CPOA survey: Columbia police officer morale low

A Columbia Police Officers’ Association survey released Monday shows the majority of the CPOA’s members are “very unsatisfied” with “working conditions” at the department.

Read the report here.

The CPOA’s members took the anonymous survey in early June. Officers answered 12 online questions. The questions involved everything from an officer’s satisfaction with patrol shifts to morale over the past 3 to 5 years.

Officers were also given the chance to expound on their answers. One officer wrote “I would say morale overall is much worse.”

Survey results also show a large majority of CPOA’s members consider work a toxic environment. One officer commented, “Is there a word worse than toxic I could use?”

A study several years ago found the workplace atmosphere toxic and recommended ways to fix it. More than 80 percent of respondents to the latest survey said nothing has changed.

“We asked the officers, it’s been over four years, the city claims that they have made all the changes that were recommended. Do you think the atmosphere is still toxic? And a resounding number of the members said, ‘Yes, absolutely,'” Dale Roberts, Columbia Police Officers’ Association director, said.

In a statement, Columbia police officials said they value officers’ opinions and know morale is low, but said now is the time for unity within the department.

One of the main complaints among CPOA is a recent shift change for patrol officers. Officers are now working 12-hour shifts from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m or from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

One officer expressed concern, writing officers might not be as “vigilant and alert” as they should be.

Another respondent said he eats all three meals at work and the new hours erode family time.

“I wish I could fix it. It’s not anything 40 or 50 more cops wouldn’t help with. It’s the most efficient shift that we could come up with and still give officers every other weekend off,” Chief Ken Burton said.

“What the city can do is what the city can do. We’re dependent on sales tax and sales tax is down. We’d love to be able to say ‘hire those 50 cops.’ I’m sure the City Manager and City Council would love to give us that money. It’s simply not there. So we’re in a position of having to deal with what we have, so we have to use the resources we have as wisely as we possibly can to continue to provide ample police services.”