Missouri’s police hiring through the decade

Another week brings another set of high-profile shooting deaths, most recently the deaths of five Dallas police officers in the downtown part of that city.

In Columbia and Jefferson City, law enforcement departments deal with the fallout, including the stresses some may have working in public safety.

“As an agency, the only thing we can do is to do what we can to make them feel as safe as possible,” Columbia police chief Ken Burton told ABC 17 News Friday. “They come here because they care about the public. That’s the only reason to do this job. It’s not going to make you a millionaire.”

In Missouri, those choosing a career in police work have neither fallen nor improved drastically in the last five years. ABC 17 News examined population in the state and those employed as officers, according to the state’s Uniform Crime Reporting system. In 2015, Missouri had 414 people for every one law enforcement agent. That number stays consistent with numbers as far back as 2008. Law enforcement officers jumped by more than 3,000 from 2005 to 2009, dropping the Missourian to officer ratio to its lowest point in the last ten years to 405 in 2009.

An FBI study from 2011 found about two and a half officers for every 1,000 people in the United States.

Police behaviors and policies have received greater coverage and scrutiny since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. in 2014. The latest shootings of police officers in Dallas caused some local concern from officers, according to Dale Roberts, the executive director of the Columbia Police Officers Association.

“A couple officers expressed frustrations to the point of saying, ‘Man, I’m ready to leave this profession, it’s just not worth it,'” Roberts said.

Chief Burton said administrators in his department try to stay available in times of stress.

“It’s a really thankless job, and they’re feeling it right now,” Burton said.