[GD]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Good letter, but the rate for a unionized, prevailing wage flagman would be more like $40-50 per hour.

In Rhode Island, the flagmen/flagwomen are mostly unionized and that is the prevailing wage. Never mind some of the companies who just take any old guy, give him a sign and suddenly he is a flagger.

These politicians are all the same, screwing the cops!!!

 

[Guest]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

We just work overtime doing police work, which is better than standing at a construction site in the middle of winter!

That's not an option for most of us; look no further than what's happening in Randolph;

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x1351022453

That's a perfect example of what everyone is facing. Randolph has plenty of detail work (they call us every once in awhile) but zero money for overtime.

 

[j809]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Overtime is almost non-existent in MANY communities around the commonwealth. We have no choice but to rely on details, not like LA where you guys have very high base salaries and lots of OT.

 

[LA Copper]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

That's not an option for most of us; look no further than what's happening in Randolph;

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x1351022453

That's a perfect example of what everyone is facing. Randolph has plenty of detail work (they call us every once in awhile) but zero money for overtime.

I guess that explains why Randolph seems to be going in the crapper.. Maybe the community and the selectmen will realize that and come up with some money for officers to be able to do their jobs..

Overtime is almost non-existent in MANY communities around the commonwealth. We have no choice but to rely on details, not like LA where you guys have very high base salaries and lots of OT.

True about our salaries being higher than yours back there, however, real estate is a lot higher also so it's all relative.

The only reason there is overtime out here is because there is plenty of crime, not because there is plenty of money. Los Angeles is cutting way back in a lot of other things like libraries, road work, parks and recs, etc, just so they can pay the police and leave us on the street to uphold public safety. Maybe your cities and towns may realize the same and give you guys the money to do your jobs.

Just to reiterate, I understand why you guys want to keep the details and hope the politicians get it too. I wish you guys luck.

 

[BPD850]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

It's not going to stop with details. My area utilizes a regional Drug Task Force, SRT team and CPAC for crime scenes. These cuts are going to carry over. The state will not have to worry about cutbacks in our field. There will be an exodus to other occupations to survive as officers will not be able to maintain their financial situations.

 

[Guest]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Once again, we can all thank our unions for supporting Cadillac Deval. Survival of the fittest my friends !!!!!!!!!

 

[Kem25]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Ok so now I am working in a job with no contract.... a 0% 0% 1% proposal for the next pay raise... no money left for OT in the budget.... and now some hack wants to take away my ability to make any money. I love this job but if details disappear I may need to relocate.

 

[OfficerObie59]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Dear Your Excellency Gov. Deval Douche Bag

Apparently trying to live above the poverty line makes us greedy. Sure, some guys on BPD and MSP are raking in $200K, and I'd agree that's a bit much, but I dare the Globe or Herald venture out into the 'burbs and take stock of the low salaries that float around. Unions have been negotiating with details for years, and taking them away sets collective bargaining positions back decades. But who complains about details? The yuppie townies who think we should be kissing their fourth point of contact for our jobs. Eat my ass.
But don't let it fool you; the timing of this ting was deliberate as was the approach. Notice they're only mentioning secondary roads. What a great way to remove the largest police bargaining unit in the state, MSP, from the equation.

Of course Sen Prez Murray doesn't like details of any kind, and why would she? One of my good friends is on the job in a town adjacent to where she lives and scans the neighboring PD's freq. Apparently, she had her local PD calling out local checks on her house every 30 mins for a few days during the gay marriage debate. As the Senate Prez, don't you thing a MSP Protective Services Detail would be the best way to go? God, what if the press found out. Maybe when I take away the rights of the people to vote I should ask my PD to give semi-hourly checks on my place, too.

