Economy and Law Enforcement

This is the time of year for those of us that follow it anxiously await our agencies budget. At least here in Idaho. Our director spoke to the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee. It sounds as if he did a good job pleading our case.

In Idaho we are not guaranteed a pay increase. We are completely at the whim of the legislature. We did not got a raise last year. We got a fairly small raise the year before. With the economy the way it is there is a good chance we won't get a raise this year.

Currently many of us are taking leave without pay or "Furloughs" in order to help meet the budgetary needs. For me it is 72 hours of pay. My wife is also an employee in state law enforcement and her department has to take 28 hours of furlough time. It adds up to...well too much.

The question I would pose to anyone who may read this is how much should be cut from public safety and for how long can cuts go on before it haves a negative effect? I think that morale will suffer. Staff will begin to suffer from anxiety due to higher cost of living thus increasing use of sick leave thereby increasing overtime for other staff which then creates stress at work and home. What should be done?

Who should get the deepest cut? Where should the money come from? Should it come from Education, Health and Welfare, Transportation I don't really know. Should we just suck it up be good Idahoans and weather the storm? I am inclined to say the latter. The problem is I have been sucking it up for years. I want to live in Idaho and raise my children in this state of small towns. The problem is these small towns are getting big town prices. We are getting big town crimes along with big town criminals. Are jobs are getting more dangerous. We are not getting compensated for what we do.

Who would of known we would have Crips and Bloods, Surenos and Noretenos, Juggalo's Gypsy Jokers, Aryan Nations amongst many others. Then there is the scourge of middle america the redneck meth addict. For my fellow Probation and Parole Officers in 2008 eleven sworn officers were killed by supervised felons. I haven't seen the stats for 2009 but I know of four right here in the Northwest that were killed by Maurice Clemmons. Our jobs are not getting any safer. Today are criminals are smarter, younger and more dangerous than ever before. So my brothers and sisters fight the good fight and stay safe.

So if anyone reads this and you are in law enforcement be it from behind the walls or out on the streets i would like to here what is going on in your state. Also if there is anything you would like to discuss shoot me an email I love to do research and would also entertain a good argument.