I could complain about the outdated shiny leather gear or the minor gripes but as of the last year and a half it goes a lot deeper than that. Your boss is the governor, and the current department administration will bend at the knee to fulfil the governor's wishes. Union will say they can't do anything but just aren't willing to put their neck on the line for you (what's the point of a union).
The State of Washington is forcing out all the good cops. From districts' non-prosecution policies, to legislation saying cops can't touch the bad guys anymore, to the governor telling me I have to take a shot or lose my job. This job is not worth it anymore. You can arrest the same felon 5 times in a month because the courts and the State legislators don't want to do anything to stop real crime.
The same legislators who are working to defund you, leave you vulnerable, and tie your hands will cry for help when it suits them. WSP provided a dozen extra troopers per day, 24/7, for MONTHS to secure the "capitol campus" (we were told the main safety focus was the legislators and the governor).
Senior leadership might send out an email every month or two thanking you for your hard work, while subtly asking you to do MORE. But they wouldn't recognize you out of uniform or know you by name without looking at your tag. I have seen my captain in person twice in the 3 years he has been the district commander.
They will tell you it's all about "making a difference" and I truly believe Troopers and civil service employees do good work. All the time. But at the end of the day, what the brass are really looking at is your stats. How many cars you stop, how many tickets you write, your enforcement percentages. That's what gets awards and promotions. "Don't go help the sheriff's office with a robbery suspect unless it's on the highway. They can handle it. You need more seatbelt tickets. It costs a lot to train and pay a trooper, do the math, write some tickets."
After all of this you still treat the public with dignity and respect and they will curse you out, make false complaints, run away from you, or assault you.
It's not worth it anymore.