Sure, Murray, DiMasi, and Deval stand up and preach how wasteful details are without posing a solution to an issue the governor himself stated was an important issue...the low pay of municpal officers. (Nov 1st, 2007 - 96.9 WTKK "Ask the Governor, pt. 4" @ 4:09 min - see below for link) Funny, where's the governor on the "independent issue". Sure, I'd love a raise instead of standing in the road flapping my arms like a bird. But it'll never happen. "No doubt about it", huh. Kudos to that wife from Waltham with her articulate argument. F#$% Margery Egan and her patronizing to the governor and the caller; she's written more negative detail columns in the Herald than anyone else.

In the end, I'm gonna feel bad for my brothers who have already said they plan on losing their homes if thing thing passes. But I'll also feel bad for my court's magistrate, who's a good guy. He'll simply be spending now until his retirement only hearing CMVI appeals.

It's 3AM. Thank you all for reading my rantings, as incoherent and jumbled as they may be. I am going to bed now.

http://wtkk.everyzing.com/viewMedia...xpand=true&match=query,channel&il=en&filter=0

This post reflects my opinion only and contains no information that is confidential or priviledged.

 

[SinePari]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Once again, we can all thank our unions for supporting Cadillac Deval. Survival of the fittest my friends !!!!!!!!!

You get screwed if you didn't support him, you get screwed if you did. Can't win.

 

[Guest]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

You get screwed if you didn't support him, you get screwed if you did. Can't win.

Very true Sine.........

 

[HiredGoon]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Knowing the HIGH QUALITY individuals that often work for various tree/construction/paving companies...when the flagman calls to complain about a vehicle blowing by, OF COURSE I'll go down and talk to him...and get his ID for the log...and discover he's listed in WMS. \\/ Then he gets to come with me.

Hell, maybe if I'm lucky, and it's toward the end of the shift, I'll get some OT for the booking/court transport.

Well, I'll just leave it at that.

 

[dh18]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

I think the "detail reform" was only thown in there to distract everyone from the real priority the have of merging the MassPike, Massport, and MBTA into one animal. The big question there is does the Transit Police become MSP or do Troops E & F become Transit domain?

 

[Killjoy]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

I think the "detail reform" was only thown in there to distract everyone from the real priority the have of merging the MassPike, Massport, and MBTA into one animal. The big question there is does the Transit Police become MSP or do Troops E & F become Transit domain?

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

Keep focused people, this is about politicians using some flim-flam spin to "save" money, which we all know will really not save any money, and it will take cops off the streets. It about appealing to many voters jealousy and hatred of police officers, while actually accomplishing nothing but making workzones less safe. An ancillary benefit to the pols is that they are now free to start flagmen businesses to fill the void left by stripping police officers of gainful extra employment. Flagmen businesses that will soon cost as much or more than police officers, yet have none of the benefits of additional police officers on the streets.

Do the politician realize that the reason that law-enforcement jobs are so competitive in Mass, is because we can earn a decent living doing it. Take that away and soon you have just another state scrambling to fill underpaid police jobs, as good police officers move to more friendly climates, environments or leave to get better-paid jobs. In the end, you get what you pay for, and if you want to see quality law enforcement take a nose dive, support this measure.

 

[Robert35]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

Keep focused people, this is about politicians using some flim-flam spin to "save" money, which we all know will really not save any money, and it will take cops off the streets.

Very Good point Killjoy. In Boston Alone they have over 100+ Officers per day out on the Streets on Details. This gives the City 100 more per day at no cost to the City.

 

[ryan57]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

I think the "detail reform" was only thown in there to distract everyone from the real priority the have of merging the MassPike, Massport, and MBTA into one animal. The big question there is does the Transit Police become MSP or do Troops E & F become Transit domain?

:BNANA: :kitty: This has to be some T Cop hiding in some back room of some rat infested T Station trying to stir it up........I had to delete the rest......

 

[Guest]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Who wants to discuss the double-edged sword? If we lose details and seek court time and late arrests for a supplemet, how do you win? If you write more citations in hope of appeals, you feed the Commonwealth and they will claim that money is from savings from road jobs. If you don't write citations to halt the revenue for the state, you will NEVER see court time. I'm moving to Montana. Giddy Up !!!!

