Still waiting. While private sector unions have withered, police unions have flourished, supported by Democrats, who champion labor rights, and Republicans, who champion law and order. The Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service is responsible for overseeing personnel actions taken by some 241 employing jurisdictions including towns, school districts, villages, library districts, water districts, etc. 2. GL. The money was taken from the sewer fund by voter referendum last year to fill shortfalls in the county's general fund. Last September, it also collected tens of thousands of dollars from Long Island businesses, including two $10,000 checks from construction and maintenance companies, which super PACs are allowed to do. Yet that corrupt operation was intimately connected to the police unions that he and so many other politicians have been forced to make peace with by election time. According to a financial impact statement released from the county executives office Monday, the deal could cost $192 million for both unions and result in $195 million in savings. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. Detectives promoted before 2013 will keep their four-step system. But there are also far too many cases of police officers who abuse their positions and are protected by powerful police unions. Theres nothing in ours that nobody else has, Gallagher said. Under the agreement, county employees will pay 2% of their salaries toward health coverage, which will increase incrementally until reaching 2.5%, county officials said. The Suffolk County Detectives Association contract will increase base salaries from $58.6 million total in 2019 to $65.7 million in 2024, county officials said. The root of the evil is the money.. And being that Im already LE, which villages dont require you to go through the academy again? Police statements about Mr. Lazos death contained obvious falsehoods and omissions, according to Fred Brewington, a lawyer who has been fighting for years to bring a civil suit on behalf of Mr. Lazos estate to court. Natalie Wright, of Central Islip, as economic development commissioner. Lawmakers in Albany worked up the courage to repeal 50-a, a state statute that prohibited the release of police officers personnel records. Mr. Trotta watched the rollout on Zoom at his office desk in Smithtown. The total cash compensation, which includes bonus, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $60,181 to $70,139 with the average total cash compensation of $64,407. Fiscal conservatives and liberal activists both want to curb the power of police unions in Suffolk County. from the Suffolk County Park Police Department pursuant to the September 30, 2014 memorandum Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Ryhan's Center of Hope, Inc. We wanted a structural change to how policing works. Those figures do not include other pay benefits, such as overtime and longevity pay. Some costs might be offset throughlinking salaries for detectives hired after 2012 to police officer salaries, according to budget review. All rights reserved. Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. In 2012, he flew to Costa Rica to testify in court in a money-laundering case. At the time, those costs represented 15% of the total county budget. 0000000016 00000 n Gonzalez said he is working on amending the bill, which failed to pass in the legislature last year, with Legis. On March 11, the county unveiled its long-awaited plan for police reform. That case revealed a stunning indifference on the part of police officers. Transcripts of the public safety meetings in that era are full of county legislators praising the chief. Backed by the union, the district attorney and the county executive, Mr. Burke seemed untouchable. They also approved a healthcare cost-sharing agreement with the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees (SCOPE), a consortium of all 11 county employee unions. One got voted out, but the other, James Gaughran, survived. Box 1500 My program includes push ups and sit ups every class and tons of upper body strength training. Nowhere is that dynamic more clear than in Suffolk County, N.Y. Its a place where the residents are well off, crime is relatively low and the Police Department has made national news for a huge corruption scandal. Send us a letter to the editor instead. SMITHTOWN, N.Y. Rob Trotta, a cranky Republican county legislator on Long Island who worked as a cop for 25 years, might be the unlikeliest voice for police reform in America. In every conversation, he found a way to bring it back to Jimmy Burke, one told me. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of the Police Departments Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of Payroll Procedures, Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency (TPVA), A Performance Audit of TPVA's Revenues Reported to the County, A Performance Audit of the Resurrection House, Inc. The revelation that officers lied shocked many on Long Island. The fee may also be waivedif you are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household and for recipients of Medicaid, SSI, Public Assistance or those in a training program under the Job Training 41 0 obj <> endobj xref Photographs by Getty Images. You should say what I say: We would love to pay them $500,000 a year, but we just cant afford it, he told them. Chief Deputy County AttorneyLynne Bizzarro will become acting county attorney. 