Dear editor:

I enjoyed the story in the Daily Citizen News (Dalton, Ga.) yesterday (02/19/2017) titled “To Serve & Protect” by John Stephen and Alan Mauldin. I agree that law enforcement salaries are low and need to be increased. I think that we can also look at other ways to attract and retain good officers.  

My first real job was with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Department. I started off with the department working at the front desk answering phones. I was promoted to detective in a few years. Being a detective for the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Department was the best and most rewarding job I have ever had but in 2007, I left the department. I left the department to work in the private sector. The main reason I chose to leave the department was for financial reasons. The private sector career offered more money and a company vehicle.   

I started working for the sheriff’s department in the early stages of my life.  During my time with the sheriff’s department, I married my beautiful wife, built a home, and welcomed into the world two wonderful children. During this time, I made many bad financial decisions by spending more than I made and going into debt.   Later in life, I learned to make a financial plan and to spend less than what I was making. I wish I had known this when I first started at the sheriff’s department. If I did not go so far in debt, I may not have made the tough decision to leave the department for a higher paying job.  

In my current job as a corporate security officer for a financial institution, I work with law enforcement almost everyday. No one goes into law enforcement to become rich or to become popular. Law enforcement is a call to serve and most people go into this field to serve their community.  With this being said, I have observed a few common themes that we can improve to attract and retain good officers.  

• Offer financial wellness education.  If officers learn to more wisely spend their money, they may not be tempted to look at other departments or private sector careers.   

• Department leadership needs to communicate that officers are doing important work and their career field is an honorable profession.  

• Build a family within the department.  

• Offer physical fitness training. 

 • Offer more training and opportunities to advance to specialized career fields. I have observed that specialized units take more pride in their careers and tend to stay with their department.  

• Get the local community to reach out to officers and show support.  Most citizens appreciate the work of law enforcement but they are not the ones usually being heard.    

Law enforcement is a wonderful career and I would love to see more interest from our best and brightest. 

 If I would have known then what I know now, especially financially, I would still be with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Department today.  

Ricky Robertson

Dalton, Ga.