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Greensboro Police Officer’s Association |
April 2004 www.greensboropoa.org |
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NEWSLETTER |
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GPOA - |
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GPOA
Meetings: First Thursday of each Month 1730
Hours GPOA
Office In
this issue: ·
Minutes from meetings ·
FLSA Lawsuit ·
2004 Policeman’s Ball ·
CD Fundraiser ·
Tax Time ·
GPOA Benefits through the AFL-CIO ! ·
A Message from President Summers |
Notes
from
Legal Update from Bill
Hill – April 6 is when the FLSA
trial is supposed to begin. We will
keep you informed.
Membership Drive – We are now up to 338 members.
Please continue to work hard on getting more members. The more members we have, the more we can
do as a united force. If you need to get someone a
GPOA application, just go to our web site www.greensboropoa.org and click on
"Membership Application".
You can print one right off the web.www.greensboropoa.org. Police Ball 2004 – This year’s Police Ball will be held on Cpl. Joe Massey Memorial – Eddy Summers has been working on a memorial for
Cpl. Massey. Cpl. Massey died on Tax
Time We recommend you see Lewis
Accounting for your tax return needs.
They do a very thorough job! Call them at (336) 274-1118
to set up your appointment or stop by their office at GPOA
Benefits Did you know that the
AFL-CIO provides many benefits to the members of the GPOA? You would not believe the discounts and
savings available through our Association.
To list just a few; Discounts on Cingular Wireless Accounts, Dell
Computers, IBM Computers, Digital Cameras, Credit Card Services, Scholarship
Programs, Auto Buying Services, Car Rental Discounts, Goodyear Discounts,
etc… Those are just to name a
few. We strongly encourage you to
go to our web site www.greensboropoa.org and click on the link to the Benefits
page and you will find a link to the UnionPlus.org web site. There, you can read about all of the
discounts and programs that are offered to you because you are a member of
the GPOA. |
A Message from President Summers Hello all. Just wanting to
keep you updated on a few things since the last newsletter concerning Stacey
Morton, the FLSA lawsuit, addressing the City Council, rotating shifts,
political involvement, the Police Ball and all else. First off, Stacey is back.
Good to see him. Stacey and Crystal and their boys appreciate the support and
prayers given for them. Concerning the FLSA lawsuit.
Depositions will be taken in the near future. Bill Hill will be contacting
you prior to your meeting to be deposed. Any other GPOA members wishing to
sign onto the lawsuit should contact me immediately. We have 100 members
signed on so far. As I said in the last
newsletter, 20 members of the GPOA went to the City Council on Well, on March 16th,
I read in the paper that the Council was voting that night to give $500,000
to a business that was locating in the area. This business had come to the
Council earlier seeking an economic incentive package to locate inside to
city. After hearing the Council’s incentive offer, the business decided to
locate just outside, but the Council or City staff still felt the need to
give this business $500,000 for road upgrades and guttering. I felt if the City was going
to give away this money, this needed to be challenged. Especially since they
had decided to “study” our request for competitive benefits, career tracking
and pay. I also wanted to follow-up with the Council from our January 20th
meeting. So on late notice I went to
the meeting. And when I got there, they pulled the proposal off the agenda
saying the State was going to provide the $500,000. Continued on Back |
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Greensboro Police Officer’s Association |
April 2004 Newsletter |
President’s
Message Continued
So when time came for me to
speak, I addressed just the issues brought on the 20th. The following
was the GPOA’s statement.
It’s been nearly 2 months since the working
officers of
The working cops want
a progress report on the disparities of veteran officers’ pay. We want a
progress report on competitive benefits. We want a progress report on
implementing a career track program for officers. We want a progress report on
the City abandoning officers, violently injured while on duty.
The working officers
do not want to hear that it is being looked at. We don’t want to hear it is
being studied. We don’t want to hear you don’t like to micromanage.
You were elected to
direct the City staff in areas that you care about. You have before on many
well-documented occasions. Show the working officers of
The working police
officers want to be informed, included and involved in the process, in order to
add validity to the information presented to you.
In closing, you the
Council have attended Grand openings and ribbon cuttings. You have attended
galas, fund raisings and house raisings. You have attended breakfast, dinners
and socials.
But not a one of you,
with the exceptions of Ms. Bellamy- Small and Ms. Carmany,
has had a first hand observation of the job of a working police officer. As I
have before, I again extend an invitation to you to experience a ride-along
with one of your officers.
Thank you.
