Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2016 17 RON PINKSTON JAMES P. O’NEILL OPINION/EDITORIAL T aydren Young’s son was seven m o n t h s o l d when his fa- ther was shot in North Dallas earlier this year. Maria Arteaga-Manuel left behind 22 grandchildren after being killed in her Dal- las apartment this month. These are just two of the 60 people who have been murdered so far this year, giving Dallas a murder rate 47 percent higher than last year. Assault and robbery rates also rose. These people died because they were in the city of Dallas at the wrong moment. These are 60 mothers, fa- thers, wives, husbands, sons and daughters who are not going home to their families because our police depart- ment is broken, with too few officers on the street. To be clear, we have the finest officers in America. These are men and wom- en who proudly wear the badge. Unfortunately, we don’t have nearly enough po- lice officers to adequately protect the public or each other. The Dallas Police As- sociation has been vocal that our city needs more police. Our city leadership and the current and future city managers must be held accountable and do what is necessary to safeguard our neighborhoods, schools and businesses. This starts with develop- ing smarter crime fighting policies, retaining seasoned officers who commit their careers to our city, and adopting a competitive com- pensation and benefits plan to attract quality recruits. There is no path to bet- ter public safety without addressing the issue of in- adequate salaries. Compen- sation concerns are causing police recruits and young officers to go elsewhere. The compensation issue is also causing veteran officers with valuable expertise to retire in alarming numbers. This year, the Dallas P.D. has lost 124 officers to sur- rounding cities like Fort Worth, Mesquite, Plano and Grand Prairie. A rookie can make $8,500 more in his or her first year by moving to Ft. Worth and enjoy a lower cost of living at the same time. A senior officer can make over $10,000 more and re- tire with a better pension. Dallas leaders are working hard to grow our economy and move families back into the city. But with the increase in violent crime and the lack of staffing due to retention and recruiting, Dallas can- not keep businesses and families safe. Ultimately, the negative impact on our tax base will far exceed what it would take for City Hall to add more officers and more appropriately compensate the entire department. For three years the Dal- las Police Association has warned about our growing crime problem, while urging the mayor, council and city manager to take action. ‘ As we head into the sum- mer months, which typically see an increase in violent crime, we urge city leaders to finally do the right thing. I do not want to write this same column in another three years after even more loved ones have been taken from their families. There are solutions, and we are united with the citi- zens of Dallas in waiting for our leaders to act on them. Together we must adopt a revised compensation and benefit package that will enable our city to attract and retain Dallas police of- ficers. Ron Pinkston is president of the Dallas Police Associa- tion. Follow him on Twitter: @badge5591 If you don’t want cops leaving, pay them more T he great majority of cops I know took this job be- cause they want to make a dif- ference. They want to lead lives of significance and want to be part of something that matters. There are many emotional highs for us from delivering a baby on the side of the road, to talking a jumper down off a rooftop, to watching a smile form across a young person’s face when we reveal our hu- man side. But it’s difficult to maintain a positive outlook when the lows inevitably materialize. As we emerge from an interval of violent protests and cops being targeted, not because of who we are, but because of what we repre- sent, I want us to remember why we chose to become law enforcement officers. If I hadn’t leapt into law enforcement nearly 34 years ago, I know this would’ve been an unfulfilled life for me. What we do is more than a profession, it’s more than a passion, and it’s certainly more than a paycheck. I think it’s a higher calling. From wherever you hail, you and your colleagues share a willingness to serve, whether your previous work was as far afield as Iraq or Afghanistan, or as local as your city, county or state. You bring worldliness to our mission. You’re keenly aware of the pressures of our chosen career and the increased scrutiny o f o u r actions, particu- larly over the last two years. You know what it’s l i k e t o wear a uniform on the street. While much has improved here in New York, tensions between cops and civilians continue unabated in many other American cities. And the level of broad- brush criticism directed at us has seldom been greater. It has added to an already stressful environment, and mistrust has risen among those who automatically question the most innocuous of police activities. The reality is that almost all of America’s law enforce- ment professionals are on a team that has surpassed all expectations. You’ve reduced crime to record lows while simulta- neously forging new and stronger relationships with the public.Your commitment to these ideals is the founda- tion of those partnerships. We simply cannot do our job of protecting our citizens with- out the respect and coopera- tion of those we serve. It’s a shared responsibil- ity. Here in New York City, our neighborhood-based po- licing initiative has become a national model for a new operations paradigm. The civilian volunteers in our Community Partner Pro- gram say we’re really getting to know the people and our environs in a meaningful way. At the same time we’ve also seen hefty decreases in civilian complaints and re- sponse times. And through the efforts of our officers, we’ve made tre- mendous inroads in identifying and quashing crime hotspots through precision polic- ing — targeted enforcement of the relatively small percentage of criminals who commit the majority of vio- lent acts. As police, we are all ex- pected to uphold our agen- cy’s reputation in everything we do by portraying an im- age of professionalism and integrity even while we may not always understand the job’s demands, which can be isolating. But if we stop to reflect on how much we are all contributing to the greater good, it makes the work that we do infinitely rewarding. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Character is the decisive factor in the life of an indi- vidual and of nations alike.” The past 15 years, especially, have been a test of character for cops. You’ve earned universal praise for your responses to scores of crises and saved tens of thousands of lives all while driving crime down to levels not seen in half a century. As all of us continue with this important work, we need everyone with a badge to keep performing at their highest level. Con- tinue showing the people of our country and the world that being a member of the law enforcement profession means being exceptional. Aspire to greatness, re- main safe, and enjoy the ride. James P. O’Neill is the Chief of Department of the New York City Police Dept. “Your commitment to these ideals is the foundation of those partnerships. We simply cannot do our job of protecting our citizens without the respect and cooperation of those we serve. It’s a shared responsibility.” Going has officially gotten tough, so let’s go!