what is it going to take?

What is it going to take...to keep our GOOD officer's ? Why don't you all put on your thinking hats. List the changes, you would like to see. With the changes, put the solution, to fix the probelm.. NO negative or cut downs. Lets be professional and try to make the changes in the right way.

good officers already left! But to answer your question, a new administration. We have a command that would be lucky to be sgt's elsewhere.

Ahhh, :shock: BETTER INSURANCE, HOW ABOUT THAT :!: SO OFFICERS ARE NOT HAVING TO WORK SO MUCH OFF DUTY JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THE RETIREMENT IS GREAT, BUT THAT ISURANCE IS A KILLER :!:

Ahhh, :shock: BETTER INSURANCE, HOW ABOUT THAT :!: SO OFFICERS ARE NOT HAVING TO WORK SO MUCH OFF DUTY JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THE RETIREMENT IS GREAT, BUT THAT INSURANCE IS A KILLER :!:

YES THE MEDICAL WILL BREAK THE WEEKLY CHECK...THE BRASS IS NOT THE BIG PROBLEM IT IS MINOR COMPLAINTS ON THAT ISSUE. BUT WHEN YOU ADD THE LOSS OUT OF YOUR CHECK ON TOP OF THE SMALL STUFF OFFICERS WILL AND ARE GOING TO LEAVE. WE WILL LOSE SOME GOOD OFFICERS NEXT TPD PICK. I SAY THIS LOOK AT EVERYTHING NOT JUST THE CASH. 8)

I was a PCPD Officer in the late 1970's. Same questions.....same concerns.....same issues. I have been with a professional agency with a strong union for the rest of my lifetime. MAJOR difference. Don't want to sound too radical but you have to force your foot into the door and squeak those wheels. Need a strong union who can put political pressure on the City Council who will make the Chief do whatever they say. Reality dicxtates he can support you till the cows come home but he's gonna do whatever he's told from the City Manager and the City Commission. Get a Union to support friends in the City Council & destroy enemies and start dictating your needs instead of asking and getting smoke blown up yer arse.

I was a PCPD Officer in the late 1970's. Same questions.....same concerns.....same issues. I have been with a professional agency with a strong union for the rest of my lifetime. MAJOR difference. Don't want to sound too radical but you have to force your foot into the door and squeak those wheels. Need a strong union who can put political pressure on the City Council who will make the Chief do whatever they say. Reality dicxtates he can support you till the cows come home but he's gonna do whatever he's told from the City Manager and the City Commission. Get a Union to support friends in the City Council & destroy enemies and start dictating your needs instead of asking and getting smoke blown up yer arse.

I believe a union is what it will take to make officers stay for the long haul. We have a good department, and pretty good officers, but when you have officers who have to work off duty just to make ends meat, there is a problem. Single officers can not even come close to affording a home, new or used, on the salary they make, and officers with families who are paying insurance, are lucky to pay the bills. It should not be that way. I believe the union would be the single biggest step in the right direction for this department.

I'm a retired LEO from up north, now living on the outskirts of Plant City and I am concerned.

I've heard that at times, when there may only be one or two units on the street! Is that true? My source is very reliable and if true, that is wrong, wrong wrong!

I've been told that a rookie officer can basically make the same starting pay as more senior officers. Is that true? When I heard this I couldn't believe it! You mean a four, five or six year FTO could be training a rookie who is sitting next to him and making the same money in the process?

No wonder PCPD can't keep good officers and the public and your fellow officers are in more danger because of it! Please work to change this.

HOW ABOUT STEPPED INCREASES/EXPERIENCE/LONGEVITY PAY RAISES?

Not a new concept but it is a great idea for paying an officer for their experience.

Doubt I'll ever post here again, so, BE SAFE, BE TEN-EIGHT and TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER OUT THERE.

Regarding your question about pay. The pay for officers has improved on paper, the problem is the deductions. On paper, an officer may be paid $40,000.00 a year. The money he actually sees may be in the upper 20s. This problem will continue until we gain leaders who are more interested in doing what is necessary to retain officers than obtaining the newest toy available.

One of the ongoing morale problems deals with assignments. You may have an officer with 5, 10, or 15 years on the street who is active and never gets an assignment out of patrol while a rookie with no prior experience is placed in SIU or CIU after less than a year.