Wealth and Crime
A message regarding the online police report I filed following my car’s damage appeared in my inbox recently, wedged between Recipe of the Day from Taste of Home (Vietnamese Pork Chops, if you’re interested) and Buy This Compact Chainsaw (no thanks.) The email read: “If there is steering column and ignition switch damage this was an attempt to steal your vehicle and the report cannot be taken via the internet. Please call the non-emergency number and request that an officer be dispatched to take the report in person from you.”
It took a week for the police to get back to me, and it was only a small part of the bad dream. The tow truck sent to get the car claimed it couldn’t get into the garage, and the rental car was not at the address it should have been. In short, another day wasted…
A friend and former work colleague read my recent blog and wrote to me: “Fairfax County has a shortage of more than 200 officers. No more time for traffic citations and petty crimes. Since 2020, with budget cuts that took away the salary bump expected, there have been more resignations than retirements. This year that’s turning around. Less violent crime but more shoplifting and stealing. If the cops catch them, they’re back on the street the next day. No punishment means more crime.”
I knew that misdemeanors like shoplifting and theft from cars were seldom punished. For everyone except the thief—that is to say the police, the victim and the courts—the amount of paperwork involved in dealing with petty crimes is overwhelming. A police force short on personnel is simply unable to deal with endless forms. But…
But this is Fairfax County, Virginia, which as of December 2023, was ranked fifth in the United States for median household income, according to USNews.com. In 2022, the median household income in Fairfax County was $145,165, and almost 19% of households had an annual income of more than $150,000. Fairfax County is also considered one of the wealthiest counties in Virginia, which, I believe, means that Fairfax County must have a pretty good budget for such things as a police force. But as of June 2024, the average annual salary for a police officer in Fairfax County, Virginia was $58,904, with a range of $49,900–$94,663. The salary range for Fairfax County Police Department varies by rank and can include other factors, such as qualifications and experience. Still, our cops earn far below the median household income in the county.
What does this have to do with my injured Hyundai? There are fewer cops patrolling the streets because they’re not getting paid enough. Fewer cops mean more criminals. More criminals damage and/or steal cars and, even if caught in the act—a rare occurrence—they will surf the local court system and be returned to the streets the same day. Keeping accused criminals in jail overnight costs money the cunty does not want to spend.
There is something very odd about one of the country’s richest area being beset by a lack of police. I don’t understand it. I probably don’t need to. But I’m relatively certain in a state that often boasts of the progress made in many areas, a shortage of cops and an upsurge of crime is not something to be proud of.
It took a week for the police to get back to me, and it was only a small part of the bad dream. The tow truck sent to get the car claimed it couldn’t get into the garage, and the rental car was not at the address it should have been. In short, another day wasted…
A friend and former work colleague read my recent blog and wrote to me: “Fairfax County has a shortage of more than 200 officers. No more time for traffic citations and petty crimes. Since 2020, with budget cuts that took away the salary bump expected, there have been more resignations than retirements. This year that’s turning around. Less violent crime but more shoplifting and stealing. If the cops catch them, they’re back on the street the next day. No punishment means more crime.”
I knew that misdemeanors like shoplifting and theft from cars were seldom punished. For everyone except the thief—that is to say the police, the victim and the courts—the amount of paperwork involved in dealing with petty crimes is overwhelming. A police force short on personnel is simply unable to deal with endless forms. But…
But this is Fairfax County, Virginia, which as of December 2023, was ranked fifth in the United States for median household income, according to USNews.com. In 2022, the median household income in Fairfax County was $145,165, and almost 19% of households had an annual income of more than $150,000. Fairfax County is also considered one of the wealthiest counties in Virginia, which, I believe, means that Fairfax County must have a pretty good budget for such things as a police force. But as of June 2024, the average annual salary for a police officer in Fairfax County, Virginia was $58,904, with a range of $49,900–$94,663. The salary range for Fairfax County Police Department varies by rank and can include other factors, such as qualifications and experience. Still, our cops earn far below the median household income in the county.
What does this have to do with my injured Hyundai? There are fewer cops patrolling the streets because they’re not getting paid enough. Fewer cops mean more criminals. More criminals damage and/or steal cars and, even if caught in the act—a rare occurrence—they will surf the local court system and be returned to the streets the same day. Keeping accused criminals in jail overnight costs money the cunty does not want to spend.
There is something very odd about one of the country’s richest area being beset by a lack of police. I don’t understand it. I probably don’t need to. But I’m relatively certain in a state that often boasts of the progress made in many areas, a shortage of cops and an upsurge of crime is not something to be proud of.
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