I, with obvious and unapologetic bias in my comments, have always felt that police officers were underpaid. Most people, unless your last name is Manson and you have a pentagram tattooed on your forehead, would probably agree with this general premise. Police officers perform a function in which society, as we know it, would look considerably different without them in it. They have always held a thankless position in which we would just as soon not have to deal with them. That is, of course, until we actually need them. Then we complain and moan about how long it took them to get there. Most police officers accept the pay and the lack of appreciation that goes along with the job.<br />
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In fact, while I cannot think of a police officer who would turn down a raise or thinks that they are being paid too much, the majority of them are not in it for the money. There are still a few people in our world, albeit very few apparently, that actually pick a career based on a desire to help other people. It is called passion. Police officers, firefighters, teachers and nurses are examples of those who have decided that money should not be the bottom line as to how they will spend the majority of their time while here on this earth. Having been a police officer for several years, I can tell you that any police officer who concentrates on the money rather than job satisfaction will be unhappy very quickly. It is one of those jobs that takes a very special person with a special kind of personality and dedication to a cause for them to have any chance at success. It is dangerous at times and very boring at other times. It can be stressful and exhilarating and even comical at times. Given these facts, we have had times where finding candidates for law enforcement careers has been difficult. Remember my comment about the fact that for most people, IT is about the money.<br />
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However, each time our economy goes south, it is amazing how many people just show up who have always wanted to be a police officer. Recruiting events are jam packed. These are the same recruiting events that looked very similar to the Braves tickets line before the infamous consecutive streak. Said plainly, it was hard to find anyone who wanted to be a cop just because they wanted to be a cop. But now, with unemployment on the upswing, would be cops are coming out of the woodwork. Law enforcement recruiters should be very careful here. In fact, we have seen this phenomenon before. Police Departments, who are one of the few career possibilities that are not suffering from the hiring freeze, are able to fill the ranks and become fully staffed again. It is not that the pay suddenly got better, it is simply that there was a chance to get paid at all.<br />
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So in they come. Former accountants, former IT experts, former car salesman, former this and former that. All those who suddenly have a passion to be a cop! Right! I am sure that some of these new, badge wearing, pistol-toting officers might actually get into it and realize that they did always want to be a cop. But, I am just as sure that many of them will realize about the time that the economy turns back around, that it probably just isnâ
