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·Whats the situation over at Salem State like?
Salem State
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Typical of a state college - crap pay. The department is actually pretty squared away though. I did my COBWEB class there 2 years ago and the whole crew seemed pretty nice from top to bottom. Everyone seemed happy. They have a sweet station for a Campus PD, their own building which was just built about 3 or 4 years ago. They have a few long time folks their and as usual alot of younger folks whom come and go as they get on Municipal PD's. They have a few thousand students living on campus so they get their share of calls. Ch. 90 etc...
I liast heard that supposedly, they will become armed this summer.... The command staff are currently armed.T4567 said:
I could never understand that... arming the brass first, to see how things go... that cracks me up..like the chief is going to be on the front line when the shit hits the fan?... Nothing like arming a pencil pusher...
Salem Evening News- Tuesday June 15, 2004
Salem State police get their guns
SALEM, Mass. - For the first time in nearly 20 years, Salem State campus police officers will carry guns.
Trustees voted unanimously last week to arm the entire 25-member police force beginning with the start of the fall semester in September. The vote followed a one-year pilot program in which nine ranking officers carried weapons. Although nobody fired or even drew a weapon this past school year, the trial was considered a success.
"This is probably the most important vote we'll take, a vote that could have potential implications 20 years from now," said trustee Matthew LeBretton, who chaired the student life subcommittee which recommended bringing guns back to campus.
LeBretton, a recent Salem State graduate, opposed the trial program a year ago, in part because of concerns about guns on campus, but also because he didn't like the idea of arming only part of the force.
Like other trustees, LeBretton said he became convinced that the world outside has changed and that college campuses are not isolated islands.
"We have such an open campus that to send out an officer at 1 in the morning with no more than pepper spray and a baton may not be the safest thing -- not only for the officer but the community in general," he said.
A brazen robbery this spring also helped convince the college community that weapons are necessary. Robbers using a sledgehammer, chisels and other tools broke into a safe in the college dining hall. Officers found an open door early in the morning and walked through the building, but didn't come across anyone.
"The burglars may have been hiding in the building," said Stanley Cahill, the college's vice president of student life. "If those officers, who were unarmed, had found them, I'm not sure what would have happened."
Salem State police carried weapons 18 years ago when Chief Brian Pray arrived, but he took the guns away because he felt the officers had not been properly trained in the use of firearms. President Nancy Harrington, who took over in 1990, was a staunch gun opponent. But she reluctantly changed her mind and supported this move.
"I think what has been brought to the attention of everyone is we have a different society than we had 20 years ago," said Karen Cady, a spokeswoman for Harrington.
"I applaud Nancy Harrington," said Salem Police Chief Robert St. Pierre. "It was not an easy one for Nancy. I know because I spoke to her."
Harrington could not be reached for comment.
St. Pierre told the college trustees that he supports the move and believes it will improve the coordinated efforts of city and campus police.
"I actually think they will be an asset to us now that they are armed and we can rely on them for more assistance," the chief said.
Salem State police say it has been frustrating, and sometimes dangerous, to come upon a situation where a student or outsider had a weapon.
"Every time we would have an issue with a firearm, a knife or a baseball bat we would have to call the Salem Police Department," Acting Chief William Anglin said.
Anglin said the officers are aware of the added responsibility that comes with weapons and will work hard to prove Harrington right.
"Attitudes will not change here," Anglin said. "Our goal, until we retire, is not to take that gun out of the holster."
Staff writer Tom Dalton can be reached at (978) 338-2523 or by e-mail at tdalton @ecnnews.com.
www.salemnews.com
Salem State police get their guns
SALEM, Mass. - For the first time in nearly 20 years, Salem State campus police officers will carry guns.
Trustees voted unanimously last week to arm the entire 25-member police force beginning with the start of the fall semester in September. The vote followed a one-year pilot program in which nine ranking officers carried weapons. Although nobody fired or even drew a weapon this past school year, the trial was considered a success.
"This is probably the most important vote we'll take, a vote that could have potential implications 20 years from now," said trustee Matthew LeBretton, who chaired the student life subcommittee which recommended bringing guns back to campus.
LeBretton, a recent Salem State graduate, opposed the trial program a year ago, in part because of concerns about guns on campus, but also because he didn't like the idea of arming only part of the force.
Like other trustees, LeBretton said he became convinced that the world outside has changed and that college campuses are not isolated islands.
"We have such an open campus that to send out an officer at 1 in the morning with no more than pepper spray and a baton may not be the safest thing -- not only for the officer but the community in general," he said.
A brazen robbery this spring also helped convince the college community that weapons are necessary. Robbers using a sledgehammer, chisels and other tools broke into a safe in the college dining hall. Officers found an open door early in the morning and walked through the building, but didn't come across anyone.
