Housing Cops

[NightHunter]

I am a Canadian and I've been working in the Housing Authority for 15 years now. I have seen and done just about everything you can imagine in law enforcement.

I've made more drug arrests than I can count, solved homicides, rapes, burglaries, etc. And I can honestly say that it is my heartfelt opinion that one year of working in the projects is like 15 years or more, any place else. It is THE consumate learning ground, if one learns quickly and adapts to one's surroundings. If not, it is an awful place to die.

I'd like to hear what Housing cops from other cities and countries have to say.

[Cockney Corner.]

Though we have dedicated Parks and Docks Police in the UK, we don't have specialist Housing cops. Does sound like they keep you busy though.

[NightHunter]

Housing COps

That they do bro, that they DO!

[AnGardaSiochana]

How do you solve murders if you aint a sworn, fulltime police officer?

[NightHunter]

Very easily! You don't have to be a sworn fulltime police officer to get information. You just have to know how.

I am the one that's walking around the projects, and I know all the crackheads, hookers and sleezeballs here. I have arrested most of them at one time or other, and I have a number of informants who give me tips because they respect me, or seek to curry my favor and thus get me off of their backs.

This way, I am often able to learn the identity of a suspect in a crime, even a homicide, where the cops are not. Once I obtain the info of course, I pass it on to the police to follow up on. They often come by to show us wanted posters, and have us be on the lookout for wanted subjects.

And on occasion, somebody that is arrested by a housing cop for a smaller crime, such as trespassing, can have warrants out for them for more serious crimes, murder included.

[co911]

Okay so if you're not a fulltime sworn police officer, what are you, a security guard? And why do you describe yourself as a housing 'cop'?

[Bobbycop]

I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Lower socio-economic areas are the hot-bed of crime and disorder.
Any cop, sworn or otherwise, working these areas will develop a lot quicker than someone in a leafy suburb.
The close proximity of people living in projects (or council estates as we call them) also mean that lots of people know what is happening. A great place for intelligence gathering and source management.
The lower standard of education is also a factor in resident's anger-management and knowing their boundaries with alcohol/drug use.
Glad you enjoy your work, most cops working these areas do.
I think a big danger though is developing an 'us' and 'them' attitude, which is easy to develop.

[maninblue109]

I certainly wouldnt work in a housing authority security service in Toronto, or anywhere else in Ontario or Canada. The housing authorities from what i have seen and heard are not serious about safety and security. Yes, some housing officers are sworn as special constables, giving them peace officer authority, however they are dealing with serious criminals daily and they are not armed.

Special constables are in place to deal with the lower end crimes - so with serious/violent calls, they call 911 and stay in a safe location.

We are all aware that when you deal with drugs there are always guns involved, how can a housing special constable deal with these situations when she/he carry a baton - you dont bring a baton to a gun fight.

Its time the housing authorities and the cities get serious and employ a full authorized police department - or make a police housing division.

[maninblue109]

Cities need to look at the Greater Vancouver Transit Police as an example - transit and the city upgraded there special constables to a fully sworn/armed police department...congrats on that!!!

[Cockney Corner.]

The lower standard of education is also a factor in resident's anger-management and knowing their bounderies with alcohol/drug use.

Very delicately put. I always love the line: "It's terrible here - I keep asking the council to move me and they won't". One day, probably on the day I retire, I plan to reply: "Hey, if you got a job and saved some money, you could live wherever you wanted - have you thought about that?"

[co911]

His bio says he is not a sworn police officer so what is he and why does he then claim to be a cop?

[ForegoneReality]

Very delicately put. I always love the line: "It's terrible here - I keep asking the council to move me and they won't". One day, probably on the day I retire, I plan to reply: "Hey, if you got a job and saved some money, you could live wherever you wanted - have you thought about that?"

My sub-district is primarily local authority housing..and the number of times I've heard that is beyond recollection.

I'd love to turn to them and say "I can't even afford a house within 50 miles of where I work..So why are you complaining about your free one?"

[Cockney Corner.]

His bio says he is not a sworn police officer so what is he and why does he then claim to be a cop?

Well, he's in law enforcement. What's the difference?

[oshphopeful]

i dont know how it is in canada with the housing cops, but here we have the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department and as far as i know, they are fully sworn and armed (black and white with red and blue lights, many people mistake them for cleveland police). they are responsible for the county housing projects around the greater cleveland area.

[Bobbycop]

Well, he's in law enforcement. What's the difference?

..and he probably does a lot more real policing than some 'sworn' officers working in sleepy little towns sitting behind desks all day.