09/24/03  Rejected Letter to DMN Editor

Officer CS responds to Betty Culbreath and William G. Huffman

City promises broken 

Dallas Police Officers are underpaid.  Dallas Police Department is understaffed. Dallas is ranked number one in the nation for violent crime and the overall crime rate. Is there another issue?

Like many area police departments, the DPD is full of officers who do not live in the city in which they work.  State law does not permit a residency requirement.

What if the City of Dallas could somehow require police officers to live within the corporate city limits?  You would never know where these officers live.  They would not patrol their neighborhoods.  There would be no uniformed foot patrols with their families in tow.  No one in my neighborhood knows I am a Dallas Police Officer.  Not a single soul.  My mailman may suspect something, since I do receive pension and union newsletters.

While I am flattered by Ms. Culbreath?s assertion that my mere presence in a neighborhood would make it safe, that is not the case.  Just ask the SW officer who had his vehicle stolen from his residence last month.  Crime will not go down by requiring Dallas Police Officers live in Dallas.  Instead the buying power of these officers miserable salary would be greatly diminished thereby making them, in effect, more grossly underpaid.

If I witnessed someone breaking into a car or house next door what I would do? Call 9-1-1. 

DPD policy does not allow us to use force to protect the property of others while off-duty.  Officers will not risk their lives or the lives of their families for the sake of a neighbor's CD collection, left inside a vehicle.  Many officers will only act as a good witness when viewing a crime during off-duty hours.

If you find this appalling, think of this. I am not going to engage in a shoot-out with a desperate criminal while holding the hand of my seven-year old son. Would you?

Do you want the proper tax revenue to give us our raises on time? Raise the property tax.  Quit giving away the tax base to big business.  Quit squandering tax monies on political legacies.  Keep your promise. That would be a great political legacy.

To answer Ms. Culbreath?s last question, there are several reasons Dallas Police Officers don?t want to live in Dallas.  While the reasons are as varied as the officers, I have a list. 

	I do not want my child to attend Dallas ISD.
	I do not want to drive thirty minutes to a decent shopping center, where I feel safe about parking my vehicle.
	I will not have my auto insurance double because I live with a 752XX zip code inside Dallas County.
	I get more for my money by living in the suburbs: better schools, better shopping, safe neighborhoods, limited pot-holes and beautiful parks.

Pay Dallas Police Officers what we are worth.  You will attract highly qualified applicants.  Officers will actually stay for their careers and not use Dallas as a training opportunity before moving elsewhere.

From Ms. Culbreath's letter, I take it she wants someone else to be responsible for the problems with the city.  There is enough blame to go around.  Blaming firefighters and police for wanting a better life than they can have in Dalals is wrong.  Blaming us for the budget and low tax base is wrong.  

Look a little higher in the food chain, Ms. Culbreath.  I invite you to look closely at the voting habits of your representation.  Then, ask yourself how you can influence that for the better.  I work for a better Dallas each time I put on my uniform.  I invite you to do the same.  


Good luck to us all.  We are going to need it.

Officer CS