This statement was followed up
by a few Council members pointing out that they had done a ride-along. A few
stating their many years in present or past occupations, qualified them as
being knowledgeable of police work. Those occupations were as a Probation/
Parole officer, an attorney, a juvenile justice caseworker and a social worker
that counsels convicted offenders. I apologized for my oversight of those who
may have actually rode. I didn’t concede that those
occupations truly gave any insight into police work.
I then asked for an update,
which was met with a response by the Mr. Kitchen. He stated he was unaware that
Council had voted to “study” any of the issues nor had
he or any City staff been directed by Council to complete a comparison on the
issues.
I stated that on January 20th,
Mr. Perkins had requested information on Career Tracks and Ms. Burroughs-White
had stated she wanted the City Staff to look at an overall comparison of
benefits, veteran pay, starting pay and starting salaries.
Mr. Kitchen further advised Council that any
implementation of these issues would have to be funded by a tax increase.
Concerning the workman’s comp issues, he stated it was a personnel issue that
could not be discussed by staff or in the City Council forum.
City Attorney Linda Miles
added that staff could not discuss the issues with me because it involved
individual personnel issues.
I then told Council that
officers felt the worker’s comp system as a whole was flawed and penalized
employees injured on duty and wanted the Council to look at it. Mr. Kitchen
stated it was possibly a matter he or Deputy City Manager Mitch Johnson could
address.
Mr. Perkins stated he wanted
the working cops to know that the Council was listening to us and didn’t want
to see in the paper the next day that Council was ignoring us.
But with all of this, what
fired me up the most was the Mayor’s attitude and statements to me. He
questioned my statements that officers wanted change. He questioned whether it
was in fact a small number of our members who were disgruntled. He asked how
the GPOA came up with these issues. Whether our members had voted on these issues,
or had we polled our members or how exactly had we decided to bring these
issues to the Council.
I took offense in this. I told
him we had monthly meetings where our members bring issues to our attention. I
told him that I talk to officers almost daily to get input on their feelings
and ideas. I also told him that I had polled 50 field officers, to get a broad
opinion concerning rotating shifts, prior to going to talk to Chief Wray. I
told him that’s how I know how officers feel.
What
gets me the most about what the Mayor said was it was almost as if he didn’t
believe GPOA members had these concerns and had expressed them to me. It was as if he didn’t believe I truly spoke for our
membership. It’s as if he doesn’t take us seriously. I plan to personally
discuss with him what I felt was a challenge.
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Greensboro Police Officer’s Association |
April 2004 Newsletter |
President’s
Message Continued
Lastly, Ms. Bellamy-Small
asked if officers had an avenue to take up our issues with Chief Wray. I told
her that Chief Wray had met with the GPOA since he had taken office. I went on
to say that he has kept us informed on Departmental changes. I further stated
when I did take the results of the officer poll and reasons why officers didn’t
want to rotate to Chief Wray, I believed he had already made his decision and
had not listened to the majority of officers.
Needless
to say, the comments from a few officers, who just happened to be watching that
night, was that I had stirred things up a bit.
Then,
on April 5th, a few members of the City Council and the City Manager
had a public hearing on proposed annexation around the city. I decided I would
put together a little something should I get a chance to speak. When I got
there, the gallery was filled near capacity with angry residents and business
owners. Attending the meeting were Councilwoman Carmany,
Councilmen Vaughan and Phillips and Mayor Holliday.
Many of
the residents spoke on topics of higher taxes after annexation, a lack of water
to serve more residences, taxation without representation and sufficient fire
protection currently provided by County Fire Districts. So I decided to throw
in my two cents worth. Here is what I said.
The
City of
If you would turn to
page 10 of the pamphlet provided to you tonight, you’ll see what is also on the
City of
From
1980 until July 2003, the
At
the same time, the sworn police officers, those who the citizens call when they
need help, has only risen by approximately 35%. We presently have fewer
officers, covering more ground, for more citizens, with more calls for service.
More with less.
The
citizens of Grandover, Briarmeade,
Link Road, Reedy Fork and Birch Creek Ridge developments, just to name a few,
are being cheated of promised police protection. Property owners have been lied
to about “improved police protection.”
Due
to the ever-expanding areas, officers respond to calls, and then return to the
main city. Officers hardly ever patrol these areas for larcenies, burglaries,
vandalisms and other serious crimes. Being in these areas,
makes it extremely hard for quick response in other areas of the City.
The
Sheriff’s Department doesn’t provide crime protection to these annexed areas.
It’s not their responsibility. It’s the City’s responsibility to provide all
citizens, tax paying and soon-to-be-annexed, with the same adequate police
protection.
We
encourage you the Council to heed any further annexations without providing the
citizens the necessary police protection to provide for their safety and well
being. Please have the much-needed police officers in place, before you
complete any further annexations.
