City of Mesa Police Under Staffed?

I read with interest the article in the East Valley Tribune titled "Union newsletter claims Mesa police understaffed by 400 officers".

This caught my attentions and so asked a couple of Mesa police officers I know what they thought and if they thought the information was accurate.

Every officer I talked with agreed for the most part with the feelings expressed. They also gave me some additional insights.

1. They confirmed that police officers are loosing their homes to foreclosures but not because of anything the City of Mesa has done but because they purchased homes based upon overtime. When the City of Mesa changed and said basically no more overtime, officers fell into trouble. Which means they just got caught up the same as every other home owner who over extended did.
2. Yes the police department is understaffed and because of it many police officers feel overwhelmed tired and frustrated. The officers said that leads to a higher turnover rate or officers transferring to other agencies.
3. They also said that they feared speaking up because of potential fears of being retaliated against. They have been told to be quite.

Our police officers and fire fighters should be paid a fair wage in accordance with industry standards for the region. Does the City of Mesa need to address the unions concerns and look into the issues expressed, I think so.