41 0 obj <> endobj xref All rights reserved. Since the killing of George Floyd, the push to rein in the police has gained public support across the country, as liberal activists demand sweeping changes to policing and greater accountability for officers who commit crimes. 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. New Docs Raise Big Questions About NYs Megafab Mega-Deal, Firefighter-rights bill torches local control, Still-Unreleased Union Deal Rains Cash on State Workers, Thanks to Unions, NYCs School Reopening Deal Was Costly and Educationally Hazardous, With State Officials Freeze Through 2023, More Reason To Ice All Government Pay, De Blasios (Apparent) Good Move Dissolves Into Phony Savings. Yes. This is a good thing, he said, gesturing at the meeting on his screen. Isle of Wight County. It took time to understand the corrupt operation that existed in this county, Mr. Bellone told the hosts of the podcast. 0000004429 00000 n Dr. Gregson Pigott, of Greenlawn,as health commissioner. Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises areguaranteedto materialize. 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. The total cost of the contractwas not available Tuesday night. But the union kept collecting special assessments of $1 a day from officers, which eventually funded the super PAC they established, the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. The county had been considering asking employees to pay 15% of their total health care costs. 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. But he stayed on the video call long enough to hear his new friend Tim Karcich, a 32-year-old Democratic Socialist from Centereach, rattle off a bunch of demands, from reducing the publics contact with police officers to establishing a reparations fund for police victims. 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. Mr. Bellone appointed him anyway, after Mr. Spota vouched for Mr. Burke. And a bipartisan group of legislators announced they reached an agreementon Ban the Box legislation, which would restrict employers from asking about criminal histories in job applications. Other politicians, particularly those allied with Mr. Bellone, call Mr. Trotta a toxic character, a bomb-thrower, a hypocrite or a loon. New York State Police Memorial Service: 1 PM on Tuesday, May 7th at the Empire State Plaza, Albany. Mr. Trotta had loved being a cop. `H VY. The Hochul Administration published a pair of documents concerning the Micron Megafab deal that raise more questions than they answer. His new job? A longstanding prohibition on police officers soliciting political donations from the public remains on the books, but appears to be rarely enforced. Anyone hear the same? We will prob hear late November/December hopefully! Lawmakers in Albany worked up the courage to repeal 50-a, a state statute that prohibited the release of police officers personnel records. Nor did it surprise activists who demanded justice for Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean migrant who was stabbed to death by high school students. That produces an immediate reduction in costs for the county, but still leaves taxpayers absorbing future cost increases. 41 18 The Suffolk County Legislature approved a new police detectives contract Tuesday that will cost the county an additional $40 million while giving 11.25% raises over six years. There are 1,700 police officers in Suffolk County. 0000002313 00000 n An Audit of the Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk, Inc. An Audit of the Independent Group Home Living, Inc. (IGHL). Suffolk's questionable contracts - Empire Center for Public Policy Instead, it got a police chief, James Burke, who went to prison in 2016 for running the department like a mafia boss. Just giving my best advice for anyone that will take it, Civil Service has removed the old eligible list from their websiteexpect the new one soon, They usually post it before Christmas. All other unions received new contracts in 2019 or early 2020. Suffolk CO to NYPD is pretty dumb unless you had to be a cop. 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. That scandal, which led to the conviction of the powerful district attorney, Thomas Spota, who was scheduled to be sentenced this month, and the head of his anti-corruption unit underscored how easy it can be for cops and politicians to get in bed together and turn law enforcement into a system of political favors and personal vengeance. Even those who disdain Mr. Trotta acknowledge that he has a point when it comes to the money. We strive to keep Suffolk County a safe and thriving place to live and work by aiding our members in their vocation as Suffolk County Police . The newest contract followsthe Police Benevolence Association and Superior Officers Association contracts, union president David Gallagher said. He contends the payments were not voluntary, as required. On March 11, the county unveiled its long-awaited plan for police reform. To be honest with you, Mr. Gaughran told me, it was very effective in generating volunteers.. Suffolk County Police Department - Wikipedia Union leaders always outlast them. Previously, there was a second tier of top pay that Mr. Kaiman said likely would not have made it through arbitration. the old exam expires when the list for the new exam is established. Eventually, he got on an F.B.I. New Yorks most populous suburban county has just ratified a trio of labor deals with its largest unionsand, in the process, showcased some of the worst aspects of collective bargaining across the state. This is great. Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. The money was taken from the sewer fund by voter referendum last year to fill shortfalls in the county's general fund. I believe that it is illegal and its unethical, Mr. McCarthy said of the $1-a-day political assessment that was taken out of his paycheck and sent to the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. Protesters began demanding that politicians stop taking money from the police. Curious to hear some of your weekly routines to stay sharp for the PAT, It was said on another forum it would be 2 weeks prior to Christmas we would be mailed results. Ms. Kaufman thought Mr. Trotta might support the plan. They helped organize and create the making of over 3,000 Valentine cards for our heroes who serve and protect us. (Mr. Bellone argued that an arbitrator would have given them more.) Spoke with my trainer he knows I need to stay in shape to do the PAT. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) abstaining. These agreements represent a major milestone that protect the taxpayer and are fair to the hardworking men and women who ensure our public safety and help operate county government, Mr. Bellone said in a statement. Our mission is to make New York a better place to live and work by promoting public policy reforms grounded in free-market principles, personal responsibility, and the ideals of effective and accountable government. Was browsing through the site and saw that lottery result for. Tom Cilmis (R-Bay Shore) bill would restrict smoking in building common areas. Building Design & Construction. In the 1960s, a series of debilitating public sector strikes across New York persuaded lawmakers to pass the Taylor Law, which outlawed strikes but granted access to a labor-friendly board that resolved disputes. A member of the union sat on the reform task force. At Suffolk County's widest point the distance from the Long Island Sound to the Southern shore is only 26 miles. Now people in the county are watching the reform process play out, to see whether thats still true. Members of the 175th Suffolk police recruit class celebrated their graduation Thursday. Gonzalez said he is working on amending the bill, which failed to pass in the legislature last year, with Legis. 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. Retha Fernandez,project director for the State of Black Long Island Equity Council, will work todiversify the workforce, Bellone announced in December. 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. 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. CO make more than a nypd cop..safer and just a better job (done both) corrections out suffolk is a great job,,easy work if you can even call it work 97k without OT and bonus's is around 110k with new contract(12 years) downfall vs NYPD is 25 years to retire instead of 20. Some costs might be offset throughlinking salaries for detectives hired after 2012 to police officer salaries, according to budget review. What scores do they usually go for? 0000001377 00000 n Albany, NY 12224, Phone: 518-434-3100 Other unions didnt get that. I wonder if we can talk about creating an effort for a non-police response that could be as safe or safer, and maybe even cheaper, she told him in a conversation she later recounted to me. After a quarter of a century as a cop, Mr. Trotta found it hard to believe that any plan would significantly change how the police operate. Shes a Riverhead native and 2015 graduate of Arcadia University. This is the first Ive taken of this exam. In 2020, the average base salary for detective investigators who worked the full year was $134,292 and their total pay averaged $161,747, including overtime and other pay benefits, according to a budget review office report. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Brighter Tomorrows, Inc. LIU is the only university on Long Island with a veterinary medicine school. It amounted to more than $200 million over the life of the contract, when the county was already in debt. Wow this scared me for a second. May 20, 2019 | Newsday Suffolk County police officers on Monday overwhelmingly ratified a new six-year contract that will raise the pay of officers with 15 years on the job to more than $200,000 a year by 2024 when overtime and benefits such as longevity are factored in. SeeThroughNY :: Contracts The bathroom in his office is decorated with rows of articles from the Long Island newspaper Newsday about corruption in the 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. trailer <]/Prev 215076>> startxref 0 %%EOF 58 0 obj <>stream Corruption continues to cast a particularly dark shadow over Suffolk County. Mr. Trotta was skeptical: What if a mentally ill person turns violent on a dime?. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's Social Media. It has not only a PAC, but also a super PAC that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on local elections. This lottery was done in 2019 for people who took the Spanish speaking test in 2016 and scored an 85. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of The Suffolk County STOP-DWI Program, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, A Limited Scope Audit of the Surplus County-Owned Real Estate Auction Held on October 22 & 23, 2019, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, Suffolk County Department of Public Works Capital Projects, Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, A Performance Audit of the Administration of Sweet Hills Stables, Inc. License Agreement, A Performance Audit of Small Scale Construction Bids, A Compilation and Analysis of Contract Agency Disclosure Form Data, Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation, A Performance Audit of the Administration of Requests for Proposals and Awarding of License Agreements, A Performance Audit of the Probation Departments Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of the Administration of License Agreements, A Performance Audit of The Sheriff Offices Forfeiture Funds, An Audit of the Suffolk County Sheriff Offices Civil Bureau. Most notably, the AME deal contains language that likely wont hold up in court. Fiscal conservatives and liberal activists both want to curb the power of police unions in Suffolk County. 