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Another year has come and gone, and I find myself 15 months into my first term as Bradley County Sheriff. The year of 2007 was a whirlwind of activity here at the BCSO, highlighted by a reduced aggravated burglary rate, increased street patrols, reduced response time, better management of available resources, clearing more outstanding warrants, developing national accreditation standards, housing Polk County inmates, reinstating the inmate work program, encouraging cooperative efforts with the community, and, of course, my attempt to secure adequate funding through the courts to close a documented pay gap and replace dangerous, high-mileage vehicles. All these things were done with the intent to better serve a fast-growing population that is closing in on the 100,000 mark, and I am proud of the support the BCSO has received from the citizens of this county. I am also proud of the men and women who continue to place their safety on the line each day to help ensure the security of this community.
In my next two columns I will share with you some of the accomplishments the BCSO has achieved during 2007.
The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) headed up by Capt. Steve Lawson continues to do a tremendous job in solving crime and clearing caseloads, and I am pleased to report that in 2007 residential burglaries in Bradley County dropped by approximately 31 percent over 2006. This is a major accomplishment. Burglary is a crime we take very seriously here at the BCSO, and since Capt. Lawson and I both feel burglaries are quite often a result of drug use, we have launched a concerted effort on all fronts to put a big dent in the flow of drugs into and through Bradley County. Our drug unit has been actively turning up the heat on dealers, making it more and more difficult to ply their trade here in our community.
But a reduced burglary rate is not our only success. We have actually achieved a 45 percent clearance rate on all crime in Bradley County. According to sworn testimony in the recent court hearings, that clearance rate is 15 percent above the national average. As a matter of fact, it was demonstrated in court ~ sworn to and unanimously agreed upon through expert testimony ~ that the BCSO is now operating at a level of efficiency far above regional and national averages.
Unfortunately, one of the things that contributed to us not being awarded more funding in court was the fact that we are doing such a good job with existing resources. I agree. However, just because the BCSO is effectively managing what we have been given, deputies should not be punished for doing a good job. Instead, they should be rewarded.
One way to reward deputies for a job well done is to offer them a competitive salary and benefits package. One of my goals is to reinstate a merit pay plan, which will be an added incentive for deputies to stay here in Bradley County. Understand, the BCSO once had a merit pay plan, but it was eliminated in past budget cycles. It is not cost effective to continue losing qualified deputies to other law enforcement agencies which pay a regional average of 23 percent higher wages. It costs taxpayers around $23,000 to recruit, outfit and train a new deputy. And that doesn’t take into account the years of experience a seasoned deputy takes with them when they leave. It is vital that we address this issue. The long-term savings to taxpayers will be incalculable. Our citizens deserve nothing less than top quality law enforcement, and the best way to achieve that is through competitive salaries and incentives. As I have already pointed out, this county is approaching the 100,000 population mark and sooner or later we are going to have to look at procuring additional resources for the most important role of government, which is public safety. There is no way around that fact. We cannot keep playing catch-up and I am pushing the limit of what the BCSO can reasonably maintain with existing manpower, equipment and resources.
Since I mentioned population, I will also mention that the BCSO received over 100,000 calls for service during 2007. This is an increase of approximately 30,000 calls over 2005, and approximately 20,000 calls over 2006. As the population continues to increase, the number of calls for service will continue to increase.
We have beefed up patrols in the community this year by shifting more of our resources to the field. This has resulted in a heightened presence and increased security, and by putting those dollars out in the community, the taxpayer is receiving a much better return on their money.
The increased patrols have also led to a quicker response time. When I took office in 2006, the average response time was nine minutes and 46 seconds. Currently, that response time is seven minutes and 30 seconds (again, this figure was brought out by expert witnesses on both sides of the budget hearing through sworn testimony). Seven minutes and 30 seconds is a tremendous response time for any agency, and has actually resulted in BCSO deputies catching criminals at the scene and in the act before they were able to escape.
My goal, along with the nationally recognized goal, is to get the average response time down to around five minutes in an emergency, with lights and sirens, but that cannot happen with existing manpower constraints. Hopefully, as we receive needed support and funding, we will be able to put a deputy on anyone’s doorstep in Bradley County within five minutes. We will continue to work toward that goal, but I am pleased with the quicker response times we have already achieved.
Another factor in reducing response time is the policy of having deputies drive their patrol cars home. They are often flagged down as they are going to and from work by people who need assistance or who want to report suspicious activity. Also, having patrol cars parked in various neighborhoods and in front of schools is a great deterrent factor. People from all over the county express to me how much they appreciate having patrol cars in their neighborhoods and outside their schools. It offers a law enforcement presence and helps deter criminals. Folks generally know the deputy who lives in their neighborhood and know they can call him or her if they see suspicious activity.
Also, the drive-home policy pays tremendous dividends to the community. Parking patrol cars all in one location at the Justice Center and hot seating them would be a disservice to the taxpayers and a disservice to public safety. Driving patrol cars to and from work is a practice recognized nationwide, and the reason it is so widespread is because it is a good public policy that also extends the life of patrol vehicles.
I will stop here because there were so many accomplishments at the BCSO during 2007, I cannot do them justice in just one column. I will continue next week. Meanwhile, I want to wish you all a safe and prosperous 2008. |
