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Opinion

Looking for adventure, job security?

Melissa Correa
Opinion Columnist

Lately, Houstonians are making a fuss over the lack of police officers. Suggestions of surveillance cameras and more money have been thrown around, but to be honest, the lack of police officers can only be solved if more people decide to join the force.

I spoke with Lt. Kenneth Miller, head of Houston Police Department recruitment, and he told me the only way to solve the drought was to trickle more civilians into the department. The thing is, no one wants to be a cop nowadays. 

Everyone would rather make a quick buck than pursue something meaningful, like a career of service as a police officer. 

When I was a kid, all the boys in my class wanted to be cops, firemen or astronauts. I asked my young cousins what they wanted to be, and it turns out they dream of being lawyers, doctors, realtors or millionaires. People these days think you are defined by how big your pocket book is. Back in the day, you were a respected citizen if you helped others and were involved in your community. 

I don't know if anyone has researched HPD. Officers make a pretty good penny, have great benefits and they have a nice nest full of shiny eggs to take home when it comes time to retire. One of the great things about being a police officer is the fact that there is no downsizing and that there is always room for promotion. 

If I start in the private sector, maybe I can start with a great salary, but most likely, I will be just another employee, and very rarely will my work help out a fellow neighbor. At the end of the day, all I will have to show for myself is my suit. I can't be happy living life like that. I could work for a company like Enron, but then, not only will I get laid off, I won't even walk away with a 401K. 

Another perk about being an officer is the action. Houston is full of criminal activity. Your day is full of adventure. It doesn't hurt that you have lights on your car that cause motorists to move out of your way, or the fact that you carry a gun. When people see police officers, they get nervous. Police officers are respected, and sometimes feared. 

If I work for a company, no one will fear me, my briefcase or my cup of coffee. I will have no such adventures walking into my building. I just can't understand why there aren't any takers when it comes to being police officers. 

If it is really all about money these days, then we have a huge problem. I think of all the great professions that don't pay as well as HPD and I wonder if they, too, are having the same problems recruiting. I wonder if anyone wants to be a teacher. I wonder if anyone wakes up and decides that they want to be a plumber, electrician or mechanic. We all need people with these skills, but no one believes they are worthwhile.

If there is one thing The Apprentice taught me, it was the words "money, money, money … money," but that can't be all that Americans are about. Surely America isn't a greedy, money-hungry machine that spits out morals, ethics and the American dream. 

We can't wait around for all the "War on Terror" veterans to return and become police officers. We have to fix our problem now or it is going to get worse. The University of Houston needs to produce cops. We need to protect our city. I say we should go after all the students who are undecided. I am sure the majority of UH students haven't even considered becoming a police officer. To all of you who are confused out there, I am talking to you: forget about money (you're gonna lose it all anyway); forget about corporate power and prestige (you might end up being the next Ken Lay or Jeff Skilling). Become a police officer (you'll never get fired, unless you commit a crime, and you will have power and prestige, in the form of a gun and a badge). 

You can sit and blame the Rita or Katrina evacuees, or you can stand and sign up for a class. The requirements aren't hard -- you can't be a drug addict, you have to have good credit and you just have to complete 60 hours of college credit. 

The thing that ticks me off is that the people complaining are the ones that never do anything. It's just like voting. If you don't vote, you can't talk about the president. If you don't sign up to be a cop, you can't talk about the lack of cops.

Put down the paper and go sign up. Become a police officer today. Houston's life depends on it.

Correa, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at mel_correa@yahoo.com.