This division of funds has sparked some controversy, specifically that the City received the money because of Mayor Kevin Johnson perceived connections to President Barack Obama. This perception is highlighted by Obama’s dismissal of Gerald Walpin, the inspector general who investigated the misuse of federal funds by Johnson and St. Hope.
The Sheriff’s Department is a different story: whoever is in charge of their budget is bad at math. The County pitched in to save the jobs of 70 deputies, though there’s no doubt this was taken into account when divvying up the stimulus funds.
Regardless of whether or not Johnson has been rubbing elbows with Obama, SPD gets some extra funds that they hopefully will use wisely.
Undoubtedly, the best use of the money would be to hire more officers. Crime in the North Area isn’t going away: this previous Sunday, a person was attacked with a machete at the Express Stop Market, and Four Oaks Market was robbed at gunpoint (all in the same day).
