|
Post by raphael on Dec 23, 2010 14:22:33 GMT -5
I know some cops that are going to be very pissed off about this..........
|
|
|
Post by chatornookie on Dec 23, 2010 15:30:59 GMT -5
beats having the cars taken away completely... :-\ /
|
|
|
Post by emanon on Dec 23, 2010 16:42:24 GMT -5
They will have the cars to patrol, they just won't be able to take them home unless they pay the fee. Some will pay, but I know a lot that will just park the cars and drive their personal cars.
|
|
|
Post by Fredo on Dec 23, 2010 16:50:53 GMT -5
This is so stupid. Patrol cars in the driveway=free deterrence.
|
|
|
Post by bignana on Dec 23, 2010 19:47:32 GMT -5
The take home cars were in lieu of a raise for about the last 4 or 5 years or maybe longer.
|
|
|
Post by manlyman on Dec 24, 2010 22:57:07 GMT -5
I wonder if all the other city employees that have take-home cars will be paying the save "fees" to take theirs home. What about you, Mr. Mayor?
|
|
|
Post by newuser on Dec 26, 2010 15:31:28 GMT -5
I have a feeling some non-politicians could take a look at the budget as a whole and figure out where to cut lots more wasted money than this. I don't necessarily think I should have to pay the transportation costs for an off-duty officer to get to a second job - but I just believe the city wastes more money than this will save on things we could do without.
|
|
|
Post by CoffeeShooter on Dec 26, 2010 23:08:19 GMT -5
Embarrassing. I'm sure there are those that abuse the privilege but overall any perk for the folks in the trenches is worthwhile. They deal with the nastiest, stinkiest, foulest people in the city. Not to mention the actual violent types they have to go head to head with.
|
|
|
Post by raphael on Dec 30, 2010 13:42:41 GMT -5
Most of the popo are parking their cars (good for them) in protest. Did you hear about what happened to Littlefield.......
|
|
|
Post by CoffeeShooter on Dec 30, 2010 14:27:41 GMT -5
I doubt he wanted to be there in the first place. His reign is almost over and another empire will be installed soon enough.
Ann Coulter anyone?
|
|
|
Post by Superman on Dec 30, 2010 18:03:16 GMT -5
Most of the popo are parking their cars (good for them) in protest. Did you hear about what happened to Littlefield....... These guys are not parking in protest. They are refusing to pay to do their jobs. If we are on the way to work or home (and paying to do that) and we come up on an crash, broken down vehicle, flagged down, etc. then we are required to stop and do our job. Or, they can drive their own vehicle (which they are still paying for themselves) and drive by you standing on the side of the road and go on home. It is not a protest. It is refusing to pay to do your job.
|
|
|
Post by chatornookie on Dec 30, 2010 18:21:09 GMT -5
I doubt he wanted to be there in the first place. His reign is almost over and another empire will be installed soon enough. Ann Coulter anyone? yeah... annie was a flash in and out... /
|
|
|
Post by chatornookie on Dec 30, 2010 18:22:37 GMT -5
Most of the popo are parking their cars (good for them) in protest. Did you hear about what happened to Littlefield....... These guys are not parking in protest. They are refusing to pay to do their jobs. If we are on the way to work or home (and paying to do that) and we come up on an crash, broken down vehicle, flagged down, etc. then we are required to stop and do our job. Or, they can drive their own vehicle (which they are still paying for themselves) and drive by you standing on the side of the road and go on home. It is not a protest. It is refusing to pay to do your job. so does that mean you agree...? or do you disagree...? /
|
|
|
Post by Superman on Dec 30, 2010 18:37:52 GMT -5
These guys are not parking in protest. They are refusing to pay to do their jobs. If we are on the way to work or home (and paying to do that) and we come up on an crash, broken down vehicle, flagged down, etc. then we are required to stop and do our job. Or, they can drive their own vehicle (which they are still paying for themselves) and drive by you standing on the side of the road and go on home. It is not a protest. It is refusing to pay to do your job. so does that mean you agree...? or do you disagree...? / I think you are asking if I agree with the take home charge. If so, no. If they started charging me to take my car home I would park it as well. My shift begins at 6pm. I leave the house around 5pm and get to work early. I drive on a couple of Interstates and some very busy side roads. It is not uncommon at all to come up on something that I described above. When it happens, I deal with as part of my day and do not turn it in for pay (even though it sometimes an hour before my shift starts). If I was in my personal vehicle I could drive right on by and start work when I start getting paid. If I had to pay my own way to work, I am not going to lose 2 ways nor would I expect ANYONE to.
|
|
|
Post by chatornookie on Dec 30, 2010 19:53:33 GMT -5
no... i was asking if you agreed with their prostest/refusal of pay... :-\ /
|
|
|
Post by emanon on Dec 30, 2010 20:46:00 GMT -5
The mayor and his flunky are the ones that are saying it is a protest. The ones I know, it is not a protest, they just don't see the reason to pay $200 to $400 a month to drive their patrol car home. Heck that is a car payment.
