# Chief Riello Outlines Impact of Budget Cuts



## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

At the Falmouth Police Department, a perfect storm of events has occurred during the last few months that will lead to a visible difference in how public safety is handled in town this summer.

Officers will no longer use bicycles or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) as part of their regularly scheduled patrols, and walking beats on Main Street have been eliminated. Additional police coverage in Woods Hole as well as on the bike path have been scrapped this year.

Chief Riello Outlines Impact of Budget Cuts - Falmouth - Communities | The Enterprise Newspapers


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

Fewer and OLDER cars; fewer and lower paid cops; a higher work load; CHAOS. And who will be to blame? THE COPS, of course!

I give the Chief credit, he's being brutally honest, seems to be looking out for the troops and has even maintained a sense of humor, though it be black humor.


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## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

I suspect in my town, like in most, political forces are telling the Chiefs to keep their mouths shut. This is the time they, and every police officer, should be yelling even louder. This morning a new neighbor, who I hadn't met before, flagged me down on my daily walk to ask if I had seen anything several days ago as his home had been broken into. Not only was he a victim but he knew of another daylight house burglary. I also know of a drug store burglary. None of these have been in the press. I was not aware of them. Towns people are cutting budgets and we have fewer patrols on our streets today than a year ago and the Chief remains silent, under the orders I suspect of politicians who haven't the testicular fortitude to tell it like it is. You need to increase, not decrease budgets for public safety in poor economic times as desperate people turn to crime. I recall many years back our outspoken then police chief was threatened by elected officials for submitting a budget with an attachment saying his officers could not get the job done if the number of officers were reduced and if the resources were not provided. He and the members of the department stood up to the pols before the public and his budget was passed. The pols were not happy but the town was protected. Today I'm afraid there are too many timid leaders.


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## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

I am convinced my town and the local paper are deliberately underreporting a lot of the daytime burgalaries that we know are occurring.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

does anyone else recall the Randolph Fire Chief who spoke out after two children died in a fire and the raging storm he created. I'm not entirely sure I blame any chief for being reluctant in speaking up, but it's GOT to be done. Sure, telling the world you have less cops and cruisers almost advertises easy pickings for criminals, but it just might Joe and Jane Schlub more aware, something many just aren't.

What's that old saying, drastic times call for drastic measures. I wrote a letter to a local paper after the Randolph Selectmen crucified the Fire Chief and encouraged him to sue their asses off. He did, but I cannot take credit. I forget the outcome, but bottom line, he made his point that you cannot tell the head of a department that you have NO, ZERO, NADA experience in, how to run things and there ARE many morons out there running cities and towns that, though maybe with good intentions, are treading on ground they have little business being on.


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

In the not so distant past, most chiefs of both police and fire departments were civil service. Now, the opposite is true. The system today may have some benefits, but having non-civil service chiefs makes them a lot more reluctant to speak their minds. 

I applaud Chief Riello on his statements and can say that he is respected by the members of the Falmouth Police Department.


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