Last
March, I wrote a piece entitled “What
is a NC Wildlife Officer Worth.”
That question came to mind in a broader context this week as I read that NC
State Troopers have entered into a class-action lawsuit over pay issues. The class-action suit is being pursued after Alamance
County Superior Court Judge Michael O'Foghludha recently dismissed a
lawsuit over broken promises regarding annual pay raises for the troopers. Among the many points made by troopers in filing the class-action suit is that many of their officers salaries are so low that they qualify for food stamps.
The
salary concerns of law enforcement officers in North Carolina can be even more pronounced
on the local level. The University of
North Carolina’s School of Government has published a report that list the salaries
of sheriff department employees across the state. In many of the more economically
distressed counties, sheriff’s deputies are hired at a rate of $25,000 to
$29,000 per year. Pamilco County’s
starting salary is only $22,853. That's roughly $11.00 per hour.
These
disparities in pay, along with stagnant salary progressions, has led to
officers bouncing from one agency to another in search of higher pay. Officers with the Winston Salem Police
Department recently
requested pay raises, in part, to aid with officer retention.
The
result of this movement from agency to agency is that the lowest paying
departments continually see many of their best and brightest officers take
their knowledge, skills and abilities to other agencies. Those officers that exercise the best
judgment, due to experience and common sense, are in demand. Social scientists refer to this phenomena as “human capital flight.”
It is more commonly called “brain drain.”
This
human capital flight is occurring at an increased rate with the NC Wildlife Resources
Commission’s Division of Law Enforcement.
Wildlife officers with 5-7 years of experience have reached a point in
their careers where they are considered seasoned officers and are assuming leadership
roles. They are serving as training
officers for new recruits and are eligible for promotion to first-line
supervisor. Yet, these officers have had
minimal pay increases since they were hired.
They
are also attracting the attention of other departments.
Virtually
any wildlife officer with less than ten years of experience can find another
law enforcement job tomorrow that pays more money. One agency has hired three wildlife officers. Staff from
that department has jokingly told NCWRC staff, “Y’all keep training them and we’ll
keep hiring them.”
For
years the NCWRC could count on the vast number of people who want to work
outdoors to fill the roster and keep it full.
Wildlife officers work in their chosen field because they believe in the
mission. It is a job with tremendous
personnel freedom. But, that formula may
not keep ranks filled in the future.
The
NCWRC is currently experimenting with offering a shortened recruit school for candidates
who have already successfully passed basic law enforcement training. It was thought that this would draw
experienced officers who are serving in other departments. After the first round of the process, there
were only 18 applicants who would receive interviews. While the
NCWRC has officers leaving for other agencies, not many officers from other
departments are willing to accept a wildlife job, in large part due to salary
issues.
So,
is it all purely a matter of salary?
That is doubtful. The current
generation of workers change jobs much more frequently than those of the past. Add a growing societal disconnect with nature
and the likelihood of retaining wildlife officers lessens further. Yet, salary is definite concern. As salaries have remained basically flat over the past
years, the thresholds for receiving public assistance have risen. It is a truly depressing thought that law
enforcement officers, regardless of uniform, qualify for food stamps. But that is exactly what is happening.
We ask much from our law enforcement officers. There is an expectation for officers to make
accurate, split second decisions concerning the use of force. Officers are expected to use sound judgment
in decision-making that reflects a wide array of possible actions. There is an almost impossible expectation of
officers having the ability to transition from a school or civic presentation
and then respond a Paris style attack and then make the transition back.
It
begs the question of how much we truly do value our officers. Surely we don’t ask all that we ask and
expect the officers to do it on a salary that qualifies them for food stamps.