Thank
you
The
Mayor addressed part of my statement by saying the City is looking at an
overall study of manpower by Chief Wray. He questioned if evening out the
City’s boundaries would make it easier to determine who’s
jurisdiction it was, thereby making response to police calls quicker.
I
responded by saying it was actually just the opposite. Increased annexations in
the county increased call response times and the Sheriff’s Department wouldn’t
respond to those areas unless it was a dire emergency.
City
Manager Ed Kitchen stated Mr. Summers was well aware of these issues being
addressed in a manpower study by Chief Wray and the Police Department. He
further stated any manpower increases would be included in the proposed budget.
The
vote on this annexation will be on April 20th at 1800hrs. I know
it’s a late invitation, but come out if you can.
Rotating shifts. Back in the ancient days of 1985, we rotated shifts. It was just as
tough but our captains and lieutenants knew how we felt. First, was because
they rotated with us. Day for day, shift for shift. 1st,
2nd and 3rd shift. If it was hard on us, it was
just as hard on them. Secondly, because they worked with us, they knew us and
we knew them and they heard the concerns of their men and women.
I know
how you feel about rotating. Keep your comments coming.
Really, I want to hear them. Also, when you get the chance to see your
Lieutenant, tell him or her too. When you get the chance to see your Captain,
tell him or her. When you get the chance to see your Assistant Chief, tell him.
When you get the chance to see Chief Wray, tell him. It seems that sometimes
the true feelings of the officers get lost in the interpretation. Your
sergeants know how you feel. They rotate with you and know the impact of
rotating. Let your Command Staff know how you feel.
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Greensboro Police Officer’s Association |
April 2004 Newsletter |
President’s
Message Continued
The new PTO program. The concept, as I understand it, is good. Shortly
after Chief Wray was appointed, I talked with him about field training for the
rookies. There are three different issues from three different sources.
The
training coaches have complaints about the pay. An extra $14 a day, only when
they have a trainee is a little ridiculous and is not an incentive. Minus taxes
and it’s barely enough to buy lunch. I know the dedicated folk don’t do it for
the money. I also know they don’t do it to get promoted to corporal. Many have
been passed over by less qualified and less experienced.
The
Training Division’s complaint is that there are not enough training coaches and
not every squad has a training coach. Without an incentive to train, that will
be the case.
The
Administrations stance is we have younger, less experienced officers training
the trainees. Without an incentive to train, that will be the case.
My
belief, and I’m willing to take the criticisms, is to put two corporals on a
squad and make them the training coaches. Just like the old days. Make the
sergeants do their work, like lineups, admins,
monthly reports and evals, and allow the corporals to
train. I get tired of hearing about the slack sergeants who have the corporals
do all the paperwork. Or worse yet, POII’s or POI’s do it when there is no corporal.
The pay
issue would be solved with the 5% increase for CPL pay. The shortage of
training coaches would be solved. And the experience issue would be met.
Well
what if the Sgt takes off. You still have an extra Cpl to run the squad. If for
some unknown reason both the Sgt and extra Cpl are off, the training Cpl runs
the squad and the trainee gets a look at the Admin side of running a squad.
Some
corporals I have already talked to say they have had their fill of training
rookies. Been there, done that, didn’t get a …….You get the picture. Burnout of
a training coach is high because with a FTO shortage, some coaches have pulled
trainees back to back, then had a lateral. Almost 5
months straight without much time off.
And
with the lack of compensation, the position of being a training coach is less
appealing. $14 and a pin or chevron isn’t enough.
Politics.
The GPOA is exploring the opportunity to become more politically involved on
both the State and Local levels. We have re-connected with our local Union
brothers and sisters who will support us on our next Council visit. We are also
exploring starting a Political Action Committee to support and endorse those
candidates who support the GPOA’s concerns. We feel
both of these steps are necessary to have the ear of the elected.
Several
of you have brought attention to a memo by Judge Turner. In it, Judge Turner
encourages magistrates to issue warrants against officers if they have probable
cause to believe the officer has committed a crime, such as assault, against a
citizen. Even if the “crime” occurred during the scope of the
officer’s duties, such as a use of force. Bill Hill is working on this.
Some
have also questioned why Russ Rizzo included officer’s home addresses in his
recent article on officers being investigated and charged. I took this up with
Russ. He said it was N&R policy to identify individual persons charged by
using their home address. He said it was policy to be as specific as possible
to avoid a liability lawsuit from a like-named citizen. All the arguments of
officer and family safety were strongly expressed to him. He said he would
speak to his editor about officer’s concerns. I’m working on it.
The
annual Police Ball will be held on
Be
Safe!
Eddy