Shrink the police

It is time to shrink the police state.

Imagine the cost of our own state police; local police; sheriffs’ staff; private security; jail guards; counselors; bureaucrats; jails; police stations; courthouses; lawyers; judges.

The Vermont State Police have had a bad year. There has been a taser death; sexually inappropriate behavior; and a death on a popular hiking trail while the troopers waited till daylight. This would cause a charge of negligent homicide had a civilian been responsible.

The latest is a station commander and his alleged fabricated overtime. Worse is the many officers who cost us over $100,000 per year with their overtime geared to increase pensions.

Such excessive cost has contributed to budget cuts for preventive services to families. In some states, such as Louisiana, this is a deliberate process to increase customers for the police state and its “corrections” industry. This must not happen here in Vermont!

Geoffrey Cobden

Weybridge