serious questions

There are several Deputies in your boat Worried. The cost of living around here has almost doubled in the past few years, yet our pay has remained the same. Those of us who have been here for more than 5 years have that whole 2.5 % to look forward to, which amounts to about 1 tank of gas and a loaf of bread. I’m not complaining, 2.5 is better than nothing. I know there is no quick, easy fix, but I believe there are a few things we can do to help each other out.

There are a lot of people who work S-15s for extra cash so they can buy a new toy or “play” money. It’s not that they NEED the money to feed their family or keep their house. If those people backed off a detail or two for a few months maybe some of these guys/girls can pick up a few. Every month I look at the calendar and I see the same people getting the same details. I’ve asked why some people don’t put in for more details and I keep hearing the same thing, “What the point, So-n-So has that detail locked up” or “I put in for 9 details last month, I got 2, but So-n-So got 7”. And the sad part is when you look at the Calendar it appears to be true. Granted there may be an underlying issue I’m not aware, but that is how it appears. Maybe the S.O. could suspend charging for fuel for a few months. (Before anyone starts to think I’m trying to jump on his or her S-15, I have worked 1 in the past 8 years. I did it only to help out a friend when she couldn’t cover the detail. I have no desire to start working them now, ask any one I know).

Most of us had jobs before we became cops; some of us have hobbies or special skills. Before we hire some stranger to do a job at our home, maybe post the job; see if one of our brothers or sisters can do the job or maybe they have a family member qualified for the job. Of course you would want to treat that person as you would any other person you’d hire, make sure they have the skill to do the job, licensed if necessary, and a written contract in place before the work is started.

During times of disaster there is an outpouring of assistance to Deputies in need within this agency. Why wait for a disaster, if you know someone on your shift needs help, do something. It doesn’t have to be a full-fledged fundraiser. A small collection among shift members or within the district might be all the help the deputy needs and can make all the difference in the world.

The Holidays are baring down on us fast, we know Christmas will be slim for many of our brothers and sisters. Some of us, while not rolling around in money, are better off than others. All year long we open our hearts and wallets to unseen charities, we walk for breast cancer, we collect stuffed animals for children and cram vans with school supplies. These are all very worthy causes and I’m proud to take part in them. But right now, during these rough times we need to take care of each other. We need to make sure the person standing beside us on the street has his/her mind on the task at hand and not worrying about how he/she will feed their family with 3 days to go before payday. We need to pull together and help each other when and where we can. These are just a few ideas, I’m sure there are many others out there that just need to be voiced.

My intent for this post is not to offend anyone, so I hope no offence is taken. I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad or guilty for something they’ve done or not done. I understand we all get caught up in our own lives and our own wants and needs. Sometimes we fail to see we have a friend in need and we don’t realize we may be able to do something to help. Sometimes we just need someone or something to point out how fortunate we are to have not just our immediate family, but also our Law Enforcement family to depend on when we need assistance.

As many of you know, a few months ago we were told my husband has a brain tumor. A few weeks ago we learned it’s not a tumor, Thank God, but that’s about all we know. Many of you offered kind words, prayers and any help we may need. Thank you, all of you. It proves we are an agency that can take care of each other. Let’s face it, the County Commissioners don’t want to help us, there isn’t much the Sheriff can do to help us as long as the County Commissioners are holding tightly to the purse strings. We are all we got. It’s time to reach out and take care of each other.

