Nancy Bommelman, Minot
Here's something to think about. Since we have so few police officers in Minot and we can't keep any because of money, the all mighty buck rises again.
Any given shift there are five police officers on duty. When the snow comes and we have numerous accidents at one time, and everybody knows it's going to happen, who are the cops going to go to first? The person who got smashed by a drunk driver, or the person who got a fender bender? One police officer is at the airport at all times so that leaves us four. There are four or five accidents all the time on Broadway, during the snow. People don't want to slow down and think they can stop five feet from a stop sign. Guess what? You can't. Then we have the other calls that are coming in for domestic violence, other traffic stops or what have you, who has first priority.
If I'm driving to work and get hit, I call the police they say "you're going to have to wait, because we have three other calls ahead of you." So I wait at least an hour, so now I'm late for work, I have to explain to my employer what happened hoping not to get in trouble or written up for being late.
The leaders of the city of Minot better get their heads together and decide what they are going to do about this mess. The police and fireman all deserve at least a 30 percent increase in wages.
Here's something else to think about: If police officers get paid let's say $35,000 a year, does anybody ever wonder what the people behind a desk are getting? It's public record, call and ask how much, let's say, human resource lady gets, or an alderman gets. I bet they get paid more than the police or fireman do. Isn't that a shame that they all have to get a second job to make ends meet? So next time you need a policeman or fireman and need their help, they are risking their lives every single day helping us, I think it's time we help them. We need to find a way to get them more money.