OK, Diane: it took you, a California-transplant-liberal, child of the 60's, to bring me back to my conservative principles. That being that private individuals can do better for themselves than government can. I knew there was something I really liked about you, besides being Bob's lovely wife.
So how about we expand on what some others did in the past, mostly business people along with a few of us private individuals, that formed a fund to help pay for additional police needs like helping to fund the cost of bringing out the BDF.
Expand on that. It could be called Concerned Citizens for Crime Control, a.k.a. 4C's.
The stated principle would be "4Cing" better crime control. Have a board of directors chosen from RESPECTED members of the community - that is important because it keeps me from having to serve. Stated objectives on how the money would be spent and periodic reporting back to donors the spending. Projects like additional equipment for the police, better living conditions for them, cash rewards for information leading to arrests, etc, anything that the police might need that they are not now getting.
Go to not only businesses, I agree they are paying more than their fair share now, but also to owners like me of condos and homes of hundreds of thousand dollar values and ask for a few hundred dollars donated annually to the fund. Anyone like that who would not cough up a couple extra hundred dollars - the same costs as a couple dinners out - I could have a lot of fun embarrassing.
Do the math. We're talking serious money. Just at Banyan Bay, only one condo development, there are 38 units. At just $300 each that is $11400US. If I donated the $300, I would still be paying along with the tax I now pay, less than 10% of what I pay on like valued properties I own elsewhere.
It is past time to keep talking about how things should be and make something happen. Doing something like this can have immediate results - correcting the "system" might take some time - more time than we might have.