They have told me that they will drive to work in their own car, with their radio off. If they see a wreck, or broken down car, they will drive on by like everybody else, and call it in. When they get off of work, they will turn off the radio and drive straight home, not stopping to help if needed.
Some are actually kind of excited about the idea. Go in and start work at start time, do their shift and be done. It is not a protest.
I read that the mayor and his people have been getting $400 a month to drive their personal cars to work. Wow. They are now not going to get that $400 a month. But I could have sworn that I read that they were going to get a bonus of $4800. Is that true?
|
|
|
Post by raphael on Dec 30, 2010 21:10:13 GMT -5
and I always thought a protest was a complaint or an objection. Surely there's both here. Semantics! No the cops are NOT out with pickets in front of the mayors office. I think it's a great way to object IMO.
|
|
|
Post by Superman on Dec 30, 2010 21:43:50 GMT -5
and I always thought a protest was a complaint or an objection. Surely there's both here. Semantics! No the cops are NOT out with pickets in front of the mayors office. I think it's a great way to object IMO. If you refuse to go to (insert name here) store and shop because there prices are higher than you want to pay, it's not a protest. It's a choice that you make about not spending money.
|
|
|
Post by emanon on Dec 30, 2010 23:36:23 GMT -5
and I always thought a protest was a complaint or an objection. Surely there's both here. Semantics! No the cops are NOT out with pickets in front of the mayors office. I think it's a great way to object IMO. The flunky (basically the mayor) is insinuating it is an organized protest. Sure, the officers are upset, but the ones I know, weighed the options and chose to not pay $200-$400 a month. They would pay the money, and continue to help citizens to and from work, off the clock and not getting compensated. Sure, they don't stop every single day, but it does happen. So now, with their personal car, they don't have to worry about it, just go on in to work. There are some officers that chose to keep the take home cars. I would guess that is due to extra jobs that they are working. My point being, they did not all have a meeting and say "let's all not pay". It was a personal choice for them. The way the mayor is saying, the only reason they are opting out, is just to protest, not due to actual circumstances. Oh, and on that note. Officers were told about this last week. They HAD to fill out a form to opt out by today. If they did not fill out that form, the money is automatically deducted from their check in a couple of weeks. That can be done? They can just take money out of your check? The correct way would have been they should sign up to have the money taken out of the check. what about officers that were on vacation?
|
|
|
Post by raphael on Dec 30, 2010 23:47:25 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by emanon on Dec 30, 2010 23:56:05 GMT -5
Yeah, I read that too. He is a moron. He won't get his $400 a month to drive his personal car. If an officer chose to not drive his patrol car, I am sure he/she did not get $400 to drive his personal car to work.
|
|
|
Post by chatornookie on Dec 31, 2010 0:00:37 GMT -5
y'all have a LOT of drama in your local politics... /
|
|
|
Post by CoffeeShooter on Dec 31, 2010 9:19:51 GMT -5
Politics .. grr-rrr-- I hope ya'll are right that some of the officers are glad to leave the cars behind and skip the extra workload caused by having them at home. That is some respite for them.
It seems like the 'take home car' conversation has been going on for most of my life. Wasn't there a time when city LE had to live inside the city limits? It seems like my grandparents had to move when I was in middle school. I'll have to ask my dad. He's pretty tight lipped about city stuff but he's ''in the know'' about a lot of things.
If it is true that we are short 65 officers then our LE coverage is already running short.
I haven't read the budget reports but last year someone on an oversight committee told me that the city was suffering financially and nearly broke. IMO, if they trimmed the fat off of the top salaries it could save at least 500,000. Some of those people make 2 to 3 x's more than a private sector employee would make doing the same job.
If you look at the tax advantages that VW & now Amazon are getting .... OMG! I sure hope it pays off in the long run. They'll probably use BCBST for benefits so at least that will keep them propped up for a while.
|
|
|
Post by emanon on Dec 31, 2010 11:26:55 GMT -5
Coffee, the ones I know, they are kind of happy about it. They will basically do their shift and be done. No extra. Well, they will still work extra jobs, but just drive their personal vehicles.
They would have never not used the take home cars themselves, but now that this came up, they looked at everything involved. It is not worth it to them to have another car payment for a car that sometimes causes them to work OT, and now, they will drive to work like everybody else and just call in if they see something.
Oh, and I have one friend that started about a year and a half ago. He chose to not use the take home car at all. He enjoys the fact that when he drove to work, and back home from work, he was not flagged down to to extra work.
They are short officers. I don't remember the exact #s, but this academy that is about to graduate with 22 or so officers, they will still be short.
They did have to live in the city limits. I don't remember when that was. I think Littlemind's letter in the Chattanoogan mentions the time.
|
|
|
Post by CoffeeShooter on Dec 31, 2010 11:30:15 GMT -5
Thanks Em. It sounds like some divorces I know of. You don't know what you've got until it is gone. They deserve family time as much as anybody else. That is one nerve wracking job description in the first place.
|
|