Deputies’ Salaries

I read with disbelief a recent quote in the L.A. Times attributed to Ventura County CEO Johnny Johnston in which he compared the risks faced by law enforcement officers in Ventura County to those faced by officers in Los Angeles County. He was quoted as saying that “deputies in Ventura County do not face the same level of danger as those in urban Los Angeles, where crime is higher.”

I contacted Mr. Johnston and was relieved to hear him say that the statement attributed to him in the paper was not a complete or accurate reflection of what he meant. Nevertheless, since the statement appeared in an article about contract negotiations and pay issues, I was compelled to respond because of the mistaken impression it could easily create.

Mr. Johnston’s remarks seemed to suggest that Ventura County deputies should not be paid an average wage since their odds of being killed or injured were less than that of their counterparts to the south, or because working in an area with more crime would make their skills more valuable. This analysis really misses the mark on both fronts and unfairly trivializes the risks faced by law enforcement officers everywhere, not just in Ventura County.

As citizens of this community, I believe we all want to feel safe here and we’re willing to pay a reasonable price to ensure that our relative safety continues. If we used the crime rate to dictate how much we should pay for law enforcement, would we allow our security to deteriorate to the point we felt at peril before we recognized the need to do more? No one--no parent, no teacher, no business person, no responsible citizen--would consider that to be a prudent or reasonable approach. We enjoy one of the safest residential communities in the nation because we have all made it a priority and worked hard for it. In the private sector, payment based on performance would mean rewarding that choice and the resulting success, not taking a step backward. Having finally come to grips with what it takes to keep our safety where we want it to be, why on earth would we want to give it up?

As a law enforcement officer, no matter where you work, responding to calls of domestic violence, robbery, armed suspects or simply making traffic stops is fraught with risks. Police work produces a high level of injuries precisely because it is hazardous. One can fully appreciate the real risks involved by looking at the names engraved on the Peace Officers Memorial at the entrance to the Ventura County Government Center. Those brave men and women gave their lives to make and keep Ventura County a safe place. Surely we could not say to them, their surviving families, their spouses and children that their efforts were less valuable because they faced a lesser degree of danger than officers elsewhere. I believe we all value our safety and the well-being of our families much higher than that.

Maintaining average pay and benefits for Ventura County sheriff’s deputies makes sense because to do less would mean that, as far as our public safety goes, we will accept less. The reason the county can boast about its safety is that, for the last several years, it has refused to accept less. I do not believe the public wants to see that change.

GLEN KITZMANN

President, Ventura County Deputy

Sheriff’s Assn.