Monday, February 3, 2014
The ship appears to continue sinking
Unconfirmed reports suggest three more officers are leaving the Police Department in the near future for the same reasons we keep losing experienced and well trained officers (better base pay, take home car program, better benefits etc.) It is yet to be seen if the County leaders will address this issue and get Cobb County Public Safety back to where it needs to be. I would like to hear from the masses on what they think it might to take to get Cobb Public Safety back where it needs to be.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I think it starts with take home cars. I truly believe that if leaders expand the take home car policy to all officers and continue what I hearing about the lateral program that will help with the manpower issues. In short the cars will keep us and attract the others.
Thanks for the voice!!!
I know of a couple more that are waiting on calls from other better paying departments plus with a take home ride!
The pay is first and foremost. You do a job to be able to provide for your family and sustain a decent lifestyle. Although the ability to work a 2nd or 3rd job is a nice extra to have at times, we're jeopardizing the health of human beings who are required to work so many hours to put food on the table & keep a roof over the heads of their children.
It's certainly expected that an employer would equip their company properly to make it successful, but we work for the government. That said, if you expect me to put my life on the line, you better give me the tools to do that in the safest way possible. However, this is a job. It's not my life. I can find plenty of jobs elsewhere, but if your lack of professionalism in the way of equipment, etc costs me my life, I can't find another life elsewhere. My life comes first!!
What about taking away the policy of having every new hire go through the full academy no matter how much experience they have? I believe reinstating your lateral entry program would open the door to experienced officers applying again. I definitely thought about applying recently and I work for a local department, I'm in Investigations and on the SWAT Team, but to come there I would have to go through the full academy and start fresh. That is a major factor in my consideration.
Retirement is your goal. Stay and work for better pay, working conditions and better retirement. It sneaks up on you fast and the decisions you make today will affect you in your older years. Changing departments only causes you to loose valuable retirement accrual. No matter how good the other departments look today, stick to one jurisdiction and work to make it better for you and those who follow you. I retired 10 years ago with 30+ years and thank God that I stayed with Cobb the whole time, building county retirement. Make sure you are putting money into the POABF. I placed $7,440 into the fund over my career and to date have drawn over $78,000 out of it. It is well worth it. Also buy back all that they will let you.
Your pay at Cobb will lag behind at times then spring forward as the Commissioners realize the severity of being the lowest paid in the metro area. Just wait, it will happen. Cobb is the richest per capita income county in the area, so lack of money is not the problem. Other priorities keep the Commissioners occupied until it is time to act. As you become more senior with Cobb, you will notice less of a need for part times. Of course, living within your means always helps. I believe things will improve greatly for all of you after the Braves host their first game in Cobb, if not before.
Take home cars are great and should be considered for beat officers for many reasons. Marked cars are also a drawback for family men and women. They cost you time and cause you aggravation. Ask any Lt. or below that has one. But on the other hand, work hard and get promoted. Cars are one of the perks. It just takes a little time if you can spare it, and effort if you have it.
Lateral entry has always produced hard line feelings on both sides. Best case scenario is getting qualified officers on the street faster. Worst case, hiring another department's problem child. Then there's the pay thing......
Good luck guys, hope it works out for you. Be safe.
I would first like to say I bare no ill will towards any of the people who got promoted today (2/14/2014).
Apparently, if you are on the promotion list, and at a precinct, you have no hope of ever being promoted. All the sergeant promotions were made from special units. I guess no one at the precinct level is qualified. I'm sure the argument is "manpower" at the precincts. So that means if you're at a precinct, you'll never get promoted, and you can't transfer out of a precinct to get promoted because you can't leave. And they wonder why people feel trapped. Can't go anywhere, can't get promoted, why stay. I'm fed up. This ship is indeed sinking. I'm jumping off and swimming for shore.
I feel your pain, and I can't blame you for feeling the way you do. Believe me you're not alone. But hang in there good things are coming..LOL I know we've all heard that for years. There are some of us that can't just jump of and swim to shore. So we must stand up for ourselves and make a difference. This isn't the first time officers have had to stand up and speak out to get politicians to wake up. On Tuesday night the 25 we have the opportunity to be heard at the BOC meeting. We have several speakers speaking on our behalf. Be there with your blue Ducimus t-shirt. Don't let them brush us aside... Lets turn up the heat.
That's just it...they DIDN'T get promoted 02/14/14. They were just announced. Another of the things done at CCPD that is so hard to comprehend. A promotion is announced to be forthcoming, but no indication of when or to where they will be assigned. Decision-making is severely limited by a lack of effective leadership.
As someone who left, CCPD has had a recent history of promoting managers, not leaders. Many who have been promoted are part of the group of "boys" who are friends with the brass in the department. Sorry to all who have not been promoted and deserved it. I know there are some who are on their 4th and 5th sergeant's list and haven't been recognized because they don't fit the "mold."
Post a Comment