05/06/02

You don't know me, and we have never had the occasion to meet each other, but I have recently become a frequent visitor of your site. 

I am a Dallas Police Officer and have been with the department since 1989, although I have been a Police Officer since 1985, starting at the age of 19.  I admit that I have always been the upbeat, positive officer who made every attempt to avoid the negatives of this job because it is what I always wanted to do.  I have never in my life taken a sick day from work, not during times when I was really sick and not even when my beautiful daughter was born 11 years ago.  I have come to work every day to do the best job that I could possibly do, even when times were tough and the job itself was frustrating.  My positive attitude has paid off for me in many ways and has earned me respect, recognition and the friendship of many people within the department and citizens alike. 

Coming into this election, many officers were very pessimistic about the upcoming referendum - but I always told them to be positive and that the citizens supported us, even though the City Council, Mayor and the Media did not.  I really truly felt that way, even up to the vote on Saturday, and I told those negative officers that we should be proud of ourselves for trying, win or lose. 

I ended up working the polls all day Saturday and I came into contact with about 60 citizens during the time I was there.  I knew from the very beginning that something was wrong - the same people who had so willingly signed my petition sheet months earlier now attempted to avoid me and would not even look me in the eye.  Only 3 of the 60 or so people came to me and said that they supported us and our raise, no matter what.  I had even asked that my wife and daughter come out to be with me during this time, but I soon sent them home after an elderly woman remarked to her husband as they were leaving the polls that my daughter "really looks poor, doesn't she (HA-HA)".  

My worst fears were confirmed when the voting results came out Saturday night and showed that less than 1% of Dallas voters came to the polls to support us by voting "YES".  The other 99% either voted "NO" or stayed away from the polls and didn't care.  Like you, I stayed at home that night, sick to my stomach and did not go to the "Win or Lose" event at the DPA - I just couldn't do it.  I know from your website and your postings on UnderGroundCop.com that you are one of the 1% who truly support us, even now.  I thank you wholeheartedly for that and appreciate your kind words and support.  I truly now believe that the majority of the citizens in this city don't support us and this whole matter has been a hard slap in the face, eye-opening life event for me.  

I love this job and could easily say before Saturday that I loved being a Dallas Police Officer, as I chose to leave another department to come here 13 years ago.  I currently work in a very prestigious unit, one that will be honored by Congress and the Department of Justice at the end of this month, and yet I now wonder how many people really care, the Federal government might but not the citizens in Dallas. 

I never expected that I would become a rich man doing this job, but I would love to be paid a fair salary competitive to the suburbs.  My wife works in the corporate business world and although the private sector has had many lay-offs and troubles recently, her company still rewards their employees with salary adjustments to keep the employee's pay competitive with the market.  The City of Dallas does not do this for us and the 5-5-5 raise that they have promised will only match the cost of living adjustments that the other Departments and Agencies get, meaning we will still be behind..... always. 

I apologize for going on about this, but I thank you for reading it if you have gotten this far.  My main objective in writing to you was to say "Thank You" - for you stood out among the 1% of citizens who supported us and I appreciate it.  If I could magically separate the 99% of the citizens who did not support us from the 1% that did, things would be less confusing and and I would know who to trust.  The sad thing about this all is that I am a changed man, forever, and my approach and attitude about this job has been greatly influenced by what happened on Saturday.  I am only one of many people within this department, but I know many others like me, who have been affected the same way that I have.  One may say that I am taking all of this too much to heart, but until that person has walked in my shoes, they have no right to say that.  I am deeply embarrassed and discouraged that this City is led by such devilish, selfish and uncompassionate people (i.e. Mayor Miller, the City Manager and the City Council). 

I am glad that we have Citizens like you to watch them and devote the time and effort that you do to prevent them from getting away with their wishes.  Please keep up the good work and I will continue to visit your website for truthful and helpful information.