County police officers deserve a pay increase

Dear Editor,

A serious problem exists in Chesterfield County within the Chesterfield County Police Department. I am a regular volunteer, at least one day a week in police stations, so I can speak from "within" about this issue. The department is excellent, staffed with competent, knowledgeable and courteous men and women - so what is this problem? Turnover within the department caused directly by the pay, which is less than all of the surrounding police departments.

Often as soon as some experience is gained, [officers are] moving on, result[ing] in many inexperienced officers on the force, in particular in the evening. (In a survey at North Station, the average officer had 3.1 years on the job, nights even less.) This presents a safety concern, not only for the officers, but for us in the citizenry. Experience matters in police work. Because of the constant struggle to staff the department, one worries that one day we will call 911, and no one will be available for us. No matter how competent an officer is, none of us can be in more than one place at a time.

The other huge issue of concern is money. Each recruit costs $122,000 to recruit and supervise through field training. The sensible solution, the logical solution, is to raise the salary of existing officers and retain them, with their valuable experience and expertise.

Hopefully, many other citizens will join me in writing to the board of supervisors and alerting others, hoping to gain the very necessary and deserved increase in pay for the Chesterfield County police.

Carolyn Horton

Woodlake

Dear Editor,

I have had the good fortune of living in Chesterfield County for the last 24 years. The county takes pride in its reputation for reliable financial performance and two of the strategic goals are "to provide world-class customer service" and "to be the safest and most secure community." These should continue to be the primary goals by showing our police department is valued with comparable pay to be in line with their counterparts in similar jurisdictions.

They come to our defense by putting their lives on the line. Now it is the county's turn to support them. Retention is of great concern, and our officers could be looking into working for other areas if they do not receive the financial compensation they so richly deserve. Training recruits is extremely expensive. Don't let our tax dollars be given to the surrounding counties. Let's keep our experienced officers right here protecting you and me. Once ground is lost to the criminal element, it will be hard to get it back!

Norma F. Bliley

Chesterfield