Presidents Message
Wow where did the summer go?
It sure flew by. Hopefully each
of you were able to enjoy some time with family and friends.
I am sure most agencies are experiencing the same issues
when it comes to hiring staff. Iowa
continues to bolster the second lowest unemployment in the nation hovering
around 2.6 percent.
That along with the restrictions and requirements of
applicants who desire to get into the profession all contribute to the
challenge.
I was at a conference out of state recently and had
conversations with several my counter parts.
I was surprised to hear of the number of states that are modifying their
standards and requirements to meet the quality of applicants. I am not convinced or of the opinion that
this is a good thing. Although it may help fill the vacancies and take some of
the strain off existing resources there may be some unintended circumstances.
As we have all seen with several law enforcement officer
shooting incidents, we are held to a pretty tight window of standards and that
split-second decisions an officer may have to make requires having a clear and
solid mindset.
If we fall into the trap of lowering our standards what will
we be setting ourselves up for?
The long works hours, shift work and stress are all something
an officer must be able to handle no matter if they work for an agency of two
or one hundred and fifty.
Along with the hiring challenges we also have to deal with
retention issues. Agencies invest a
large amount of resources in employees and having a constant turnover can
really strain leadership and the agency.
Research indicates one of the main reasons employees leave
an agency for another agency or get out of the profession is the lack of job
satisfaction. Officers are people and
they want to know what they do to contributes to the mission of the agency. How often do Chiefs, Sheriffs, Command Staff
and Supervisors let their staff know they are valued?
A quote from Chief Louis M. Dekmar the Chief of police in
LaGrange, Georgia and the current president of the International Chiefs of
Police Association. “Its imperative that
we provide a safe and positive culture within agencies that highlights
accountability. When accountability
exits the community and citizens we serve gain confidence in the agencies which
leads to officers gaining confidence in themselves.”
Thank you for your commitment and service
BE SAFE ! Chief Dave Lorenzen
