Bankrupt Vallejo bleeding its police force and rise in crime

Overpaid Government Worker reports on the bankrupt city of Vallejo,CA :

News of the bankruptcy had an immediate impact on local crime, Hendershot said.

"As soon as they started talking about it, back in February, we saw crime jump," he said. "Criminals know we're short staffed. Now we're seeing people coming here from Richmond and Oakland, because they think it's fertile ground."

Robberies in Vallejo have doubled from this time last year, although homicides and other violent crimes are about the same, police said. Vallejo had 361 robberies and 15 homicides in 2007, according to FBI crime statistics. Nearby Richmond, by comparison, had 47 homicides and 492 robberies.

Vallejo is not alone in seeing a jump in robberies, however. Many Bay Area cities have been plagued by robberies due, in part, to the faltering economy.

But some in Vallejo say the police union is using staffing issues to gain public favor during the bankruptcy proceedings.