Click here to view original web page at justthenews.com
Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin extolled the city’s efforts to rethink policing by ending police traffic stops for non-safety reasons and getting written consent from motorists a vehicle search in February 2021.
“Too much of our city’s budget is spent on policing, and many of the duties we’ve assigned to officers do not require a response from someone with a badge and a gun,” Arreguin said in a news release .
Police officers in Berkeley are some the highest-paid employees in the city. In 2021, a police sergeant made $353,259, which included $143,219 in overtime. That made the sergeant the highest-paid employee in the city. The city manager made $312,672 that year.
Fourteen of the 17 city employees who made $300,000 or more in 2021 worked in the police department. The city stated it spent $243,023 per police position in 2022.
Overall, the city spent $132.5 million on public safety, which includes the police and fire departments, in 2021. Public safety accounted for 37% of all city expenditures, according to Berkeley’s 2021 audited budget .
Overtime was a major factor in the high police salaries. Thirty-six police department employees made $50,000 or more in overtime in 2021.
The city stated in its audited budget, “Public Safety was over budget by $9.5 million due to overspending of Police and Fire overtime budgets. This was related to staffing shortages forcing mandatory overtime, and due to mutual aid requests.”
The Berkeley police department and City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley did not respond to emails seeking comment.
We Often Feel Like David Taking on Giants
Today’s Goliath is the Mainstream Media Industrial Complex that brainwashes the masses.
Our mission is very straightforward: To counter the false narratives and nefarious agendas destroying America today. It isn’t easy for obvious reasons; despite incredible growth over the last year we are still a very tiny fish in a huge media pond. But we’re fighting and we will continue to do so, Lord willing, for as long as we possibly can. The battle for America’s present and future is too important for us to back down to the giants that stand in our way.
We need help. I don’t want to say “desperately,” but the need is definitely great. If you have the means, please donate through our GivingFuel page, PayPal, or our Substack page. Your generosity is what keeps these sites running and allows us to get the truth to the masses. We’ve had great success in growing but we know we can do more with your assistance.
Thank you, and God Bless!
JD Rucker