RFP Staff
♦ Veteran Salisbury Police and SPD retirees informed the Rowan Free Press yesterday that the police department is undergoing a manpower crisis and can not field enough officers to protect the city or investigate major crimes. It was reported Wednesday to the RFP the Salisbury Police Department possesses 20 plus officer vacancies with probably 2 more officers on H-R’s chopping block.
According the former Salisbury Police Chief Rory Collins, the Salisbury Police Department suffered from a 75% attrition rate during the last few years. Collins admitted this during questioning from Salisbury Attorney Todd Paris at a City Council candidate “meet and greet”. That attrition rate may be climbing soon as the City of Charlotte, N.C. is offering far better pay and benefits to experienced officers. Currently between 70% to 80% of the police department are alleged to have “put in” at other law enforcement agencies.
It also should be noted the police department is underreporting violent and property crimes.
During the November election the number one issue was Salisbury’s skyrocketing crime: violent crime and unsolved murders. Most observers agree that the City of Salisbury is in dire need of a fix here. That fix would be obtained by providing competitive pay and health care for officers. This could be brought about with a dramatic, but unpoplular rise in taxes.
