07-21-2009, 06:06 PM
THE BELOW POST IS FROM LAKELAND PD 07/20/2009, SO, YOU SEE EVERY AGENCY HAS IT'S PROBLEMS AND ISSUES. THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER. JUST READ OTHER LOCAL AGENCY POST AND IT IS ALL THE SAME BLAH, BLAH. STEP UP, SHUT UP, AND JUST DO YOUR JOB... :devil:
Today seven people called in sick, there were two officers working the southside and three working north. Calls to get people to work overtime went unanswered. Only a couple would come in. No amount of money would put people in uniform. Its not about the money, its never really been about the money.
People call in sick when they are not sick, or when years ago they would have just worked anyway. We were a team, fighting a common enemy, we had a common goal. We had ownership in a fine agency. None of that is true any longer. Its not the officer's fault, its not the union's fault. Its the administration, and its only going to get worse.
We are about to start losing hundreds of years of experience with the DROP Cops, and the Tier Two guys who have put their time in. The city will be left with unexperienced supervisors and officers. We've told them this was coming...and they did nothing. We told them the promotional process was a train wreck in progress...and they did nothing. We told them manpower allocation needed serious adjustment...and they did nothing. We told them morale was at an all time low and officers would be leaving as soon as they could...and they did nothing.
Citizens of Lakeland, we are doing the best we can, but we are being fought by a chain of command who is fighting us at every step, and we are tired. Bill Lepere and Roger Boatner have set this dept up for failure. There's little that can be done now. We have told the city council, the mayor and the city manager this several times...and they did nothing.
Today seven people called in sick, there were two officers working the southside and three working north. Calls to get people to work overtime went unanswered. Only a couple would come in. No amount of money would put people in uniform. Its not about the money, its never really been about the money.
People call in sick when they are not sick, or when years ago they would have just worked anyway. We were a team, fighting a common enemy, we had a common goal. We had ownership in a fine agency. None of that is true any longer. Its not the officer's fault, its not the union's fault. Its the administration, and its only going to get worse.
We are about to start losing hundreds of years of experience with the DROP Cops, and the Tier Two guys who have put their time in. The city will be left with unexperienced supervisors and officers. We've told them this was coming...and they did nothing. We told them the promotional process was a train wreck in progress...and they did nothing. We told them manpower allocation needed serious adjustment...and they did nothing. We told them morale was at an all time low and officers would be leaving as soon as they could...and they did nothing.
Citizens of Lakeland, we are doing the best we can, but we are being fought by a chain of command who is fighting us at every step, and we are tired. Bill Lepere and Roger Boatner have set this dept up for failure. There's little that can be done now. We have told the city council, the mayor and the city manager this several times...and they did nothing.