http://gazette.com/mass-shootings-may-ha...le/1570957

Quote:Some Colorado Springs police turned in their badges after an increasingly violent year, particularly in the past four months.

Fifty-two officers left the force in 2015, 11 of them resigning Oct. 31 or later. Their resignation letters blame violence against law enforcement for their swift exits, the majority leaving the department after less than two years.

The job has become too risky, they said, especially after two mass shootings that closed out the year. Two Colorado officers have been shot and killed this year.

Former Colorado Springs police Cmdr. Fletcher Howard, who retired this month after 38 years with the department, said the culture of violence has everyone on edge. Citizens don't show the same regard for law enforcement and authority as they did 15 years ago, he said.

The result has been deadly.

"When you give your oath of office, you don't really think, 'Well, I'm going into this profession to go to battle every day.' We're not military officers that are stationed overseas, where that's what you're going to encounter quite a bit because you're in a wartime situation," Howard said. "It's just a very tough job now."

It's not solely the major cases, which police expect to encounter occasionally, that have officers worried. Even performing daily duties has become a risk, Howard said, mentioning the two New York officers who were killed execution style while sitting in their cruisers in December.

Quote:"I think officers are really more concerned for their safety because you never know what you're going to walk into," Howard said. "You can't take matters routinely like you used to."

The increased danger seems to have officers questioning whether it's worth it.

For Brett Lentz, the answer appears to have been no.

Lentz worked at the department less than two years when he decided it was too dangerous and left. With a day's notice, he resigned Dec. 7, 10 days after the Planned Parenthood shooting.

"Over the last six months, police departments and law enforcement personnel have become a target of the media and several political institutions. I chose not to continue in this line of work as the risk to me and my family has become too high and there is too much to lose," Lentz wrote in his resignation letter.

He did not return The Gazette's attempts to contact him.

Many officers had similar reasons for leaving:

- Trey Johnson left after nine months, saying in his resignation letter the move was "based on family and personal issues."

- Scott Mathis wrote he decided to leave after nearly five years after "a lengthy discussion with my family."

- John DeClerck served 13 years with the department before resigning "for the benefit of the family" and moving to Oregon.

- Nearly two-year officer Nicole Lamb said she'll "look to other endeavors."

Quote:The Colorado Springs community is more supportive of law enforcement than in other areas of the country, Howard said. A citizen satisfaction survey routinely conducted typically returns with about a 90 percent positive rating.

But things can change in an instant, he said.

"All it takes is one explosive episode to taint the image of particular law enforcement or community," Howard said.

Howard thinks increasing manpower could help stave off issues. Right now, law enforcement officers are "outgunned" and "outmanned," he said.

The number of Colorado Springs officers patrolling streets hasn't increased in years, he said. With about 600 officers on payroll, according to Howard's estimate, there is about one city officer per 1,000 residents. It should be twice that many, he said.

Two rounds of recruits to the police academy scheduled this year aim to fill out lines, with 48 recruits sought for each class, the first of which started in January. But it will be a year or more before they're patrolling streets on their own, Howard said.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office advertised openings in January, as has the Colorado State Patrol. Neither listed how many officers were needed.

"You just never know what you're going to get yourself into nowadays," Howard said. "(Officers) really, really have to watch their back."

I always said I thought being a police officer would be very fun.

But, you couldn't pay me to do the job. The police get downright abused by a lot of people and when something happens they are sacrificed by anybody in power.

I put police in the same category as teachers, abused.

The left must be careful what they wish for. Oh wait, that's right...they don't care.

There is a sad segment of the population that sees this development as good. Until they need a cop but even then they would remain rigid in their thoughts.