Sgt. Laura J. Mustin
SRSO D-1 Patrol

You guys are absolutely right. Stick it out where you are. The structure of your county government needs to change. The CCs that you have in there now are worthless when it comes to public servants. If they can make a provision in the property tax budgets to cover education, then there should be some type of compensation on the other end for law enforcement and fire and rescue. It just needs to be packaged, presented, and sold to the community. No one in the NW FL area wants higher taxes on anything, but they want to keep the same services that have increased in cost. I don't know who the PIO is that the sheriff's department uses, but they need to be in touch with the local media (including independent news outlets and college newspapers) to let them know what the CCs are doing in this area. Independent news outlets are generally more liberal leaning meaning that they are more outspoken about the proper use of tax dollars. And getting that information to college students that want to stand behind something might just spark some politicking from the younger generations in your area...you know the ones that might get out there and vote and have nothing better to do on CC meeting nights. It beats trying to sell budgeting items to 50+ year old white men with vested interests in property (lower property taxes) holdings and back room business deals (Goodin). Aside from a handful of socially retarded officers that you have there, SR has some good people. And those that chose it as a career deserve to be paid like it's a career and not a just another job.

Just so everyone knows,
The FOP has contacted Channel 3 and Channel 15 in the past with regards to SRSO/LEO/BOCC issues. They do put our issues out there. An example is the Channel 3 investigation into the BOCC prior to the final budget hearing. The FOP also backed two of the new BOCC members to get two voted out that were constantly voting against the SO.
The idea of putting a story out there about LEO families in distress due to the current financial situations in this county would be good and it would give the general public an idea of what's really going on. You'd be surprised at the number of citizens that have no idea what the pay is for a deputy in this county. The problem is, I need at least one of those in this situation to come to me because Channel 3 is not going to take my word for it. They are going to want to interview deputies in that position. If you are serious about putting it out there to Channel 3 email me at my personal email pavegunner@bellsouth.net

How does the FOP handle situations like that? Do you have a public information officer, or is the president responsible for making those connections with the press? You really need someone that is pro-active and can get out and kiss hands and shake babies, like a regular politician. It should be someone well-spoken and knowledgeable about local politics in general. By doing this you will also give your members the satisfaction of seeing your lodge as doing something other than just having the standard meetings. Just make sure it doesn't devolve into the whole LEO vs teachers vs firefighters vs public works. You don't want the public choosing sides. You only want to present your case or the cases of the affected officers.

[ESOTinStar]

I obviously don't work for your agency but being an ECSO Deputy and living in SRC, I feel the same pinch. We have decided that since everyone in the house has a cell phone, there isn't a need for a house phone, cable and internet is down to a minimum and the trips to eating out are cut to once a week. I hate to be heavy-handed in that area but wasting what little signal 15 pay there is to go eat is a little absurde. And the Sergeant is right, we need to take care of our own since times are tough and we should be thankful that we have a career when you look at the number of people being laid-off in Florida every month.

Be careful and keep your head down.

Non-LEO Observer,
At the present time I am the PIO for our FOP Lodge. I am in charge of making those contacts which is why I put my email address there. Most of my work is done "behind the scenes" and no one even knows I did it, which is absolutely fine with me. I am not SH and I don't look as pretty. I do talk to my contacts in the media and attempt to get information out there. I worked very hard on the Super Homestead exemption, even putting in ads. When it comes to public speaking, I am not the president of the lodge nor am I a member of the executive board. This prevents me from going on TV and saying anything.
The offer is there. I agree with Laura that we do need to take care of our own. Instead of giving to the United Way we need to put money into making sure those Christmas wishes are fulfilled for the children of our deputies that are struggling.
Lori

I don't know who or what SH is, and I don't know what you look like, so I can't really comment on that. But it's not really about looks as it is presentation of the information. I'm not sure the size of your lodge, but my recommendation would be to appoint someone as a PIO for your lodge that just handles press releases and communication with members. To maintain fairness, I would not have someone on the board handle that duty. It should be a member that is in good standing with the lodge and one that can speak and handle themselves appropriately. That way anything that comes from one of the board members can get a "once over" by a non-partisan member for grammar, spelling, and content before hitting either the precincts or the press. Just a suggestion.

SH is the sgt in charge of the pio. He's the pio because the sheriff thinks he's pretty. :snicker: Actually, Lori is a cutie pie but married :x