On August 4, 2012, a new police contract restored responsibility for patrolling the LIE and Sunrise Highway to the SCPD. The money was taken from the sewer fund by voter referendum last year to fill shortfalls in the county's general fund. Anyone hear the same? 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 County Legislature released a single-page analysis of top-line costs for each of the three deals, without providing a cost breakdown for specific provisions. For one thing, its hard to know just what lawmakers were agreeing to, because the AME and PBA contracts were memorandums of agreement that modified existing deals. There are more than 18,000 policing organizations in the United States. 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. Language in the SCOPE deal requires the parties to find additional savings to prevent the deal from expiring in 2023 or 2024 instead of 2025, but the countys only recourse from runaway costs will be reducing expenses through binding arbitration or moving employees to the New York State Health Insurance Plan. Looking to comment on this article? 0000006404 00000 n Hes a potent messenger, since he cant be smeared as anti-cop. 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. On November 20, 2012, the Highway Patrol Bureau resumed patrolling and answering all 911 calls for service . From what I understand only the cognitive ability portion of the exam allowed for unanswered questions. The phrase defund the police makes his skin crawl. 0000000960 00000 n Albany, NY 12224, Phone: 518-434-3100 That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. The bathroom in his office is decorated with rows of articles from the Long Island newspaper Newsday about corruption in the county. *The final vote count has not yet been posted but at least 16 of the 18 legislators voted for the three measures. May 20, 2019| NewsdaySuffolk County police officers on Monday overwhelminglyratified a new six-year contract that will raise the pay of officerswith 15 years on the job to more than $200,000 a year by 2024 when overtime and benefits such as longevity are factored in.In an online vote that ended at 5 p.m.Monday,1,344 of the 1,623 Police Benevolent Association members84 percent -- backed the agreement, said Noel DiGerolamo, PBA president.An email that went out to members Friday said compounded pay increases will total more than 13 percent by the end of the contract.The email said paywill exceed $200,000 when factors including,top step, night differential, holiday pay, seven worked holidays, cleaning [allowance], 15 year longevity[and] 150 hours of overtime are considered.The add-ons will bring pay to $201,651 for officers working the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift and the 4 p.m. to midnight shift, and $208,657 for those who work midnight until8 a.m. May 19, 2019| Ken Girardin | Empire Center. When he talks about race, he sounds like hes stuck in the 1980s. The county had been considering asking employees to pay 15% of their total health care costs. Now people in the county are watching the reform process play out, to see whether thats still true. 0000000897 00000 n County Executive Steve Bellones administration has said that the county wouldsave $40 million annually by requiring all employees to pay into their health care for the first time. The 2019 test *should* be a lot of hires due to new requirements of the new contract since the older members will not want to pay into their medical. Theres some truth to that. Click "Download Contract" to view the contract in PDF format. In the 1950s and 1960s, police unionists managed to convince a large part of the American public that their own safety depended on a strong police union. That produces an immediate reduction in costs for the county, but still leaves taxpayers absorbing future cost increases. The idea that the PSC would artificially drive electricity costs higher to benefit a political constituency represents a new low. But thats also true of the police. (383p00Ue@Aa#CS#in=`i L#" endstream endobj 42 0 obj <> endobj 43 0 obj <> endobj 44 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC]/XObject<>>> endobj 45 0 obj <> endobj 46 0 obj <> endobj 47 0 obj <>stream It was true. He couldnt get assigned to the public safety committee, even as a former police officer. The cards allow residents access to county parks and reduced fees for park activities. State law forbids the police from soliciting political donations from the public. Thus far, police benevolent associations have operated outside those restrictions. Ms. Kaufman felt hopeful about the mention of a three-tiered mental health crisis response and a 911 Call Diversion, although the plan contained few specifics. - Suffolk, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Haven House/Bridges, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit ofRyhans Center of Hope, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Mercy Center Ministries, Inc. It has not only a PAC, but also a super PAC that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on local elections. Some legislators joked about Mr. Trottas obsession with taking him down. 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. It amounted to more than $200 million over the life of the contract, when the county was already in debt. Photographs by Getty Images. But legislators have not had the guts to get rid of the provision. Tara Smith is a multimedia reporter who joined the Times Review Media Group in 2018, covering everything from local government and environmental issues to breaking news and features. Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller, Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive Riverhead, NY 11901, Office Hours: Base salary: Base salaries shall be increased as follows: Effective January I, 2019 Effective January I, 2020 Effective January 1, 2021 . The activists found his suggestions absurd. They lied like rugs, he told me. The six-year PBA deal will result in the lowest police raises in decades, averaging at 1.8%. Suffolk County Legislature Evans K. Griffing Building 300 Center Drive Riverhead, New York 11901 Phone: 631-852-1700 Fax: 631-852-1707 Directions Mr. Trotta watched the rollout on Zoom at his office desk in Smithtown. Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news. 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. In a statement, Suffolk PBA president Noel DiGerolamo said the deal was fair, while recognizing the fiscal realities of Suffolk County.. National Police Week: Event Link. Kathy Hochul fails to tie NY lawmaker raises to tougher bail law: sources, Man arrested for baseball bat attack on NYC sidewalk quickly released on bail, Ill-conceived bail reform laws have plunged New York into a state of chaos, Hochul ignored my bail reform pleas, police chief says in wake of Keaira Bennefield slay, Hochul defends bail reform, Zeldin talks up working with Dems at TV forum, Nassau PBA backs Zeldin as he repeats call for crime emergency to nix bail reform, Students and staff across the county wore blue to honor fallen officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, Police Making A Difference In Our Schools, PBA Responds to Newsday Supporting Corrupt Legislator Rob trotta, Protect Yourself from Under Insured Motorists, Updated Department Face Covering/Vaccination Policy 8/12/21, 05-2021 Extended Weekly Schedule for Drive-Through Rapid testing.pd, New Yorks discovery laws are DESIGNED to let criminals go free. About 75%of county employees, excluding sworn law enforcement officers, are white, which is not reflective of the county population, Bellones office said. 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. I thought, this is a great way to get back at them: Ill become their boss, Mr. Trotta told me. Current Audit Reports - Released in 2019 Contact: Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller: Phone: 631-853-5040 Email: douglas.sutherland@suffolkcountyny.gov H. Lee Dennison Building 100 Veterans Memorial Highway Hauppauge, NY 11788 Douglas Sutherland Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller Finance and Taxation: Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive Gonzalez said he is working on amending the bill, which failed to pass in the legislature last year, with Legis. 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. Amongst his other reprehensible conduct, Legislator Trotta threatened the Suffolk County Police Commissioner with a secret recording he made. 0000000656 00000 n Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) abstaining. He reminded them of Jimmy McNulty, the quirky detective from the TV show The Wire.. A few weeks later, three members of the Suffolk County Democratic Socialists of America visited Mr. Trottas office. Steve Bellone, the Suffolk County executive who appointed Mr. Burke, says he was fooled by Mr. Burke and Mr. Spota and turned against them when he discovered their criminal enterprise. He vows that a new day has dawned. That base pay does not include other pay benefits, such as overtime and longevity pay, which are expected to add thousands of dollars to salaries.The deal approved by the County Legislatures government operations committee Wednesday would ensure that superior officers are paid between 3.59% and 17.97% more than police officers, whom they supervise, documents show. 0000003124 00000 n trailer <]/Prev 215076>> startxref 0 %%EOF 58 0 obj <>stream Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's Social Media. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), who abstained on Tuesday'svote along with Legis. Then another. The top base salary will be$174,000 a year by 2024, up from $155,000, Gallagher said. On the other hand, maybe they hire lower scores. Copyright 2023 Newsday. While private sector unions have withered, police unions have flourished, supported by Democrats, who champion labor rights, and Republicans, who champion law and order. In other news, both the PBA and AME will soon issue endorsements in upcoming races for county executive and county legislature. A lot of cops knew what kind of guy Mr. Burke was. Emergency Housing Program, Suffolk County Department of Audict & Control, Registration of Nonprofit Veterans Organizations, A Performance Audit of Association for Mental Health and Wellness, Inc.'s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Federal Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of Single Audit Subrecipient Monitoring, Suffolk County District Attorneys Office, A Performance Audit of Adelante of Suffolk County, Inc. Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Program, A Performance Audit of Pathways to Recovery, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Pathways to Recovery, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of the Sheriff's Office Forfeiture Funds, Suffolk County Department of Probation, Department of Social Services, and Youth Bureau. 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. 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. Anyone know what day in January theyre going to release our grades? In 2019, more than 1,200 officers nearly half the force took home over $200,000 a year. H[k0 /Pd]ABG}X&JqN%g$efYEysMKQD2,HCa8Zdhv4A]_(;8("ZaNshHT9;2n:]o(GApuQ_sqH,|-%Ti$8oDB0HpmTg9KMq`. Terms of the 2019-2024 contract for the Suffolk County Detective Investigators Police Benevolent Association, which represents 51 detectives assigned to the county district attorney's office . Others say, As long as Im making $250,000 a year, I dont care.. Jun 2017 - Aug 20181 year 3 months. He touts a new district attorney who set up a conviction integrity bureau to investigate wrongful convictions. 