 

[PaulKersey]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

They did try and pull a fast one, trying to sneak it in without anyone knowing. I've never seen this state move so fast before. Mass politics at it's finest.

From what I've been hearing from the upper end of the greap vine, it seems as though it will end up in the hands of the individual cities and towns.
I don't know how this will affect the SP at this time though.

Sure, you're going to get the city councilors that dislike the police etc.
When it comes down to it, the mayors and city managers realize that there are hundreds of extra cops on the street throughout the day that are not costing the taxpayers a dime.

Don't leave for Montana just yet.

 

[celticsfan]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

Very Good point Killjoy. In Boston Alone they have over 100+ Officers per day out on the Streets on Details. This gives the City 100 more per day at no cost to the City.

+1 I'm an auxiliary, and 85% of why I do what I do is just provide presence. Details are a very effective way to provide presence (even at a fixed location), and this is an often overlooked value.

 

[j809]

Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch

I think the "detail reform" was only thown in there to distract everyone from the real priority the have of merging the MassPike, Massport, and MBTA into one animal. The big question there is does the Transit Police become MSP or do Troops E & F become Transit domain?

That is exactly it, alot of stuff going on that i won't talk about here but call your MASSCOP regional VP and talk to them. Last time this happened was in 1990-91 when the resolution was the MSP merger.

 

[dan7728]

Re: Flagmen

find and email reps http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm
cut and copy and make any changes
(revision of another posters. for the better or the worse)

1 April 2008

Dear Senator ,

Hello Sir/Madam, I would like to take a few moments of your time and express my deep concerns in regards to the proposed bill that would affect Police Details. As citizen of the Commonwealth, I am very worried about the negative consequences that will arise if this or any bills like it were to pass. Getting to the point, I would like to direct your attention to some misconceptions and facts I believe you should be made aware of concerning this issue.

First off, I would like to take look at some common misconceptions that are often made when comparing the use of Civilian Flagman vs. uniformed Police Officers. As I am sure, you are aware Massachusetts is the only state in the union that does not use Civilian Flagmen. Because of this, many both in the public and private sector automatically assume that the use of flagman must be cheaper and will save taxpayers a substantial amount of money. However when reading currant articles in Boston based news media it is suggested the use of police details only cost the state a mere $5 million a year. However, this is a misconception. What the articles as well as the studies failed to mention is that the contractor doing the work pays the overwhelming majority of details. Many of the Commonwealth's municipalities take a percentage of the detail rate and place it in local budgets. By doing this taxpayers actually save money. Another cost misconception one must realize is by hiring private firms there is no guarantee that their rates will not go up. In an economy that is uncertain the cost of service is going up, especially in the private sector. While it may now only cost $25-$30 dollars per hour for a flagman, in the next five to ten years it may cost as much, if not more than using a police officer (factoring health care and retirement}.

Now that I have touched upon some common misconceptions of cost benefits to the use of flagman, I would like to direct your attention to some facts that are very beneficial in regards of use of Police Officers. It should be obvious but the use of Police Officers at work sites significantly enhances public safety. Police Officers, unlike Civilian Flagmen are First responders trained using the deliberator, CPR, and a good amount are EMT's. Detail officers are able to respond to emergencies from the details and act immediately.

These first responders, have powers of arrest, prevent and deter crime, are less of a liability, and extensively trained in both criminal and motor vehicle law. Civilian Flagmen provide none of these essential services. I personally know of cases where officers have provided extraordinary services while on a road detail. They have made stolen vehicle arrests, OUI Arrests, rendered Medical aid, and have foiled crimes about to take place.

In closing, I hope a few of the things I have touched upon will heighten your awareness as to why road jobs should, and need to remain worked by Uniformed Police Officers. I hope by reading this you will share some of my concerns with some of your fellow colleagues, to help make the right decision by allowing the continuance of Police Officers over the use of Civilian Flagmen. This is not a pay issues this is a matter of public safety.

Thank you for your time,