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July 2004 |
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So, here is the latest tally of GPOA issues.
Political Action Committe Fund:I wanted to write to you to get your input on an idea I have. You may have heard me talk generally of it before. I wanted to present the idea in its entirety. It concerns starting and running a Political Action Committee Fund, more commonly known as a PAC fund. If you the members tell me that this is a boneheaded idea, then it will be dropped. I want to hear from you. Just put your cursor on summers@greensboropoa.org and email me back. The purpose of a PAC is to collect and distribute monies for financial and advertisement support to politicians who really push for the goals of the PAC. Those goals could consist of increased manpower, both in the sworn and non-sworn positions, an increase in overall benefits, competitive raises or support for changing laws to allow for reduced retirement. We have expressed our spoken support for candidates in past elections and will continue to do so. In the more meaningful and hard fought races, monies for support are needed to get the candidates name and ideas out. Without it, races are lost. The GPOA as a labor organization cannot provide financial support to politicians. The State Board of Elections has instructed us that to provide monies to candidates, a PAC would have to be started and monies collected would not be able to come from Association dues. Quarterly financial statements showing income and disbursements for the PAC would have to be filed with the State Board of Elections. I have contacted the NC State AFL-CIO to learn how they fund their PAC. I want it to be legit and to keep anyone associated with it out of the big house for election law violations. The NC State AFL-CIO way is to have all members fill out a new membership form with all the personal info, name, address, work location, etc. and authorizing signature. There would be an area concerning how you wish to pay your Union membership dues, either authorizing a checking account draft or a direct $90/ 6 month payment. Then, there would be an additional section authorizing a designated amount to be drafted and to go directly to the PAC. Any non-drafting members could send direct funds to the PAC. The NC State AFL-CIO President and Secretary/ Treasurer presently oversee their PAC. The GPOA tried to establish a PAC years ago, but it failed due to funding support. It was long before we had nearly 350 members to support it. Our proposed PAC would have no paid employees. I would oversee the proposed PAC. I would file all required paperwork with the State Board of Elections to keep the PAC legal and me out of stripes and shackles. Our proposed PAC would provide support funding to candidates in local elections, who support working officers and have influence in City government. Our proposed PAC would provide support through printed advertisement for additional candidates the PAC supports, such as candidates for judgeship, commissions or the like. The GPOA cannot direct the proposed PAC to support certain candidates, but due to the common goals, the proposed PAC could choose to support the same candidates. I would like to see a dollar from each member, each month going to the proposed PAC. $12 per member. That would be more than $4000 per year collected to go to Rhino/ News &Record ads, billboards and campaign money for candidates who support us. This proposed PAC could make a huge political impact. I promise. If I didn't think so I wouldn't be pushing the idea. Please let me know your thoughts and concerns by clicking on summers@greensboropoa.org and emailing me. Meeting with Chief Wray: Meeting with Chief Wray and Assistant Chief Brady on July 6th. I thanked Chief Wray for the push for more officers and a career enhancement program in the 2004/ 2005 budget. The City approved 32 additional positions plus 2 more for the newly annexed areas. The Council also approved funding for the new POIII- POIV positions. This is being worked on by Captain Hartley's office. Implementing it will occur sometime around January 2005. I haven't got the specifics yet. If you have questions, contact Captain Hartley's office. Then we got to the topic of the additional officers and the Department not receiving very many applications. Recruitment was then discussed and how officers aren't recruiting. The topic then changed to rotating shifts, vacancies and time and a half pay for fill-ins, billboards/ ads, GPD web photos and Governor Highway Safety Grants. In responding to the topic of recruitment, I questioned whether he had any plans to reconsider rotating shifts. Chief Wray stated he is planning to reevaluate the issue in September/ October but the evaluation would only address the type of rotation, not rotation itself. Rotation shifts are here to stay but may occur in what he termed as "pairing." For instance the 0600hrs reporting time may rotate with the 1600hrs time and 1100hrs reporting time may rotate with the 2000hrs. More movement in relation to transfers may also be allowed. With this said, I told Chief Wray that a great majority of officers still hated rotating. He said he had talked and heard from many officers. He said he had heard how it had ruined social life, had made childcare difficult, had negatively effected officer's health, sleep patterns, educational opportunities and limited off-duty work. Chief Wray stated in the big picture, he felt off-duty work was way down the list for consideration. He said he had also heard from officers who didn't like rotating, but they understood why he chose to do so. He had also heard from some who told of having answered calls they may not have otherwise answered if still on permanent shifts. He said with all things considered, rotating shifts was more beneficial than the entire negative. He said all GPD police officers were dedicated, hard working individuals. He said in implementing rotating shifts, he knew officers didn't want to rotate. But he said he knew even if they didn't want to rotate, they wouldn't lie down and quit. He knew officers would hate rotating, they would complain, their health may suffer, their families may suffer, their social life and sleep may suffer, but they wouldn't be lazy or quit. Chief Wray went on to say that this wasn't to say that he was taking advantage of the field officers dedication and commitment. Concerning recruitment, I told Chief Wray that if officers weren't happy with their work environment, be it rotating shifts or feeling Command Staff were exploiting their dedication and commitment, they wouldn't recommend employment with the Department. Even if offered a $500 recruitment incentive. Chief Wray went on to say the next recruit class, originally planned for September, might be started later. He did say it was imperative to fill the class. He stated the Council had made a