English Composition I - C455 TASK 3

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Jan 9, 2024

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1 Police Manpower Shortages Elora Hicks English Composition I – Task 3 8/11/2023 Working in law enforcement, I see firsthand how manpower shortages affect not only the citizens but also the officers who put their lives on the line every day. The world is getting scarier by the day and the thought of less and less officers being on the street is even scarier. Houston is a city made up of over 4 million documented people, with more and more people moving in every day. As of September 2021, The Houston Police Department had only 5,175 sworn officers, which is 45 fewer officers than the year before. ( Houston Police Are 'Always on the Go' as More Officers Retire Than Join , 2021) It does not seem like much but when you break it down, that means there is only 1 officer for every 773 citizens. That is a lot of people for one person to protect. It does not help that fewer people are applying to help the efforts. Work/life balance, pay, political aspect, and effects on mental health are only 4 issues resulting in manpower shortages. Although I am not an officer myself, my co-workers are. I see the effect that a skewed work/life balance has on their lives. At the Houston Police Department, officers are working 16- hour days, with 2 days off. The officers do not get to choose their hours or days off unless something opens up, then the officers who have been there the longest get to choose to take those days and hours. I see it on their faces when they start their shift. They are tired, they are sad, and they are being run ragged. Imagine going to work and your family is asleep, you get home,

2 they’re asleep again. That is if you get to go home. I see them having to Facetime their family to see how school was, to say prayers at night, and catch up with their husbands or wives. I’ve witnessed many officers having more children in order to utilize parental leave just to be with their families. It is an exhausting job, and 1 reason manpower is low. Inflation in America has taken its toll on plenty of people, officers being one of them. Despite the Houston Police Department currently having a sign-on bonus, it has not always been that way. The average starting salary for a cadet in the academy is $42,000. ( Benefits , n.d.) The average median household income in Houston for 2017-2021 is $65,788. (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.) Hopefully, the officer has a roommate or significant other with an income because apartment prices have increased by 11% in just 1 year (2022-2023). (Heckler, 2023) Now, the department is making officers supply their own firearms, which is even more money out of their pockets. Many of my co-workers have resorted to working extra jobs in order to provide for their families which takes even more time away from them. Officers have had to quit to find better- paying jobs which makes pay another reason there is a shortage of manpower. Ever since the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, police departments around the United States have taken a more political approach to law enforcement. In the Houston Police Department, Standard Operating Procedures change almost daily due to major happenings around the US such as the BLM movement and the MeToo movement. General Orders are being changed every single day and new ones are being implemented all the time. These General Orders are documents coming from the Chief, and/or Mayor, telling officers about pertinent information relating to their jobs or how to do their jobs. In 2015, a bill was passed in Texas

3 requiring all sworn officers to have working body-worn cameras. ( 84(r) Sb 158 - Enrolled Version , 2015). The reasoning was to create more transparency but many of my coworkers believe it was a way to keep police departments from being sued. I have also heard many officers complain about the local judges and how they will keep bond low, leading to violent offenders being released only to continue committing crimes. Other cities have begun defunding their police departments, creating a domino effect of officers quitting, resulting in increased crime rates. All the increase in politics within police departments has done is make officers frustrated with their jobs and makes it another reason there is a manpower shortage. Officers see a lot. Officers handle a lot. Dealing with people can be chaotic, and that will never change. You think you’re headed to a straightforward call, but when you arrive, the scene has turned and now you’re having to console a mother because her child was shot and killed. Mental health is a very serious issue among police officers. In 2021, suicide ranked second among officers' deaths, Covid being the first. That means, an officer was more likely to kill himself before being killed by a criminal. “An officer involved in a high-stress event has a 70% chance of suicide following the next incident if they do not seek any intervention.” (Brooks, 2022) Here at the Houston Police Department, psychologists are available, and after an officer- involved shooting, the officer is ordered to see them. That does not mean it will help. Imagine getting ready to go to work and not knowing if it will be the last time you see your family. The obvious toll that the job takes on current officers, without the appeal of a well-established mental health plan, can deter new applicants which leads to a manpower shortage.

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4 In conclusion, manpower shortage is a real issue in the majority of police departments around the United States. It takes a special kind of person to put their lives on the line day in and day out and the job is not meant for everyone. I personally know many officers who put the lives of others before their own, all to try to make the world a better place. Manpower shortages lead to officers being hurt in the line of duty and without improving the work/life balance, pay, politics in policing, and the mental health aspect, it will only continue to get worse. References Brooks, N. (2022, January 7). Suicide among top reasons for law enforcement deaths in 2021 . https://www.wtvy.com. https://www.wtvy.com/2022/01/08/suicide-among-top-reasons- law-enforcement-deaths-2021/ Houston police are 'always on the go' as more officers retire than join . (2021, November 1). ABC13 Houston. https://abc13.com/police-officer-shortage-hiring-houston-needs-more- officers-department-recruiting/11188400/ Benefits . (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://www.hpdcareer.com/benefits.html U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). U.s. census bureau quickfacts: Harris county, texas; houston city, texas . https://app.scrapingbee.com/api/v1/? api_key=FQGI6W7SCN5798XFK7LFO7ZIR49166CN73GJYKT72U35PUFOYR49IZ1 HOJOZNWHHUNUM7UEERAYWIH3L&render_js=false&url=https:// www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/harriscountytexas,houstoncitytexas

5 Heckler, A. (2023, March 14). Houston rent prices jump almost 11 percent from 2022, report finds . CultureMap Houston. https://houston.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/houston- apartments-rent-prices-rising/ 84(r) sb 158 - enrolled version [PDF]. (2015). https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/84R/billtext/pdf/SB00158F.pdf

English Composition I - C455 TASK 3

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