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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. There might have been enough money, too, for the social workers the activists wanted. In the state of New York, police departments have been scrambling to adopt a reform plan by April 1, the deadline set by Gov. A task force set up to produce the reform plan held community listening sessions through video chats. Press Inquiries: 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. Ms. Kaufman thought Mr. Trotta might support the plan. The PBA MOA modified a 2012 MOA, which modified terms set in a 2010 arbitration award, which were based on a 2004 contract. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellonestandard practicefor New York public employers. He advised them to drop the word socialist from their name and avoid the phrase defund the police.. Theres nothing in ours that nobody else has, Gallagher said. But I dug around and found articles about the power of the Suffolk County police unions from the 1970s, long before it was legal for police officers to donate to political campaigns in New York. Suffolk County Probation Officers Association, Sufollk County Detective Investigator's PBA, National Association of Police Organizations. But they agreed that the police budget was bloated. Box 7113 Photographs by Getty Images. At Suffolk County's widest point the distance from the Long Island Sound to the Southern shore is only 26 miles. Fiscal conservatives and liberal activists both want to curb the power of police unions in Suffolk County. But that same logic beat back an attempt to unionize the American military. Also Tuesday, the legislature approved several key appointments, including: The legislature also approved the creation of a chief diversity officer for the first time. Yet Mr. Trotta has railed for years about the political influence of police unions in Suffolk County, Long Island, a place where the cops are known to wield exceptional clout. The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday night, with the countys Association of Municipal Employees (AME) and Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which together represent more than half of the county workforce. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. SCDSPBA Donation Page. Unless legislators were presented with all four documents, they had no way of seeing what they were actually committing to. Legis. The County negotiated a six-year agreement with the Suffolk County PBA that would result in the lowest level of raises for Police Officers in decades. The annual minimum contribution will be $1,500 and the maximum will be $3,750, increasing to $4,000 after five years. The Democratic and Republican candidates for the Suffolk County legislative seat currently held by Al Krupski have been selected. A whos who of leading environmental advocates joined elected officials in Riverhead last week to discuss and Long Island-wide 7555 Main Road Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news. The news is full of stories of the sacrifices police officers make, most recently the officer who lost his life responding to a mass shooting in Colorado. This lottery was done in 2019 for people who took the Spanish speaking test in 2016 and . A Performance Audit of Hope for Youth, Inc. A Performance Audit of H.E.L.P. He was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to a year in confinement. Legis. 0000004340 00000 n 217 members and 34093 guests. But his reasoning the police unions political donations caught the ear of an activist named Emily Kaufman. He was impressed. Sign up to receive updates about Empire Center research, news and events in your email. No retroactive raise is included for 2019. The legislature voted to allow Long Island University to use part of the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank for raising livestock and for agricultural education for students and the public. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Their union just reached a deal with County Executive Steve Bellone for a new, six-year contract that requires all county employees, including police, to contribute to their health care. That means the winners of the next two general elections for county legislature will already be committed to the terms. hb```a``:"N33 ?3+Pc*y-{0q;PIV1001$1$0& Qf,Q Ms. Kaufman and another organizer, Alexandra Saint-Laurent, were working on the part of The Peoples Plan that proposed the creation of an unarmed alternative to the police that would respond to 911 calls about homeless people, or drug overdoses or the mentally ill. Studies showed that social workers and counselors could produce far better outcomes than the police in such situations at a much lower cost. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Brighter Tomorrows, Inc. The Suffolk AME, which had been without a contract since January 2017, will receive an average raise of 1.5% each year through 2024, officials said. But they talked to him for three hours anyway. All rights reserved. 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. P.O. The annual minimum contribution will be $1,500 and the maximum will be $3,750, increasing to $4,000 after five years. 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. CreditIllustration by Erik Carter. Its sometimes said that the county doesnt run the police; the police run the county. But he could not get rid of the dirty police chief. Nor did it surprise activists who demanded justice for Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean migrant who was stabbed to death by high school students. Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. 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.
Masterforce Product Registration, Reagan High School Football Coaching Staff, Birmingham Police Jurisdiction Map, Articles S