"The burglars may have been hiding in the building," said Stanley Cahill, the college's vice president of student life. "If those officers, who were unarmed, had found them, I'm not sure what would have happened."
Salem State police carried weapons 18 years ago when Chief Brian Pray arrived, but he took the guns away because he felt the officers had not been properly trained in the use of firearms. President Nancy Harrington, who took over in 1990, was a staunch gun opponent. But she reluctantly changed her mind and supported this move.
"I think what has been brought to the attention of everyone is we have a different society than we had 20 years ago," said Karen Cady, a spokeswoman for Harrington.
"I applaud Nancy Harrington," said Salem Police Chief Robert St. Pierre. "It was not an easy one for Nancy. I know because I spoke to her."
Harrington could not be reached for comment.
St. Pierre told the college trustees that he supports the move and believes it will improve the coordinated efforts of city and campus police.
"I actually think they will be an asset to us now that they are armed and we can rely on them for more assistance," the chief said.
Salem State police say it has been frustrating, and sometimes dangerous, to come upon a situation where a student or outsider had a weapon.
"Every time we would have an issue with a firearm, a knife or a baseball bat we would have to call the Salem Police Department," Acting Chief William Anglin said.
Anglin said the officers are aware of the added responsibility that comes with weapons and will work hard to prove Harrington right.
"Attitudes will not change here," Anglin said. "Our goal, until we retire, is not to take that gun out of the holster."
Staff writer Tom Dalton can be reached at (978) 338-2523 or by e-mail at tdalton @ecnnews.com.
www.salemnews.com
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2,273 Posts
Congratulations SSCPD!!!!!!! What type style gun will SSCPD be carring???
Nice Department to work for.......but apparently their department is content on making 12.50 an hour with no detail rate. Nobody over there is intrested in MCLEA. Sad but true........it could be much better if there was more intrest in actually making it better.
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495 Posts
I Interviewed there several years ago and the people I spoke with were very unhappy with their current union. Are you serious they are not interested in a new representative?SSPO#11 @ Fri 25 Jun said:
Also, is there anyone from SSCPD on this board? If so PM me, i have a question
G
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·The Detail rate at Salem State is Officers $29.44 and hour Sergeants get $31.18 and hour, 4 hour min. any one higher are on salary no details. This is time and half at top step. That is in your AFSCME contract, along with other campus police issues in the back. If you don't take on your own union leaders to change your contract, then you will get no where. How many of your departments give holiday overtime pay if you are not normal scheduled to work? How many departments have gotten the EMT Pay? Does not AFSCME have a group of Campus Police Officers that meet on Campus Police issues, how many of you have called one of these Officers and told them to get off their ass and get moving, on changes. I belive one of these Officers works at Salem State! How many new Officers have called about the 14 step joke for top pay? If someones big issue is which Badge number he/she gets then you will turn a lot of other Officers off to joining anything. If you do start your own union, will you have to still pay AFSCME union dues, I believe that colleges are closed shops. A lot does have to change, but you first have to use what you have now to make your job safer and pay more.
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458 Posts
I think what Grumpy Lt was getting at is the outside detail rate ie a group comes into the school to use the colleges facilities and they hire out a campus police officer..as a opposed to working a detail through the college ie a Bookstore detail etc which would be time and a half...Believe me no one is getting well paid through AFSCME..14 years to max out..that's sad..... Also I thought I heard that someone from there had been in touch with MCLEA..although I could be wrong
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1,146 Posts
Nobody here is anti AFSCME. AFSCME is a fine union and extremely well
known. The problem with being a member of AFSCME is that Police
Officers make up a very small part of the membership. As you know the
majority of AFSCME members are maintainers and janitors. Police
Officers are unique and have completely different needs than those
who make up the majority of AFSCME.
I compare colleges to towns. Towns are made up of Police Departments,
Fire Departments, DPW's and School Departments. As we all know Police
Officers and DPW workers have separate unions because they have
completely different needs, just like teachers have separate unions
because they have different needs. It's the same on college campuses.
We are police Officers; we should not be in the same union as the
facilities workers who can be compared to the towns DPW workers.
That's why the faculty members are not in AFSCME because they have
different needs than both facilities and us. How can AFSCME really
fight for the tools that Police Officers need? How can AFSCME fairly
represent us when they have no knowledge of what it means to be a
Police Officer and why would they even want to because we make up
such a small amount of their union?