0000000960 00000 n Without that extra spending, Mr. Trotta said, We could have done the roads. Please help support the brave men and women of the Deputy Sheriffs PBA and the great work they do for the people of Suffolk County! Under the agreement, county employees will pay 2% of their salaries toward health coverage, which will increase incrementally until reaching 2.5%, county officials said. Giving a paramilitary force the right to collective bargaining would undermine the military chain of command, they argued. Mr. Trotta was skeptical: What if a mentally ill person turns violent on a dime?. Fred Brewington, the lawyer who has been fighting for 12 years for justice since the beating death of Kenny Lazo, the Black motorist, took notice when Commissioner Hart acknowledged racial disparities in police stops. The six-year PBA deal will result in the lowest police raises in decades, averaging at 1.8%. Officials estimate the health care agreement will save taxpayers $40 million next year, with the potential to save more in the future. A task force set up to produce the reform plan held community listening sessions through video chats. The Office helps facilitate each County departments mission, protects the interests of the County and its taxpayers, and promotes fairness in contracting with the business community. He said some elected officials visibly stiffened when police union representatives walked into county meetings. But they agreed that the police budget was bloated. Mr. McCarthy told me that most police officers dont pay attention to the union and that some resent the insular group that runs it. The very first bill Mr. Trotta presented required all officers above the rank of captain to have a bachelors degree and be free of complaints about civilian abuse or moral turpitude requirements that Chief Burke, who did not have a college degree, did not meet. This is a good thing, he said, gesturing at the meeting on his screen. Dr. Gregson Pigott, of Greenlawn,as health commissioner. Anyone hear the same? In Suffolk County, the police unions wield outsize influence. The newest contract followsthe Police Benevolence Association and Superior Officers Association contracts, union president David Gallagher said. 852-4211. But he could not get rid of the dirty police chief. The top base salary will be$174,000 a year by 2024, up from $155,000, Gallagher said. There are 1,518,475 people living in the County of Suffolk. Isgho Votre ducation notre priorit . National Police Week: Event Link. Mr. Spota was once a police union lawyer. 0000001377 00000 n Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service, https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service, If this is your first visit be sure to check out the frequently asked questions by clicking here. Really curious how the scores will play out on this exam compared to others, Copyright 1996-2021, Officer Media Group, Endeavor Business Media - Public Safety Interactive. Samuel Gonzalezs (D-Brentwood) bill, based on similar legislation in 63 California municipalities, would prohibit smoking in units. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. From what I understand only the cognitive ability portion of the exam allowed for unanswered questions. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Never Alone Never Afraid, Inc. This page was generated at 08:27 PM. Please click here for access to Suffolk County Bonfire Portal: https://suffolkcountyny.bonfirehub.com/. Wondering if it will effect the amount of High scorers there usually is. A member of the union sat on the reform task force. They lied like rugs, he told me. Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller, Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive Riverhead, NY 11901, Office Hours: Late Thursday, as hailed in this space, Mayor de Blasio finally made a decisive moveor at least seemed to make a movein the direction of actually saving some money on labor costs by getting tough with a powerful (and powerfully self-entitled) municipal union. To be honest with you, Mr. Gaughran told me, it was very effective in generating volunteers.. I went from the pinnacle of law enforcement to the basement, he told me. In many cases, reform plans are rolled out by the same politicians who once cozied up to police unions to get elected. Base salary: Base salaries shall be increased as follows: Effective January I, 2019 Effective January I, 2020 Effective January 1, 2021 . Thank you to Congressman Garbarino, Assemblyman Gandolfo and Students! But its not getting at this, he declared, holding up printouts about the unions political donations. The Suffolk County Office of Central Procurement oversees the Countys procurement processes. The lengths of the deals are themselves problematic. But it didnt shock the loved ones of Kenny Lazo, a Black man who got pulled over by Suffolk County officers in 2008 and wound up beaten to death in a case the medical examiner ruled a homicide. No union official has ever been charged. In 2019, when a local paper asked Mr. Trotta what he had accomplished as a legislator, he replied: The chief of police went to jail and the district attorney has been indicted. A big heartfelt thank you to Congressman Garbarino, Assemblyman Gandolfo and students from all the schools in Congressional District 2 and Assembly District 7. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellonestandard practicefor New York public employers. The AME contract runs through December 2024 and the PBA and SCOPE deals run through December 2025. All other unions received new contracts in 2019 or early 2020. Those contracts, however, were never filed with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), as required by state regulations, nor were they posted on the county website. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. If one person smokes in the building, everyone smokes, said Paulette Orlando, who works for the American Lung Association Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island. With those generous salaries, the citizens of Suffolk County have paid for what should be world-class law enforcement. Its hard to imagine a starker illustration of the need to reinvent policing. Mr. Bellone also announced new contracts with the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association and the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees. New York State Police Memorial Service: 1 PM on Tuesday, May 7th at the Empire State Plaza, Albany. He was named detective of the year. 41 18 The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellone, That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. United For Justice In Policing Long Island, VisionMissionGuidingPrinciples Our HistoryThe Problem, In The NewsAnnouncementsEvents / RalliesFood For ThoughtDid You KnowPolling. Even those who disdain Mr. Trotta acknowledge that he has a point when it comes to the money. Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. 0000004429 00000 n I thought, this is a great way to get back at them: Ill become their boss, Mr. Trotta told me. All times are GMT-6. Lawmakers waived a county charter-required seven-day waiting period to vote on the deals before more details emerged or could be scrutinized, and approved each measure nearly unanimously. Bellone, who is running for a third term this year, issued a news release claiming the deals together secure $40 million dollars in new health care savings and result in the lowest level of raises for Police Officers in decades. But his office produced no details to support this claim before he sent the measure to county legislators for approval. The police run the county., Less than a year after he was appointed police chief, Mr. Burke beat up a heroin addict who had stolen a duffle bag full of sex toys out of his SUV. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Similar Job Titles: Ms. Kaufman thought Mr. Trotta might support the plan. Under section 17 of the AME MOA, the county has committed to pay into a union trust that would provide retiree health benefits only to members in good standing. Under the states exclusive representation rules, a public employer cannot confer a special benefit specifically on those workers who choose to pay union dues. No academy, most hire residents primarily some go alphabetically ie lloyd harbor. Isle of Wight County. The PBA MOA modified a2012 MOA, which modified terms set in a2010 arbitration award, which were based on a2004 contract. The problem is, if you make $40,000, thats 10% of your entire salary, he said. Legislators and residents also debated bills that would restrict smoking in apartment, condo and co-op buildings to limit secondhand smoke. Since then, the average salaries of the police and firefighters have risen far faster than other government employees, and well above the rate of inflation, according to E.J. Everyone should be able to breathe freely in their own home.. In either case, the county will have a hard time getting employees to pay more for an expense thats jumped more than 40 percent in six years. trailer <]/Prev 215076>> startxref 0 %%EOF 58 0 obj <>stream I have a feeling its going to be like Nassau where people where people were disappointed with their grades. While every contract is the result of negotiation that will leave either side wanting more, this is a fair contract and moves our county forward, Suffolk AME president Dan Levler said in a statement. The DSPBA is asking for your support so that we may continue to provide many community based programs and events. Ithaca Mayor wants to Abolish the Police! H[k0 /Pd]ABG}X&JqN%g$efYEysMKQD2,HCa8Zdhv4A]_(;8("ZaNshHT9;2n:]o(GApuQ_sqH,|-%Ti$8oDB0HpmTg9KMq`. The Suffolk County Legislature approved a new police detectives contract Tuesday that will cost the county an additional $40 million whilegiving 11.25% raises over six years. If, for any reason, you can not access, view or download these listings, please contact PERB at 518-457-2676 and arrangements will be made to provide them to you. The activists saw racism as the reason people in Black and Latino communities got stopped at higher rates. Members of the 175th Suffolk police recruit class celebrated their graduation Thursday. With the legislatures vote Tuesday to approve the detective investigators contract, all the countys nine bargaining units have contracts that will expire at the end of 2024. The officers who saw the beating were too afraid to talk. He was impressed. Mr. Trotta talks about politics as broken because police unions donations have been able to purchase deference from politicians, leading to unsustainable salary increases. Hes a potent messenger, since he cant be smeared as anti-cop. In June 2019, while in office, the prior presiding officer of the Suffolk Co. legislature claimed that he was threatened by corrupt individuals, that he spoke with the FBI about corruption in Suffolk Co. and that the FBI acknowledged it. In November, the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation spent nearly $500,000 attacking two state senators who had voted for the repeal. Jun 2017 - Aug 20181 year 3 months. He made me realize it was even worse than Id thought, one of the Democratic Socialists, a 25-year-old from Setauket named Hannah Erhart, told me. A longstanding prohibition on police officers soliciting political donations from the public remains on the books, but appears to be rarely enforced. He was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to a year in confinement. Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.
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