Will We Allow Salaries That Qualify Law Enforcement Officers to Receive Food Stamps?

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.