MCLEA would be our own union. An association just for State College
Police Officers, nobody else. Brian has stressed over and over again
that this is "OUR" union, we make the decisions on what we want, not
some janitor. There are so many positives that can come out of
forming this association. Just think of how much better it would be
to have someone that is bargaining for the needs of Police Officers
only! Think of how much easier it would be if we wanted a pay raise
or more equipment, or anything for that matter! I'm sure the
Commonwealth and the Board of Higher Ed would be much more willing to
listen to 200 people wanting more money, more equipment or more
incentives than 2000 people! There is really nothing we can loose by
forming this union and there is nothing that AFSCME can do to us for
leaving their union. In the long run MCLEA will benefit all of us,
including our Lieutenants and Chiefs. Being from Framingham I know
Brian personally and I will close by telling you that there is no
better choice to lead us in our cause than him.
known. The problem with being a member of AFSCME is that Police
Officers make up a very small part of the membership. As you know the
majority of AFSCME members are maintainers and janitors. Police
Officers are unique and have completely different needs than those
who make up the majority of AFSCME.
I compare colleges to towns. Towns are made up of Police Departments,
Fire Departments, DPW's and School Departments. As we all know Police
Officers and DPW workers have separate unions because they have
completely different needs, just like teachers have separate unions
because they have different needs. It's the same on college campuses.
We are police Officers; we should not be in the same union as the
facilities workers who can be compared to the towns DPW workers.
That's why the faculty members are not in AFSCME because they have
different needs than both facilities and us. How can AFSCME really
fight for the tools that Police Officers need? How can AFSCME fairly
represent us when they have no knowledge of what it means to be a
Police Officer and why would they even want to because we make up
such a small amount of their union?
MCLEA would be our own union. An association just for State College
Police Officers, nobody else. Brian has stressed over and over again
that this is "OUR" union, we make the decisions on what we want, not
some janitor. There are so many positives that can come out of
forming this association. Just think of how much better it would be
to have someone that is bargaining for the needs of Police Officers
only! Think of how much easier it would be if we wanted a pay raise
or more equipment, or anything for that matter! I'm sure the
Commonwealth and the Board of Higher Ed would be much more willing to
listen to 200 people wanting more money, more equipment or more
incentives than 2000 people! There is really nothing we can loose by
forming this union and there is nothing that AFSCME can do to us for
leaving their union. In the long run MCLEA will benefit all of us,
including our Lieutenants and Chiefs. Being from Framingham I know
Brian personally and I will close by telling you that there is no
better choice to lead us in our cause than him.
Joined
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131 Posts
To those on the fence:
Some of you may be on the fence about signing the cards for MCLEA. I
know some departments have it pretty good, Salem State for instance
just becoming armed, (and congrats on doing so) among other colleges.
Some of you may be content with AFSCME and have the equipment that
you need and aren't in a position where you wished to grieve
something. However the big picture is different, many of us are still
in the dark ages, which is exactly where these departments who now
have the proper equipment to do the job came from. Most members of
MCLEA are unarmed; do not have equipment, and new stations. Most
members still don't get detail rates and are performing several
duties that a cop has no business doing. I don't blame our
Chiefs;
they are in a very awkward position, as many are employed at the will
of the College President and have no protection of their own. Also
the budget of the Commonwealth has serious implications on our jobs.
MCLEA could change many of these things and would even be much better
for our Chiefs in the long run.
Brian has stressed over and over again that AFSCME cannot do anything
to us for signing these anonymous cards or leaving their union. He
has also stressed over and over again that this would be
"our" union
and that he would bargain for the same dental and eye coverage that
we currently have with AFSCME. There would be so many things we could
bargain for with MCLEA because we would be a small group bargaining
just for the needs of cops. Like I stated in a previous post, I'm
sure the Commonwealth would be much more willing to listen to a group
of 200 people than a group of 2000. I believe MCLEA would even
benefit the departments that have the proper equipment in the
long run much more than AFSCME would. More money, equipment,
increased shift differential, and detail rates. Better health, dental
and eye coverage. Less security type duties and more respect. The
list can go on and on and you could add anything you want because
this is "our" union, so what you as a cop want, you ask and
we as a
group will bargain for it. Not to mention a connection to a network
of attorneys who specialize in labor law and union issues along with
attorneys who specialize in defending Police Officers who are sued on
the job. I'm not anti AFSCME but I really dont think they could
ever
provide us with all that! We do not have a lot of time, so please get
your cards in as soon as possible and for those who are on the fence
I hope this will make a difference.
Some of you may be on the fence about signing the cards for MCLEA. I
know some departments have it pretty good, Salem State for instance
just becoming armed, (and congrats on doing so) among other colleges.
Some of you may be content with AFSCME and have the equipment that
you need and aren't in a position where you wished to grieve
something. However the big picture is different, many of us are still
in the dark ages, which is exactly where these departments who now
have the proper equipment to do the job came from. Most members of
MCLEA are unarmed; do not have equipment, and new stations. Most
members still don't get detail rates and are performing several
duties that a cop has no business doing. I don't blame our
Chiefs;
they are in a very awkward position, as many are employed at the will
of the College President and have no protection of their own. Also
the budget of the Commonwealth has serious implications on our jobs.
MCLEA could change many of these things and would even be much better
for our Chiefs in the long run.
