Two recent polls by Calibre Press of police officers nationwide highlight the struggles departments and their personnel face every day.
In July 2020, just a month after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, more than 10,000 cops responded to a survey asking for opinions on the current state of policing.
At that time, about 80% of respondents reported being either “extremely satisfied,” “pleased” or “somewhat pleased” with being a cop.
Asked whether they would choose the same career if they could turn back time, the answers were evenly split between yes, no and not sure.
What Calibre found alarming was that only 7% of respondents would recommend the career field for their children or others.
A year later, a second poll showed similar results, with 4,500 respondents.
There was, however, a slight increase, at 11.4%, in the number of people who would recommend the job to their children or anyone else.
When asked why they would not recommend policing as a career, the responses varied from increased legal liability and an overall lack of respect for the police to the danger of the job.
“No matter what we do, we are wrong in everyone’s eyes,” one respondent said.
“It’s not worth getting involved anymore when the legal system defends the criminals and incarcerates the police,” another said.
“More is required with less resources,” said one respondent.
And that’s one that hits home.
The Poplar Bluff Police Department has been short-handed for a long time, and remains so to this day, leaving staff working extra hours and creating more strain.
Recruiting of new officers, according to police chief Danny Whitely, has been an ongoing problem.
Low pay, long hours, plus the previously mentioned issues all are to blame.
Well-trained police are badly needed across the country, but a small percentage of outspoken critics has garnered the attention of the national media and bolstered an already big recruiting problem.
The men and women who patrol our streets and keep us safe deserve better, and we hope you agree.