I truly believe being an Officer is a calling and it wasn’t my first. In my former career I was an automotive technician. I love cars and did well in the automotive industry. I obtained Master Status with Mercedes Benz and received all 8 ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certifications along with my L1 (Advanced Engine Performance) certification. After a turn of events in my personal life, I recognized a calling to Law Enforcement and began to look into the career.
SAPD was hiring, so I checked it out. I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for the benefits offered, I don’t believe I could have taken the two hour per day pay cut to start at the academy. Now that I am truly where I am meant to be, I have seen that I have much in common with other officers. There are many of us who started on a different career path, but have since been called to Law Enforcement. SAPD has 4-5 officers with PHDs and over one hundred with Master degrees. Our training alone sets us apart from other departments because SAPD demands of its officers twice what is required by TCOLE (Texas Commission On Law Enforcement).
I love this city and want to see it thrive. San Antonio wants officers that are called to the profession, not hot heads looking for a position where they can push people around. The best way to achieve this is by offering incentives that make this calling a fit for those who are worthy of it. People that apply themselves as an officer, have been applying themselves in whatever they do, meaning that a good officer is likely to be successful at whatever they do.
SAPD needs to offer a package (Pay and Benefits) that is comparable with other industries. I understand that Health insurance has changed and I’m not looking for a free ride. But an increase of $700 a person is worse than what I would get by going back to my old job. I urge you, the San Antonio citizen, to speak with your city council to ask for what is fair and what it takes to keep dedicated officers responding to your calls.
Thanks for your time San Antonio.
Sincerely,
Officer Daniel Groce