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. 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. Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda on a variety of family and criminal law topics, including custody and visitation, neglect . Ms. Stockman is a member of the editorial board. Departments > Public Works > Bids and Contracts. Police officers testified that they feared for their families safety or that theyd be framed for crimes if they blew the whistle on their boss. 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. 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. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. But there were moments that felt inspiring and new. 2020 through December 15, 2020, AEM 2020-19 Coverage and Dependent Eligibility Audit (1) 8.4.20, AEM 2020-18 EMHP Tele-medicine Provider (1) 7.31.20, AEM 2020-14 Out-of-Network Annual Physical Changes (1) 5.22.20, AEM 2020-13 COVID-19 EMHP COVERAGE CHANGES (1) 4.24.20, AEM 2020-06 Tele-Medicine - Coronavirus (1) 3.13.20, AEM 2020-06 Part 2 ADHC_coronavirus_stop_the_spread 2 (1), AEM 2020-01 EMHP Important Change to your Acupuncture & Occupational Therapy Benefits 1.29.20, Eligibility Audit for Coverage and Dependents 8/04/20, Prescription Reimbursement PBA Benefit Fund, Important Information Regarding the Cyber Attack, Outside Resource: LEO Support Group offered as a resource to SCPD officers, Self-Care Videos- Exercise, Yoga, Meditation, Time Managment Technique and Goal Setting. No union official has ever been charged. The revelation that officers lied shocked many on Long Island. The vote for the new contract was 16-0, with Legis. All rights reserved. Press@EmpireCenter.org. Top-step base pay is $181,969 and will rise at least once a year, according to a copy of the contract. When he talks about race, he sounds like hes stuck in the 1980s. Eventually, one guy told the truth. 0000001156 00000 n Jordan Mitchell - Assistant General Counsel - SUFFOLK COUNTY - LinkedIn 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil - 8 PM on May 13th at the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets, NW. I was reading the county charter about what a legislator does. 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. 31-2022 Change in Mental Health Providers, Annual Notice of Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, AEM 25-2021 EMHP - Important Changes Regarding Infusion Site of Care, AEM 23-2021 EMHP 24/7 NurseLine & Sydney Health App, AEM 05-2021 Extended Weekly Schedule for Drive-Through Rapid testing.pd, SPECIALIST CO-PAYMENTS AND OUT-OF-NETWORK DEDUCTIBLE FOR MEDICAL/SURGICAL BENEFITS, IN-NETWORK PROVIDERS UTILIZING OUT-OF-NETWORK LABS, HEALTH BENEFITS ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD October 15. 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. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Ryhan's Center of Hope, Inc. We wanted a structural change to how policing works. Detective investigators will receive 1.5% raises in January 2024 and in July 2024. The activists behind The Peoples Plan put out a statement that lauded parts of the countys plan, but criticized the lack of a civilian review board or outside investigators for complaints against the police. The 345-member union made the same significant concessions that those law enforcement unions did, including capping sick time and longevity pay, he said. Theres some truth to that. Suffolk is an extreme version of the same problems that are elsewhere.. In 2008, when the county executive tried to cut costs by having the sheriffs department patrol the Long Island Expressway instead of the police, who earned more, about 2,000 police officers and their relatives joined a local political party to try to oust the sheriff. Suffolk County Government > Departments > Public Works > Bids and Contracts. Legis. During the first half of the 20th century, police unions were rare, weak and lacked legal status, Aaron Bekemeyer, a Ph.D. student at Harvard who is writing his dissertation on the history of police unions, told me. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. 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. That super PAC is generally funded by contributions from law enforcement. 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. Gerard McCarthy, who recently retired as chief of operations for the Suffolk County Police Department, lauded Mr. Trotta for being the sole person willing to raise the issue of the police unions political donations. Anyone can read what you share. That means they are not adverse to having a very important conversation about policing.. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/opinion/police-suffolk-county-unions.html, Illustration by Erik Carter. PDF Memorandum of Agreement - SeeThroughNY Its sometimes said that the county doesnt run the police; the police run the county. Im not against people getting a cost-of-living increase, but they were getting three times the cost of living, Mr. Trotta told them of the raise that Mr. Bellones contract gave the police. 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. They cited political donations from the police union as the reason. According to officials, the deal maintains a 12-year schedule for police officers to receive top pay, which will now be the same for all officers. Copkiller Invited to Speak at Suny Brockport. Dennis Brown, of Huntington, will bedirector of the Real Property Tax Service Agency after serving as county attorney. 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. 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.

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