NC chiefs told police officers need pay, sympathy

DURHAM — An expert says North Carolina cities can keep trained police officers if they care about them.

Dwayne Orrick told police chiefs at an annual conference in Durham on Tuesday that means better pay, concern about personal problems and rewards for good work for the officers. Orrick says officers have to be treated with respect and considered an investment.

Orrick is director of public safety in Cordele, Ga., and is an expert on officer recruiting and retention. He told the chiefs that police management techniques haven’t kept up with higher standards demanded of recruits.

Durham lost 56 officers last year and neighboring Raleigh lost 10 percent of its force. Durham police chief Jose Lopez said his department is advertising for recruits.

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