Even though the housing bubble burst nearly five years ago, local governments are only now beginning to feel its repercussions with significantly lower tax revenues. Many  municipalities  across the country have chosen to bridge this gap by cutting services, specifically in police departments. In 2011, there were fewer cops on patrol than there have been in 25 years. This  precipitous  drop coincided with a 13 percent increase in the number of officers killed in the line of duty. Bob Hennelly is senior reporter for Takeaway co-producer WNYC. He  wrote on this topic for his “StuckNation” column on It’s a Free Country.