The Salisbury City Police Department has been struggling with officer turnover for a long period of time. In fact, one person at the department estimated that there were over 50 police officers turned over (have left) within ten years.Currently, as Mayor Jim Ireton indicated, the police department hired several new officers who are currently in the police academy for training. However, these officers will require eight months of training prior to being turned out onto the road. Six months of police academy training is required to obtain MPTC certification and another two months of training mandated by the police department as field training. So where are all the police going?
For the past several years the Salisbury City Police has seen an excessive amount of turnover of it's certified police employees. Some employees that have left cite the low pay (lower than some other area agencies), high stress work environment, and amount of calls for service handled per shift. For instance, a city police officer may respond to 20 calls for service in a shift while their county and state counterparts only respond to five or six and get paid more.
But, this doesn't mean that officers of other agencies receive any better treatment by administration. It is just a softer blow when cushioned by a fatter paycheck.
However, the Salisbury City Police Department did not always have a high turnover rate. In fact, ten to fifteen years ago it was the premier police agency to work for. So what happened?
The low pay and change in administration caused a high turnover rate which still exists today. When a police officer is lost to another agency the police department loses an officer with an amount of experience that is not easily replaced. When very few experienced police officer remain with a department the citizens suffer because they receive a different level of policing than experienced officers are able to provide. If the police department loses an employee then the police department must hire, perform a background check, and train that officer for eight months of time. That means that during those eight months the officer is essentially not able to handle any calls for service. Additionally, the costs estimated with the training approach over $30,000.00 when including the salary paid to the officer.
The math is easy. It is much easier to keep your employees happy through pay and better treatment that to turnover employees and have to pay them for training that they then take elsewhere with their experience.
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6 comments:
The answer is clear: Tilghman and Webster. Chief Dykes was the Salisbury Police Depatrment. He built it up from manpower, equipment, manpower and facilities. Tilgman and Webster have broke it down. No expierienced manpowere, high turnover, crappy looking vehicles and the building has never looked worse. I could continue on with the problems for hours.
I;ve worked here for a while and it really is crappy. I wish they would do something to improve morale. We are losing another one shortly to the sheriff's office.
What has happened to Elmer Davis? Is he still suspended or did Webster fire him? Did Webster take back the award Elmer received or is he still fighting with Elmer to give it back? Whats going on with the other suspended officers? Are they back at work or have they too been fired?
Davis is still suspended with pay. One officer that was demoted has quit. The other officer that was demoted is back to work.
Why would Webster put Davis on suspension? Something stinks over on Delaware Ave & Rt 50, it's emanating from the 3rd floor.
All this crap with elmer and the other officers is over sleeping on duty. Is that some crazy SH**. Find a officer who has not slept and I will pay for the first round at DD. I'm sure Webster in his 30 + years has done it and I know for a fact that the rest of the brass on the third floor have. Some of them while I have watched.
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