Brian has stressed over and over again that AFSCME cannot do anything
to us for signing these anonymous cards or leaving their union. He
has also stressed over and over again that this would be
"our" union
and that he would bargain for the same dental and eye coverage that
we currently have with AFSCME. There would be so many things we could
bargain for with MCLEA because we would be a small group bargaining
just for the needs of cops. Like I stated in a previous post, I'm
sure the Commonwealth would be much more willing to listen to a group
of 200 people than a group of 2000. I believe MCLEA would even
benefit the departments that have the proper equipment in the
long run much more than AFSCME would. More money, equipment,
increased shift differential, and detail rates. Better health, dental
and eye coverage. Less security type duties and more respect. The
list can go on and on and you could add anything you want because
this is "our" union, so what you as a cop want, you ask and
we as a
group will bargain for it. Not to mention a connection to a network
of attorneys who specialize in labor law and union issues along with
attorneys who specialize in defending Police Officers who are sued on
the job. I'm not anti AFSCME but I really dont think they could
ever
provide us with all that! We do not have a lot of time, so please get
your cards in as soon as possible and for those who are on the fence
I hope this will make a difference.
Joined
·
8,898 Posts
Go MCLEA!
At Massasoit there are Firearms/Cruisers/Details. However Local#1067 AFSCME will do verrrry little for cops. Council#93 handles everything (well) for them. It should not be this way.
Most CommunitySchool Dept.'s have nothing compared to us. Where is BHCC? Salem State? Come on you kids!!!
At Massasoit there are Firearms/Cruisers/Details. However Local#1067 AFSCME will do verrrry little for cops. Council#93 handles everything (well) for them. It should not be this way.
Most CommunitySchool Dept.'s have nothing compared to us. Where is BHCC? Salem State? Come on you kids!!!
Pretty pathetic that this much work has to be done to get people to do something that ONLY benefits themselves! Really Salem, Fitchburg, Westfield and any other State or Community College not on board speak up! Let us know WHY you are against being in a Police Union? Now is the time to professionalize campus law enforcement and if you guys sit back and be content with the toilet cleaners union it will NEVER happen. Don't let your fellow brother and sister officers down!
#11
#11
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131 Posts
well said #11, #905 whatever you are! I couldn't agree more, no idea why these people would not be interested in a union of cops only? Maybe they are afraid of the ramifications of leaving AFSCME of which we know THERE ARE NONE. AFSCME can do nothing to us for leaving their union even though the tell you they can ITS ALL LIES. They may be trying to threaten you or pressure you for information! You don't have to tell them anything. I strongly recommend that you all join the MCLEA yahoo group, because I think you will be able to have any questions you have answered there. The guy who is the brainpower behind this whole movement is an attorney who specializes in LABOR LAW! Who better to lead us in our cause than a labor law attorney who actually has experience as a COP and understands the job! Better him than some dude that washes the gym floor!!
KEEP UP THE MCLEA FIGHT! We need your support in this or it wont work.
Joined
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8,898 Posts
Bottom Line..............................
We need to be O-U-T of the same unit# as clerks/maintainers/cooks.
If is with MCLEA Great!
If it's with AFSCME, that's O.K. too.
Bill Fisher is the Campus cop who is supposed to be on the AFSCME contract negotiating team. Anybody know him or how to contact him? This is were stuff falters.
If the near 200+AFSCME Cops can't get their sh*t together, then shame on all of us!
:roll:
AFSCME Council#93 is now concerned due to some rumblings from certain campus agencies AND the MCLEA threat. Let's see how this shakes out!
:wink:
We need to be O-U-T of the same unit# as clerks/maintainers/cooks.
If is with MCLEA Great!
If it's with AFSCME, that's O.K. too.
Bill Fisher is the Campus cop who is supposed to be on the AFSCME contract negotiating team. Anybody know him or how to contact him? This is were stuff falters.
If the near 200+AFSCME Cops can't get their sh*t together, then shame on all of us!
:roll:
AFSCME Council#93 is now concerned due to some rumblings from certain campus agencies AND the MCLEA threat. Let's see how this shakes out!
:wink:
Joined
·
131 Posts
Ive said it before in the MCLEA yahoo group and I will say it again! We are not anti AFSCME but I really dont think AFSCME can do anything for us even if we stay with them. They have no concept of the fact that COPS have competely different needs than everyone else that make up their union. We make up a very small number of the union anyway so why would they even bother with 200 people. I dont think that Joe you know what the rag man is going to be able to properly verbalize at the bargining table why we need firearms instead of more mops!! Also remember Im sure the Board of Higher Ed will be much more willing to listen to 200 people asking for more money, equipment and benefits than 2000. We need to sever all ties with AFSCME and join MCLEA so we can finally have a union of cops who fight for the needs of only cops.
:shock:
:shock:
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