Ledger Article on Union Contract
The recent article in the Ledger regarding the citizens advisory board supporting a LPD pay raise is interesting.
LPD recently switched from the Police Benevolent Association to the Fraternity Order of Police to represent them in union negotiations. According to the article, employees are wanting more money and more officers.
Here's the deal. Over many years, city leaders have failed to invest in their police department. Whether it be the number of officers, their benefits or working conditions, things have slowly eroded over the course of time. And when I say fail to invest, I mean keeping the department running at a level of peak functionality. Response times to emergency calls have at least doubled because of increased annexation and lack of increasing the number of officers on a shift.
And yes, LPD has, in the distant past, had people quit and go to other agencies such as the Sheriff's Office, Tampa and even state and federal law enforcement agencies. This is nothing new, but perhaps they are leaving in greater numbers now. Additionally, as it applies to employee numbers, the adage of doing more with less was the motto for many years, however, this irrational concept can no longer be the guide if the city wants a quality police department attracting quality applicants.
You see, for many years, LPD was one of the leading law enforcement agencies in the county and state. The applicant pool was full of tenured officers and deputies with several years experience from other agencies. Higher pay, better equipment and better working conditions was the reason LPD attracted these quality applicants. As the years have slipped by, the department has failed to maintain that standard (for several reasons) and now they are at the same level (at best) with other law enforcement agencies relatively within the immediate area.
So, in conclusion, it's the city's governing leaders who need to make a decision. Do you want a police department or do you want an experienced, progressive, innovative police department. In these tough times of policing, the answer should be blatant. Remember, your quality is only as good as your investment.
