I now exactly what you mean, I,A! If that cop had done a snow angel instead, he could have been back to chasing bank robbers so much sooner. Snow angles, on the other hand, take hours. OK, I let your stupid typo distract me from my real point, which is that you don't have a fucking clue what cops do or how they do it, and if these are the best examples you have of PPB wasting resources, then you need to do some more research. You sound like the asshole at Starbucks who whines about standing in line when you know *for a fact* that one of the baristas had the gall to take a 15-minute break a little while ago!

^ for real. It's an interesting trend in criticism I see where police officers as well as other public safety employees and city workers / public works employees are condemned for seemingly doing nothing, while in all reality the same labor laws that protect the accuser to have breaks and lunches also protect those individuals. Sure, sometimes they sit in a car and bullshit for a bit, but honestly, how many people can really say they haven't sat at work on a Monday and talked to a coworker about what they did over the weekend. Just because tax dollars fund a portion of these services doesn't entitle you to question their minutes I/A.

On the PR photos. Most major public safety services do it. It's even pretty common for the Fire Department. Police face the tough position of being detached from the community and being distrusted, while also trying to represent the *idea of protection without showing too much force or militarism. The PR photos are one strategic element of humanizing officers and attempting to build trust in the community. Whether you agree with those tactics or not I/A, is immaterial.

I will say, I remember the conversation that came up prior to the Portland Marathon and the Portland Police said they didn't have enough staffing so the marathon would have to change routes. At that point I called bullshit. They never have an issue for putting forth a large number of officers for demonstrations, and last year staff enrollment was actually higher than the year before - so the inability to "properly protect and enforce the route" was lost on me.

It'd be great if they just started enforcing traffic violations. That'd get them the money for hundreds of new hires right there. Billy-Bob from Greshcouver rollin' coal in his raised pickup dun care if you think "20 is plenty."