Law Enforcement has certainly seen some drastic changes in the past decade or two, even more so in the last few years. Our honorable profession, in many areas of the country, has gone from respected to resented, from thanked to threatened. While this fortunately isn’t an accurate reflection of our county – it is a potential reality our officers and deputies risk every day with every call.
In the mid 80’s law enforcement agencies like Rochester were getting nearly 400 applicants when they posted for open positions, in the 90’s there were usually over 200 applicants. Today, they may get only 50 applicants for just a handful of openings.
We’re now seeing officers and families make the decision to change careers due to the current climate and national sentiment by some towards law enforcement – many of these resignations fueled by incidents like Ferguson and others that followed. For example, Colorado Springs Police Department had over 50 resignations last year. Many of those officers, and their families, cited the job had just become too risky.
Nearly 1,500 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years – an average of one death every 60 hours, with 117 killed in the line of duty last year. Nearly 60,000 assaults against law enforcement are reported annually, resulting in around 15,000 injuries.
Law Enforcement must be willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Must be willing to miss special family dates – birthdays, anniversaries, school events, etc. They must be willing to always run towards the threat often risking their lives for people they often don’t even know. They have to be willing to be on heightened alert daily due to the violence against law enforcement nationwide – they need to be on guard and watch their backs both at work and off-duty with their families. Officers need to accept that their families will deal with a tremendous amount of stress with all the negative publicity towards law enforcement. Their kids may likely get teased or worse at school and must know to watch their backs too. Officers must be available at a moment’s notice for emergencies. They must be willing to work under the public microscope every day and know that the actions they take in a split second will be arm-chair quarterbacked by many – lawyers, media, and community. They must understand that they will be held to a higher standard than others both on and off duty. Finally, officers need to know the job will not likely pay enough for them to avoid needing a part-time job to raise a family and make ends meet.
So the question is – Why do people still sign up for this?
While law enforcement in our area and around the state and country will share various reasons for becoming an officer, the common answer is that they genuinely care about people, and want to help people in need. These are the men and women that are successful and survive in this profession. Most have a strong sense of community, and right and wrong. Most also have a strong sense of community. They are truly amazing people!
We encourage our deputies to live here in Dodge County and to take ownership in our community. They are very active in our community and are always open to questions or concerns from the public, whether at home, at the store, or at a local restaurant. This community policing philosophy helps us earn the trust and respect of the public that we serve. The better our communication is with the public, the better we can work together to solve problems in our neighborhoods.
While it may sound cliché, I went into law enforcement because I truly wanted to help people. I wanted to give back and make a difference in the community I grew up in – which was Kasson. I wanted to try and help make Dodge County a safe place for my kids to grow up in, a safe place for my family and friends to raise their kids. I’ve always believed in the importance of taking an active ownership role in my community. These actions are important not only as a law enforcement officer, but as a parent in my opinion. These actions along with the strong sense of “community” that officers teach and share with their families often results in their kids following in their footsteps – as I did with my father, and as my oldest son did with me. We’re working hard to employee law enforcement professionals here at the Sheriff’s Office who all share this same belief and philosophy.
This career is certainly not for everyone. We’ve seen several come and go who realized that it wasn’t for them. Those of us that have been here for a while have seen dramatic changes, especially the increased risks to deputy safety and the stress it puts on family. In spite of this, we still come to work every day because we want to help people – because we genuinely care about the public that has entrusted us to put the badge on and do this job.
The next time you see your local officer or deputy out working day and night, in good weather and in bad, on the weekends, and on holidays – please remember the sacrifices they and their families make for your safety everyday they put on that badge and uniform. These are truly amazing people.
Your Sheriff,
Scott
This post was originally published in May 2016 on Sheriff Rose’s blog.
