September 26, 2008

State Law Enforcement Officers Endorse Slots Referendum

Call Slots Only Realistic Budget Solution; Debunk Crime Claims

BETHESDA, MD, (September 26, 2008) - Today, the State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance (SLEOLA) announced their endorsement of the November slots referendum at a press conference in Bethesda.

SLEOLA President Jimmy Dulay of the Maryland State Police and other law enforcement officers spoke out in favor of Question 2 as the only realistic solution to Maryland’s budget problems.  Dulay also said that evidence makes clear that slots do not cause an increase in crime.

“As state law enforcement officers, we know the impact of the $1.8 billion already cut from the state budget,” Dulay said. “And as taxpayers, we know that there is no appetite in Maryland for new taxes – despite the fact that some leading slots opponents have called for $700 million in new taxes.”  

“We believe that the best solution for our state is to pass Question 2 – keeping slots money that is already being spent in other states here in Maryland, and investing those funds in our children’s education.”

Dulay also rebutted claims by anti-slots activists that introducing slots will cause an increase in crime:

“Let’s look at this using only common sense,” Dulay continued.  “In the last 15 or 20 years, our country has seen slot machines spread from essentially two states – New Jersey and Nevada – to 37 states.  At the same time, we witnessed historic reductions in crime across the country.

“I’m not saying that slots reduce crime.  But clearly, they don’t seem to increase crime either, and studies back that conclusion.”

Dulay cited several studies to support his conclusion, including:

•    A 2007 report by Maryland Labor Secretary Tom Perez that found:

“The crime rate in Jefferson County, West Virginia, home of Charles Town Races and Slots, in 1994 was 26.4, meaning there were 26.4 offenses per 1,000 residents. In 1997, the rate went down to 20, and continued to fall even after the introduction of slots in 1999. In 2000 the county’s crime rate was 16.2, falling to 12 crimes per 1,000 people by 2004.”

“For Dover County, Delaware, home to Dover Downs... The violent crime rate for the county in 1994, the year before slots came to town, was 915 per 100,000 residents. In 1996, the year following the introduction of slots, the rate was 847, falling to 650 in 2000 and 765 in 2004.”

•    A 2000 study funded by the National Institute of Justice reported that the casinos it examined “do not appear to have any general or dramatic effect on crime.”

•    And a 2000 study by the Public Sector Gaming Commission – a nonpartisan organization of state legislators found that: “The majority of the information collected during the past decade indicates there is no link between gaming, particularly casino-style gaming, and crime.”
The State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance (SLEOLA) is fighting to protect, preserve and enhance the pay, benefits and work conditions of State Law Enforcement Officers throughout Maryland.  SLEOLA represents approximately 1,850 law enforcement professionals in Maryland.