Police Archives - The Pickled Prepper Blog

How to Handle the loss of Police, Fire and EMS Service in an Economic Collapse

Shortages are bad, but we can stockpile goods and resort to barter. what will you do if the thin blue line disappears and there is no police, fire, EMS or sanitation?

This is part two of our how to handle an economic collapse series. Don’t miss yesterday’s part on how to handle shortages and outages caused by an economic collapse.

I wrote yesterday about how to handle shortages of food, gasoline and other goods. Today, we’ll look at how to handle slowdowns or a lack of services such as police, fire, EMS, and trash hauling and disposal, other potential signs of an economic collapse.

A deterioration of service locally, in a specific city or municipality, might be because of financial mismanagement, a lack of tax income, or other financial problems in that specific state or city. Under-funded pension systems that suck up municipal income, a loss of the tax base because of individuals d business have left the area, or corruption and mismanagement could all contribute to this on a local level. If we see cops and firefighter refusing to go to work because they haven’t been paid in multiple jurisdictions across the country, then this is one sign of a bigger problem.

Hiring More Police Officers is Neither Easy Nor Quick

As a result of the defund the police movement and last year’s riots and protests, there are fewer police and more murders and serious crime. That’s not a coincidence.

A judge in Hennepin County on Friday ordered Minneapolis to hire more police officers, a decision detailed in this article in the Epoch Times. They are supposed to have about 55 more active officers by June 2022 than they have today.

I doubt the judge realizes what a very difficult task this is. I do, but only because I’ve worked with law enforcement and seen 15 to 20 academies in different agencies, including large sheriff departments, state police agencies, departments serving large cities, and academies run by community colleges.

Let’s examine why this is an enormous task, and what this means for the future of the country.

As the Shutdowns Draw to a Close, Traffic and Crime Rises

Shutting down the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19 had plenty of unintended consequences, from the economic to mental health. Reopening may have consequences, too.

My daughter, who lives in a mid-sized city, was complaining about the recent increase in traffic and how it is making her commute longer. (Since she works in healthcare, she has been back at work for months. And yes, she caught COVID-19 but recovered quickly, probably thanks to being young.) Apparently, people are going back to the office after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and the highways are getting crowded again.

A friend in our old home town confirmed that traffic is “back to normal” or perhaps worse. Construction is also going on at a rapid pace, possibly because the area is one where people from large cities are moving to escape. I’m not sure moving from an apartment in a large city to a townhouse or condo in a mid-sized city is that big an escape, but it took me multiple steps to get from New York City to the country, so you have to start somewhere. That’s why we call it your prepping journey.

It will be interesting to see if the re-opening of American and the thought of facing crowds again drives more people out of cities.

September 10: Police Chiefs Should do this Instead of Resigning

While we understand why a police chief might resign in protest, we suggest they uphold the law and push back against liberal mayors.

I have no doubt that it is tough to be a police chief. Your Mayor and city council don’t want you to actually enforce the laws. They vote to take away your ability to use tear gas and rubber bullets, which endangers your officers. You have to sit there and watch the city that you are sworn to protect burn when every fiber of your being scream to get your men out there and make some arrests. But when you do make arrests, you have to see the criminals be let out of jail by prosecutors who have let politics rather than laws decide their cases.

I don’t blame you for wanting to resign, but I say hold tough, make the fire you. Most police chiefs are hired for four or five year terms. They have a contract. Don’t give them an easy way out by resigning.

Instead, do your job and let your officers do theirs. Arrest the criminals. If they don’t allow to use tear gas, then use pepper spray. If they don’t let you use rubber bullets, than issue paintball guns. Allow your officers on riot duty to use their batons on fleshy body parts, like thighs and arms. Leave a bruise the rioter will remember. It may be the only penalty the suffer

Coronavirus Report June 14: New CDC Data

Recent CDC data predicts deaths will grow in six states, but its only a drop in the bucket.

The CDC reports that it expects Coronavirus-related deaths between June 8 and July 4 to grow in six states: Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, North Carolina, Utah and Vermont.

That sounds bad, but keep in mind that Arkansas has only 177 deaths so far, Arizona 1,190, Hawaii has only 17, North Carolina has 1,135, Utah 139 and Vermont just 55 for a total of 2,653. Taken together, these six states represent only 2.3 percent of the 115,445 U.S. deaths attributed to COVID-19. Even if cases were to double in those states, it would have minimal impact on the country’s overall numbers.

The New York Times is reporting that cases of Coronavirus are rising in 23 states, including all six of those listed above. Here’s an update on how the rate states, as increasing, mostly the same, or decreasing:

June 7 Report: Politicians Tap Dance

As peaceful protests largely replace rioting and looting, many politicians are tap dancing, trying to please all their constituents without costing their cities business and jobs.

Across the country, riots and looting have generally slowed or ceased altogether while peaceful protests not only continue but grow in size. The “defund the police” movement continues to find support, but while some politicians give it lip service, actions taken are largely symbolic.

What may happen is that individual officers will be less willing to engage in actual policing, resulting in more crime as criminals see a lack of consequences for their action. “Less willing to engage” means not rushing to the scene of a crime while it is ongoing, but showing up afterwards to take a report. It means not chasing a fleeing felon because they might crash. It means not trying too hard and ignoring low level crimes.

Politicians Tap Dance

While many local politicians try to tap dance between supporting protesters but not looters and supporting police without condoning police brutality, many are finding it impossible to please their constituents, which includes businesses that suffer during looting. There have been calls for the mayors of Minneapolis, New York, Seattle, Raleigh, N.C., and Joliet, Ill., to resign.

June 5 Report: Talks of Defunding the Police

Anyone who thinks defunding the police will solve more problems than it causes is naïve at best.

Yesterday, we reported that gun sales were growing at a record pace and many stores were selling out as a result of the rioting and looting. I can only imagine that talks of defunding the police are boosting sales even further as people seek to protect themselves.

I find it ironic that those who claim to hate the police are often the same folks who need them the most. If there are no police, those on the lower socio-economic rungs will become ready victims for every criminal. The rich will just pay for armed security, and armed security will show far less restraint than most cops.

Anyone who wants to see what it is like without the rule of law should travel the third world a bit, especially some of those countries that the State Department has warnings about. It will give you a whole new appreciation for justice, fairness and law and order.