commitment to provide additional officers next year, but they may think twice if the class is not filled. I told him it all goes back to what the GPOA has been saying all along. Which is providing competitive pay, competitive health care benefits, competitive work benefits and a good work atmosphere to both rookies and veterans. Oh yeah. If you are in the field and see an opening in the detectives and look forward to applying and possibly transferring, don't hold your breath. The Department is planning on filling the CID openings with hire backs. I may get fussed at with this but here are my thoughts. I disagree with hire backs. I see this as a cheap way of circumventing the process of hiring adequate personnel. It's a quick fix to a complex and long-term problem. The Department will continue to suffer until this changes. Full time, sworn detectives can, if the need arises, leave their desks and help out in the field and answer calls. They listen to their radios and sometimes assist on 10-100 calls and supplement the shortages the Department are experiencing. But a hire back is older, retired and often times, far removed from the field. They may be sworn and are still cops. But they may be a little more apprehensive of getting involved. Some officers have compared rehires to Command staff. Chief Wray also stated he was looking at reducing the amount of training time for recruits in rookie school. He stated he was leaning toward 22 weeks from the present 26 weeks. The Department has applied for a grant with the Governor's Highway Safety Program. The grant would help fund 4 new traffic officers salaries and benefits, vehicles and equipment over three years. The State/ City split would go 75/ 25 the first year. 50/ 50 the second year and 25/ 75 the third year. The City would absorb all salaries and benefits in the fourth and future years. Some of you may have heard about my request to have officers photos removed from the Departments website. Under the headings of "Top Cops" and "Officers of the Month," stories are displayed and when you click on the officer's names, up pops the officer's picture. Chief Wray said this was a way to let the public know the outstanding work the GPD officers do each and every day. My argument is that media outlets can pull these pictures off and use them in not so flattering articles. Whether those articles entail allegations of misconduct or crimes, pending lawsuits or officer-involved shootings. And the Department is assisting them at your expense. All due to Departmental promotion. Captains and above are required by Chief Wray to pose for and have their photos displayed on the Department's website. Chief Wray defended the photo display by saying media outlets have or are compiling an archive of officer photos. But I believe the Department shouldn't make it easy or assist them. Even the City of Greensboro's Intranet doesn't furnish Police Department employee's photos. Chief Wray spoke of the GPOA's billboard and Rhino ad. He stated he had received some comments from City Council members. It seems they had made up their minds on providing funding for the Department's 2004/ 2005 budget request, but felt the billboard and ad was a slap. A tad negative they felt. I asked the Chief if he felt that the billboard and ad had hurt the Department's recruiting effort. He stated he would never tell the Union what to put on billboards or ads, but he felt the ad portrayed the Department in a negative light. I then explained to Chief Wray of our numerous attempts to be placed on the Council's agenda to discuss our issues and how we were continually rebuffed. I also stated that the GPOA believed the issues on the billboard/ ads were factual. If they put the City Council or Department in the negative light, then the issues needed to be addressed. I went on to tell Chief Wray that I believed the billboard/ ads were quite tame compared to what could have been displayed or the tactics used. I told him officers are becoming more discouraged and vocal. So that's generally how the meeting went. Officer- involved shootings, in- custody deaths and vehicle pursuits ending in serious injury or death. I cannot stress it enough. In criminal investigations, you have the right to remain silent and not answer questions, either as a witness or suspect. Bill Hill recommends you not make a statement, either as a witness or suspect, until after you talk with counsel. Not that there have been problems. It's just a matter of self-protection and establishing your Constitutional Rights. In crime scene investigations you are told to secure a larger area that needed. It is easier to give up areas not needed, than to have to later expand your crime scene. Same for making a statement. You can always make a statement at a later, more comfortable time when you have had time to reflect on the incident. It's easier than having to explain a statement you made while filled with the many emotions that occur in such incidents. The recommendation is to keep your mouth shut to all, until after you have talked to legal counsel. No exceptions. Tell the criminal investigator "I wish to talk to my attorney before making a statement." It's that simple. No more questions. The investigator will understand. In a recent officer-involved shooting, 8 of the 9 response team/ cover team members told criminal investigators on the night of the incident, "I want to make a statement at a later time, after I talk to my attorney." No hard feelings, just doing business. Within a week, all of those officers had made a statement to the investigator. Witness officers, as well as suspect officers have a right to refuse to make a statement during a criminal investigation. For administrative/ internal investigations, if you know you are going to be interviewed ahead of time, call Bill Hill. If not, always be cooperative and truthful. Then call Bill when the interview is complete. To determine which type of interview it is, simply ask the person interviewing you which type of investigation they are conducting. And lastly on this subject. If a brother or sister officer is in this type of incident, get on the phone with Bill or me for them as quickly as possible. They would for you. HB 215 As I write this article, the nationwide concealed carry law for LEO's, has passed both the US House and US Senate. It now goes to President Bush for his already promised signature. New Worktime Calculation Some of you have expressed concern over the new worktime calculation program. Bill is working on a response to the issues. FLSA The FLSA lawsuit trial is still planned for May 2005. Depositions are expected but there is no word on them as yet. Bill expects the City to request an extension. We expect to ask the Courts to deny their request. In closing, don't forget to email me back about the PAC. Let me know how you feel. Also, let me know how you like this new format. Take care of yourself. Eddy |