Dangers Of Police Work Hurting Recruitment Of New Officers

[Purveyor]

(CBS) — Police murders are up and police recruits are down. CBS 2’s Mike Parker shows us the struggles.

In Chicago and many other American cities, it seems to be getting harder and harder to recruit police officers. Applications have been going down dramatically in recent years. Ask the police commissioner in Philadelphia.

“Right now, policing is not the most attractive occupation that they could probably get into,” said Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Among the reasons – the danger of the job. Just days ago, a Texas sheriff’s deputy was ambushed. Deputy Darren Goforth was shot and killed as he refueled his patrol car.

And then Tuesday, the shooting death of Fox Lake Police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz during a foot chase. It stunned residents who knew him and it stunned Mayor Donny Schmit as well as officers who searched for the killers.

more...

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/09/01/dangers-of-police-work-hurting-recruitment-of-new-officers/

[Logical]

1. Overall it is not that dangerous of a job. And usually great benefits and pensions. nt

[hifiguy]

2. Not to mention all the black and brown

people you can shoot and not be held accountable for.

[BillZBubb]

3. I'd bet its not the danger of the job, it is the repulsion that many people now feel for the police.

Who'd want a job where everyone hates you and you have to go along with even the most vile outrage so as not to "betray" your fellow employees.

[Travis_0004]

4. I wouldn't want to work in the inner city

I would much rather work in the suburbs, as do most police officers I would assume.

[TransitJohn]

5. Good

Crime, especially violent crime, has been decreasing for decades. We need far fewer cops than we have. Then we can move on to tearing down the prisons.

[Daemonaquila]

6. The world's smallest violin plays "My Heart Bleeds For You."

This is great news. Let's downsize police forces, stop using them as ways to fill city and county coffers, and maybe concentrate on hiring people who genuinely want to help despite the dangers.

I can dream.

[damnedifIknow]

7. Maybe it has more to do with something other than danger

Rank Occupation Fatality rate Number of fatalities
1 Loggers 91.3 59
2 Fishers and related fishing worker 75.0 27
3 Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 50.6 64
4 Roofers 40.5 72
5 Refuse and recyclable material collectors 33.0 33
6 Mining machine operators 26.9 16
7 Driver/sales workers and truckers 23.6 806
8 Farmers, ranchers, other agricultural managers 22.9 231
9 Electrical power-line installers and repairers 21.5 27
10 Construction laborers 18.1 220

Deadliest Jobs

[doc03]

8. I read this afternoon in the USA Today that as of August 31 this year

there have been 23 cops killed by gunfire down from 29 at this point last year. This massive increase in cop killings is just another manufactured crisis by the news media.

[Recursion]

9. Most of the danger is from auto accidents

I mean, any job that involves driving is going to be more dangerous than an office job. But it's not that dangerous a job, as these things go. Check out the stats on commercial fishing sometime... oy.