |
| ought to maintain pure and perfect lives. We fail | | | | us show appreciation for their life-staking efforts, |
| to realize that they are too, like us, mere mortals | | | | the governments will slowly begin to do more for |
| who are bound to err. They would have | | | | these departments. Keep in touch with the city |
| experience more trauma at work and out of it | | | | council's workings. Criminals need not be just the |
| during their working years than most people | | | | ones who are breaking into houses and killing |
| would during their entire lifetime. This naturally | | | | people. They might also be in a thoroughly formal |
| makes them lose job-satisfaction at times and | | | | outfit complete with a suit and tie and might have |
| feel angry for the way life is treating them. | | | | even been elected to their positions. But |
| The severity of understaffing is shocking on a | | | | remember, to help crime rate increase indirectly |
| national scale. Places which have a more rural | | | | by cutting down the funds to these emergency |
| setting suffer from more severe understaffing | | | | departments is a crime unto itself. Understaffing |
| than more urban areas. The amount of pay and | | | | wont go away unless we join our hands to force |
| the way the city treats these officials are some | | | | it to. |