Sunday, October 31, 2010

Police Department To Rehire Retirees?

The police department has contacted recent retirees to see if they would be interested in coming back to work on a part time basis, at half their hourly wages at the time of retirement. The job would be to replace or add to the security guards at various county buildings.

A topped out Master Patrol Officer would be paid about $17 and hour. Not too bad.

On the other hand. If the county would simply approve the police reserve program, the county would get these same officers at no cost. The officers would be required to give a curtain amount of hours to the county each week, and in return be allowed to work part time jobs just as any current officer.

Instead of making $17 an hour, the retirees would have the opportunity to make upwards of $50.00 an hour working for a private business.

A logical idea that is truly "cost neutral". The county gets P.O.S.T. certified  police officers as security guards among other details, and the retirees get to make some meaningful extra income.

Oh, we forgot. Logic doesn't play in the hands of some of the command staff and especially the board of commissioners.

The madness continues!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Oh, we forgot. Logic doesn't play in the hands of some of the command staff and especially the board of commissioners."

My goodness, do we need to go over this again????? Maybe the blogmaster needs to put down the axe he/she seems to always be grinding.

The command staff and BOC are two seperate entities. This chief and others before him have tried to have a reserve program. This isn't news to any who have the capacity to pay attention. The problem is with Decatur and NOT the command staff.

Ok class..lets go over this one more time!!! It is the policies of the CEO/BOC that have got us in this mess. They are the folks who furloughed us, want to rehire retirees, came up with so called pay for performance, no raises in last 2 years going to be a third, overspent 20 million in contracts, and rehired Stogner who just happens to have been convicted of racial discrimination. This is just a short list. This almost makes Bolton look like a genius, but wait, he was their fault too.

I don't care if Jesus Christ himself comes down from heaven to be chief, if we don't fix Decatur it matters not!!!!

Get off the kill the command staff at all costs and stay focused on the real problem.

Class over.

Anonymous said...

Amen!

Anonymous said...

Well said!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I too agree that Decatur is the main problem. But in turn by appointing these higher ups this makes them a continuation of Decatur. I can tell all of you personally that Wiz Miller dropped the ball on a very serious issue that was taken before him. This was an issue that he had the authority to handle but didn't want to make any waves. I was one of the people who sat down in front of him and discussed what was going on. Just as Decatur he too did not appear to care one bit about the officers within the department where he once worked. When command staff acts like Decatur unfortunately they get grouped in with them. We all know that there are some good people in the higher ranks but the administration that governs them forces them to comply. Maybe I'm just still fed up!

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget the root of the problem. We are dealing with the political constituency that elects a Congressional Representative who thinks the island of Guam will tip over and capsize if too many people occupy one end. They also elect the BOC and CEO. If they continue to elect and tolerate the foolishness that results, the PD will continue to be treated like a footstool by Decatur.

Anonymous said...

Chief O'brien and Director Miller, for the officers and men and women of this department to know you stand for us and not against us it goes along way by staying connected to those you lead (uniform)! If you are out of sight and never seen except when the camera is rolling or some big event it appears you don't care and you're part of the problem. Chief O'Brien the chiefs meeting with the officer's are great big sometimes it better hearing from the top than the messenger! Director Miller I don't know where you stand when it comes to any issue about our current issues.

Anonymous said...

Once again you dont know crap! They are not looking to rehire the retirees, the reserve program is almost complete but the "law dept" has been the hold up. Stop posting on here till you have your facts straight.. Half of of are damn problems are in are department and hold the rank of MPO or LOWER! Those of us looking for other jobs, because of people that been hired in the last 5 yrs think you know it all.

Foghorn Leghorn said...

Well, now listen hear boy, I say.. I for one have a problem with this due to the fact if the county has money to hire back officers then why are we being forced to take furlough days...before any one is brought back the furloughs need to end. It's absolutely a slap in the face to expect us to accept this garbage....I for one am tired of the slide of hand crap going on. If there is money available to pay for this then the first priority would be to end all the furloughs....not only are these guys collecting their retirement checks from the pension but they also are going to collect a pay check from the county...bull$hit!!!! The FOP needs to step up and help stop this in justice....but I would guess some of you would have no problem with this... It smells like $hit to me....

Anonymous said...

