Setting the record straight

... on the Saint Paris police.

We had 17 resignations from our tiny force from January 2022 to August 2024. Seventeen. That's one every 60 days. We're budgeted for three full-timers and two part-timers. Can't run a police squad -- or any organization for that matter -- if one must replace and train 20 percent of it every two months.

The recruitment problem is real

According to the timesheets, our last patrol officer departed August 30. (The other three officers left July 18, June 22 and April 3. They were not replaced.) 

The police supervisor was placed on administrative leave August 6. At that time, three of five positions were vacant. Council was later informed that there were no applications in the pipeline.

This is the reality of police recruitment in the post-Covid world.

Every department has the same problem -- the evidence is everywhere. Sure, we can try to compete by raising our starting pay -- we'd need to nearly double it ! -- but we'll never be able to offer the upward mobility that comes with joining a larger force.

It's foolish to think we can swim against the tide.

At best we'll always be a training ground -- a useful hitching post -- for rookie cops. We can do better for our citizens.

There is a solution.

The sheriff offers a community-policing plan that we should try for a year or so. Professional policing within our budget. If it doesn't work out, we still own the cars, building and equipment.

So why the opposition?

Personalities and politics.

No matter how you slice it, the sheriff saves us money.

Nov. 30 -- Let's say, for the sake of argument, that we kept this part-time, overtime sheriff gig going for the next year. Covering the same number of hours (94) that was the average between January 2023 and March of this year.

According to a recent invoice, we're paying $66 per hour. Ninety four hours would be $6,204 a week. That times 52 weeks is $322,608 a year, or at least $80k less than this year's police budget.

OK, we know there's a new collective-bargaining agreement soon to be ratified, so the price will go up. Say 20 percent. That's $387,130 for next year. Still less that what we're spending this year!

And none of this factors in the likely discount we'd receive with a longer-term sheriff contract.

Just to be clear: the 94-hour figure represents the average number of hours each week when there was at least one cop on patrol. Didn't count non-patrol hours such as sick leave, court time, vacations or training time.