Too Many Hours

 

The Fairfield City Council made a somewhat bold decision last week. It decided to hire three new police officers. Bold because it increases the force by 33-percent….but filled with common sense when you consider the cost of not doing so.

The department has been depleted over time by retirement and resignation. The nine cops left have been forced to work considerable overtime.

Imagine this….you have just worked an 8-hours as a police officer…let's say it is a midnight shift. And because the department is short-handed, you stay on for the next shift. Sixteen straight hours. That’s crazy for a high pressure job like police officer. Throw in an illness, military deployment or an injury and you are seeing those double-shifts more often.

If you do the math, the cost of overtime is almost as expensive as returning the Fairfield Police Department to full staff. From a budget standpoint, the numbers are in the same neighborhood.

I think I’ve made it clear over the last two-and-a-half years, I am a friend of law enforcement. I grew up in a police family. As a community we need to recognize the importance of our front line first responders.

My compliments to the city council for making this decision. The only problem now is the time it takes to hire and train three new officers.

 It won’t happen overnight.

In the meantime, please pray for Fairfield’s finest.

They deserve our respect and understanding during this difficult time.