Community Support Is The Key – Buz Blog

“Without police officers protecting our communities, lawlessness would take over.” – A Citizen’s Comment

With police and sheriff departments all over the country losing experienced law enforcement officers to retirement, early retirement and those just leaving the career in record numbers, something must be done to reverse this trend. Unfortunately, recruiting isn’t even able to fill the openings that are occurring. It is of little wonder that this is occurring, after the George Floyd fiasco and the anti-police animus instigated by the corporate press, the race baiters and groups like Black Lives Matter. The public has reaped the dramatic increase in crime that the defunding the police movement and “progressive” prosecutors have unleashed. The question is how to retain and recruit more career officers?

Having just spent several days in Southern California the last couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with several active and retired officers in that area. In the Long Beach Police Department, where I spent 29 years, they are now offering new recruits an interesting benefit. The new cop can get $1000 a month housing allowance for the first two years, if he or she lives in the city of Long Beach. In addition the newly hired officer will get another $1000 dollars a month for the first two years for child care, if it is needed.

One of the Long Beach Police Officers Association officials told me that the city is also looking at what benefits other agencies are offering as incentives to retain their experience officers, to recruit new officers and entice experienced officers from other areas. I have read that some departments are offering “signing bonuses” to attract experienced officers and seniority pay to keep officers already on their payrolls.

Incentives can only do so much to alleviate the problems of a shortage of recruits and the retention of experienced officers. What is needed even more, is a feeling that they are supported by the public as well as their supervisors, command staff and the city and county governments they work for. Law enforcement officers who do not believe that the majority of the public, their supervisors and elected officials supports them, will only go through the motions.

These officers will respond to calls for service, but will consciously or unconsciously put on the blinders to avoid confrontations. This virtually eliminates proactive police work that puts a major dent in crime. They will do this knowing that any criminal resistance that has to be overcome, will be seen as brutality by an antagonistic public, incited by a hostile press.

They know that most people are ignorant of the force necessary to overcome someone who does not want to be handcuffed and arrested. Law enforcement officers know something that the public and major news organizations don’t know. One, that any of the infamous cases of alleged police brutality, from Rodney King to George Floyd, would not have occurred if the suspects had not committed some criminal offense in the first place, and second, it would not have occurred and been videoed if the suspect had complied with the officer’s lawful commands.

But those who enforce the law have seen too many of their brothers and sisters wearing badges, thrown to the wolves in the press because a video of the arrest looks bad. Even though these officers may have done everything by the book, (department manuals), and not violated any procedures, their chiefs or command staffs will bow to the political correctness of their mayor, city manager or city council to keep in the good graces of their bosses. In many jurisdictions, officers go to work everyday wondering what they might do, just attempting to do their jobs conscientiously, that could get them fired, indicted or imprisoned.

This situation has got to change. It will only change when officers know they have the support of their department administrators, politicians and communities. Of these, community support is the key.