Show From The FBI Ta Taxpayers payers are having to dig diga a little deeper each year to meet the rising cost of crime in m our nation Since this heavy financial burden is directly re related related related re- re to the amount of lawlessness lawless lawless- ness occurring the report of some serious crimes committed in 1963 offers no encouragement encouragement encouragement en en- for immediate relief relief relief re re- lief from criminal violence or orthe orthe orthe the cost of fighting it THIS TOTAL represents a aten aten ten per cent increase over the 1962 figure In the past five years crime has increased five times faster than our population tion Lion growth i It is not surprising therefore therefore there there- fore that crime costs are becoming becoming becoming be be- j coming a big Issue in every community Not only are arc more I citizens ens being victimized with greater frequency they are also being charged more for their misfortune Presently a conservative estimate of the annual crime bill is 27 billion dollars EXPERIENCE has shown that in all fields of competitive competitive tive encounters the best stratI strategy strategy strat strat- I I egy for winning is is a good bold offense A good offensive for effective law enforcement encompasses encompasses en en- compasses many vital components components compon compon- Law enforcement agencies cannot wage a successful campaign campaign campaign cam cam- against the criminal forces forc forc- es when inadequately equipped It takes sufficient funds outstanding outstanding out out- standing personnel and proper training programs and facilities facilities ties to uphold law lav lavand and order These basic requirements are areso areso areso so closely interwoven in m the makeup of professional law enforcement enforcement enforcement en en- that the lack of one jeopardizes the overall achievements achievements achieve achieve- ments of any agency FURTHER to Co single out ono one oneas as more important than the others is subject to question However career police executives executives executives tives over the years have sought to attract top caliber personnel Without exception the tho one main obstacle has been tto meager salary which th they the 1 could offer Consequently 1 t 1 I y many outstanding prospects Co lIe Conot donot not bother to apply and a good percentage of those who enter the profession are forced to leave for jobs with better pay in order to support their lies LET US TAKE a look at some of the pay scales for the average officer who daily risks his life protecting and defending defending defend defend- ing his fellow man The enary eng en en- g ary y mary for patrolmen in some O or bo ur T K having wing ving more than han population afton C j jy ly y 90 per week In a number of smaller communities with less ess than people the tha entrance entrance en en- trance rance pay drops to approximately approximately approximately 50 per week The average average average av av- monthly earnings of full full- time ime police employees in local governments ar are about 54 This compares with 33 f firemen firemen for public u tie tiei ie workers for school schoolteachers schoolteachers teachers eachers and for public transit employees These figures figures fig fig- ures lend credence to the contention contention contention con con- that our society demands demands de de- mands more for less fro from ho the law aw enforcement ment officer d from any other othet TO BE SURE theme the some encouraging trends fO for fair and just compensation for officers The annual salary for year first-year policemen in one major major major ma ma- jor city is approximately with an appreciable increase in pay for all members of the department department department de de- scheduled for the first of next year There are other cities wh whoa 2 pay scales compare favorably with this Even some smaller towns operating on much lower budgets start their officers at t approximately 1000 annually CERTAINLY there a are r e many factors to weigh In arriving arriving arriving ar ar- ar- ar riving at equitable pay scales for law Jaw enforcement It Is not expected that a blanket wags wag level for all areas could be agreed on or justified It would appear however that t the h e marked difference In the lowest low Jaw est and highest figures cited for cities of similar size is a agap agap agap gap which should be greatly bottom Virtually every hamlet and reduced upward from the metropolis is directly and deeply deep deep- ly involved in the crime gle As the intensity of the battle battle battle bat bat- tle heightens the crime toll rises and the cost multiplies None can dispute that the time for reversal is at hand |