Whoever said, “A few bad apples can bring the whole place down” knew what they were talking about. Here’s one story that certainly reinforces the that notion. According to The Boston Globe, 20 Massachuetts State Troopers are being investigated for theft of overtime pay. Reporters Mark Arsenault, Travis Andersen, and Shelley Murphy write: “In another black […]
Archive for October, 2016
Great Speech from 1980
“It is fitting that on Labor Day, we meet beside the waters of New York harbor, with the eyes of Miss Liberty on our gathering and in the words of the poet whose lines are inscribed at her feet, “The air bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Through this “Golden Door,” under the gaze of […]
NYC too dangerous for DNC
The union representing NYPD sergeants warned the Democratic National Committee against holding its 2016 convention in Brooklyn, issuing an open letter that doubled as a broadside against a mayoral administration with which some officers have grown increasingly frustrated. In the letter, addressed to the group Mayor Bill de Blasio wooed during its visit to New […]
Reason Magazine slams police unions
You know how hard you work in negotiations to get your members a decent deal and at least some protection should the crap hit the fan? Well it turns out that makes you the bad guy. If not the cops’ fault- it’s the associations fault. Of all the anti-worker rags out there, especially when it […]
Here are our demands
Pittsburgh officials want city police officers to reduce overtime, pass physical fitness exams and continue living in the city. Tim McNulty, spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto, would not comment on the 25-point proposal that seeks to change officers’ duty locations based on performance, cut two paid holidays and task supervisors from other agencies with determining […]
Tweet fight is on!
Police labor associations can be kingmakers in Texas politics, electing mayors and now and then, a Tarrant County state senator. At 30, state Rep. Jonathan Stickland of Bedford has taken an unusual political approach to police groups. To him, they’re “union thugs.” In one of the more entertaining Twitter exchanges lately, Stickland took a cyberswing […]
Deal reached in L.A.
Los Angeles officials said they have reached an agreement to resolve a union lawsuit over the pay provided to nearly 1,000 police officers hired since 2010. The settlement with the Los Angeles Police Protective League would end a 2012 lawsuit alleging that department recruits had received erroneous salary information. Stephen Silver, an attorney for the […]
Voters say pensions too “generous”
Asked how to make up the pension shortfall, almost half New Jersey voters say public worker pensions are too high. But they are divided on how to fix the pension’s problem. A Quinnipiac University poll shows 47 percent of voters think public pensions are too high, 9 percent think they fare too low. But only […]
He’s in your corner
After Dallas police officers pull the trigger, they pick up the phone. And Bob Gorsky — the man who helped them get the right to counsel after a shooting — and his colleagues at Lyon, Gorsky, Gilbert & Livingston are still answering the call. Since he got to Dallas 40 years ago, Gorsky, 61, has […]
No training, no access
More than 100 Dallas police officers currently lack access to computer databases that display criminal information because they haven’t completed required training, according to the city’s police department. Officers use the databases to check criminal histories and outstanding warrants, Dallas television station WFAA reported. The computer catalogues also show vehicles registered as stolen. Dallas Police […]
Too hot for TV
The San Antonio Police Officers Association released a video on Facebook Thursday blasting City Manager Sheryl Sculley and city council for the negotiations with the city in the on-going collective bargaining fight. SAPOA President Mike Helle outlined new mission objectives for the city. The city has pushed for San Antonio cops and firefighters to be […]
Bad plan Rham
Police union leaders on Monday urged Mayor Rahm Emanuel to modify his plan to assign 40 state troopers on 30-day loan to Chicago to serve fugitive warrants to get known criminals off the street. Dean Angelo, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 representing Chicago Police Officers, and Mike Powell, president of the FOP’s […]
Mayor should listen to police scanner
In Illinois, the head of the Springfield Police Officers Association is encouraging Mayor Bob Stephens and City Councilman Doug Burlison to “to turn on a scanner every once in a while.” Following Stephens’ comments to the News-Leader on Wednesday that the prioritization of funding additional officers at the possible expense of other city departments “is […]
Treasurer treachery
In California, A former Arcadia police officer pleaded no contest Friday to stealing nearly $42,000 from a police association while serving as treasurer, using the money to buy such items as cigars and motorcycle parts. Christian E. Blesch, 36, pleaded no contest to one count of grand theft by embezzlement and was set to be […]
They haven’t paid us yet
In Rhode Island, the local chapter of the F.O.P. in Providence is continuing to battle the city on issuing festival permits to groups with outstanding detail debts, this time taking the administration to task for a communication providing for the Department of Tourism to issue permits. An email sent on August 4 from city solicitor […]
Throwing in the towel
In Wisconsin, the state’s largest police union has dropped its challenge to Gov. Scott Walker’s public union restrictions, ending the last legal fight over the contentious prohibitions. The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Association filed a lawsuit in 2012 alleging the restrictions violated its right to free speech, association and equal protection. A Dane County judge dismissed […]
Olive branch extended
In Louisiana, Monroe Police Union President Michael Calloway said he plans to offer Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo “an olive branch” in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday following a fractious week between the rank and file and administration. “Right now we’re just trying to see if we can extend an olive branch and sit back down […]
Still understaffed
In Ohio, the South Euclid police union is accusing the city administration of understaffing the police department, despite a safety-forces tax voters approved last November. In an ad in Thursday’s Sun Messenger, the South Euclid Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #80 said that “safety and security is not the priority of city leaders,” as the […]
We’re not trying to get rid of the guy
The leaders of the Dallas Police Association said Tuesday that they aren’t looking to oust Chief David Brown despite group members’ complaints about low morale within the department. In a meeting with The Dallas Morning News’ editorial board, DPA president Ron Pinkston and vice presidents Frederick Frazier and Michael Mata detailed what they believe are […]
A decent proposal
In Maryland, Republican Larry Hogan is pledging to eliminate the state income tax on law enforcement pensions, if he is elected governor. Hogan is making the proposal Tuesday. He is speaking to the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police in Solomons, Maryland. Hogan’s campaign estimates the proposal would cost about $10 million annually. He believes the […]
Where’s my pension?
Here’s the deal – unions and pensions have been under attack for decades by the forces of Wall St. and wealthy individuals like the Kochs and Pete Peterson. They have had way more success in terms of union busting and pension elimination in the private sector than the public sector. Today less than 10 percent […]
Just the facts ma’am
Michael B. Campbell, President of Baltimore Fire Officers Local 964makes an impassioned plea to the city to respect the contract. To the editor: I was not surprised to read the view of The Sun’s editorial board in “End the pension fight” (Aug. 8), but your facts are incorrect. The police and fire unions made a […]
Connect with us
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.