How many years now has the reserve program been held up in the law department? 10, 15?

Enough B.S. already. Wiz should be at the next commissioners meeting, on camera, asking the ommissioners why it's taking so long?

After all, the folks in the law department are county employees. Not our fault they can't make it in private practice.

Anonymous said...

"Half of of are damn problems are in are department and hold the rank of MPO or LOWER! Those of us looking for other jobs, because of people that been hired in the last 5 yrs think you know it all."


Phheeew! Glad I was hired 6 years ago! :)

Anonymous said...

Attention DeKalb County Board of Commissioners,

This county-wide program to rehire retired employees is not cost-effective and you are not serving the citizens of DeKalb County well with this program.

Your program also includes rehiring retired officers though included in your no-pay holiday/furloughs includes current officers. Think about it for a moment. This year (2010), you saved yourselves about $1,680.00 by furloughing me and with the no-pay holiday program. And at my pay rate you may save yourselves up to $4,560.00 next year at a possible 19 days of furlough. For both years, that is $6,240.00 in actual and speculated savings. Yet, you want to rehire retired officers at what I understand might be approximately $17.00/hr. And let's say a minumum of 20 hours/week per part-time retired officer considering a 10-hr day. And, as I understand it, the ordinance you passed allows for a maximum of three years part-time employment by retirees. So, you will pay the retired part-time officer approximately $340.00/week for 20 hours. There are 52 weeks in a year. That is a potential part-time annual income for the retired, pension-receiving, part-time officer of $17,680. In three years it is $53,040.00.

(Tap, tap, tap!) Y'all still with me? Pay close attention now.

In one year, my full-time benefits you pay me include 70% of my medical/dental. I realize that. But, you also pay that same benefit to the retirees. So, no added savings there of a retiree versus me. Now, you will pay me a benefit of 19 days vacation and 10 holidays (I hope) which should equal about $696.00 that you won't have to pay the part-time retiree. $696.00 x 2 years = $1,392.00. I haven't lost you yet, have I? Now add to that your previously realized savings of taking away my pay as illustrated above, $6,240.00, and you get $7,632.00. Though you will save yourselves over said two year period $7,632.00 combined (by taking away my $6,240.00 of pay away and not having to pay my vacation/holiday benefit to a part-time retiree ($1,392.00), you are willing to pay up to $53,040 over three years for a part-time retiree.

PAY ATTENTION CLASS! BOC! THIS IS SOME REALLY INTERESTING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARITHMETIC!

$53,040 (3yr p/t cost)
-$ 7,632 (potential savings)
--------
$45,408 (ADDED COST!!!!!!)

BOC, you say you can't afford us current employees and therefore have to furlough us.

BULLSHIT!

Tell me, please tell us all, how does this compare? By my numbers, you can't. You are not saving, or better yet saving the DeKalb County taxpayers, any money to furlough any of us only to rehire retired employees part-time who already are receiving their pension and who you are also paying contribution to their medical/dental benefit. While maintaining necessary county services! And, regarding the police department, that is already well below what we should have in the first place. The retired, part-time officers won't be working the street or investigating cases. They are not going to be placed back in the line of fire? Hell no! And they are not going to be investigating cases that may span several days, weeks, or even months? No, no, no. Completely impractical. Do you really think rehired retirees will really care about doing a good job? Really? You're crazy and naive if you do. They have nothing to lose. Remember, they already retired to get the hell out of here in the first place because of you!

So, forget about paying others what you say you cannot afford to pay the ones you already have. BULLSHIT! You need to take care of the career-minded, experienced officers (and other county employees) you still have to maintain some semblance of a police department that might still have hope someday preferably sooner than later of making a positive difference in DeKalb County's society.

Sincerely,
An Experienced DeKalb County Police Officer/Detective.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:04,

Thanks for the eye-opening breakdown. But, some of your numbers are a bit off. Your monetary benefit at your pay rate considering 19 days vacation plus 10 paid holidays should be more like $13,920 (for two years) using your numbers. Then add to that the BOC's savings ($6,240 over two years at it appears your rate) would equal $20,160.

But, don't worry. I understand your point and now others should as well with this clarity. $20,160 is still $32,880 less compared to a part-time retiree at $53,040.

Stay safe!
A Fellow Officer