FLOYD COUNTY, TX—One major challenge many small communities nationwide face is finding and funding a local police force.
Floydada struggled to find a new chief of police and instead selected the Sheriff, Paul Raissez, in November as the Chief Administrator—in addition to his position with Floyd County.
Last July, Lockney closed its local police department after two years and is now working with Floyd County to return services to the city.
On Monday, Floyd County Commissioners voted to purchase law enforcement equipment from the City of Lockney for $50,000 and to give the Sheriff and County Judge Marty Lucke the authority to sign an Interlocal agreement if final details can be worked out.
According to the 2021 International Association of Chiefs of Police Survey on police retention and recruitment, 78 percent of agencies reported difficulty recruiting qualified candidates, and 65 percent reported having too few candidates applying. This comes amid a nationwide shortage of law enforcement professionals.
In Texas, the Dallas PD is offering up to $85,000 for new officers, Allen PD is paying almost $80,000 for a recruit, and in Louisiana, the New Orleans Department was offering signing bonuses over $20,000 and still needs to fill all the openings.
Despite the challenges, Raissez says he now has an entire staff for the first time in years.
This is a trend that is affecting towns and counties across the country. For more, check out this article from the Associate Press (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-experiencing-police-hiring-crisis-rcna103600)
