Polson police levy is urgently needed

Editor,

Your support of the June 6 Polson City Municipal Services special levy is critical. If the city is to continue to provide adequate, professional and responsive law enforcement services, the salaries and equipment must be upgraded.

It has become a financial burden as well as a safety issue for the city to attract, interview, certify, train and then retain good officers. At the current pay rate the loss of officers who have left for higher wages has been significant.

The turnover of staff has made keeping a full complement of officers on board almost impossible, and many shifts are currently staffed by a single officer. This has led us to have major concerns for the safety of our citizens and our police officers.

Additionally, the passage of this levy will allow the city to acquire new vehicles to replace our worn-out patrol units and to activate newly acquired Mobile Data Terminals.

In the past 10 years the number of Polson police calls has more than doubled. The city's increase in population, pass-through traffic, and drug and alcohol issues mandate that we keep pace by providing and keeping well trained and equipped law enforcement officers.

We need your support. Please vote June 6.

Dennis G. Jones

Polson City Police Commissioner