Departments > Public Works > Bids and Contracts. 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. Legis. Railing about the influence of the police union in Suffolk County is like railing against the moon in the sky. 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 $195 million in savings. To return to this "Collective Bargaining Agreements" page from any selected link, use the back button on your browser. 0000002407 00000 n
With the legislatures vote Tuesday to approve the detective investigators contract, all the countys nine bargaining units have contracts that will expire at the end of 2024. H[k0
/Pd]ABG}X&JqN%g$efYEysMKQD2,HCa8Zdhv4A]_(;8("ZaNshHT9;2n:]o(GApuQ_sqH,|-%Ti$8oDB0HpmTg9KMq`. 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. I cant stress to you enough how afraid of the union these people are, he said of his fellow legislators. Mr. Burke was still a powerful police chief that year when Mr. Trotta decided to run for office. The cards allow residents access to county parks and reduced fees for park activities. The Suffolk County Legislature approved a $40 million contract for police detectives Tuesday. That produces an immediate reduction in costs for the county, but still leaves taxpayers absorbing future cost increases. The new police chief, Mr. Burke, had reassigned all three Suffolk County detectives who had been working with the F.B.I., including two who were working on a major gang case. 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. . Bids and Proposals The Suffolk County Office of Central Procurement oversees the County's procurement processes. SCPBA 2nd Vice President Lou Civello responds to @NewsdayOpinion Targeting the Suffolk PBA and their support of Corrupt Legislator Legislator Rob Trotta. The still-unreleased deal between the Hochul Administration and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), state governments largest group of unionized workers, would award bonuses, backpay, and guaranteed raises the next three years, documents sent to union members show. Press Inquiries:
personnel in 2015. a union official coaching officers to lie. Copyright 2023 Newsday. 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. About 30 people came to the legislator to support banning the box. Shes a Riverhead native and 2015 graduate of Arcadia University. Yes. Adding up the projected costs and savings of the three deals in each year (see below) show the countys expects to save more money than it pays out in raises during 2019, 2020, and 2021. (383p00Ue@Aa#CS#in=`i L#"
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But they agreed that the police budget was bloated. 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. At the time, those costs represented 15% of the total county budget. If a guy was known to live beyond his means, Mr. Trotta asked around about where the money came from. Most of all, they take umbrage at the notion that police union donations influenced their political decisions. 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. 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. They helped organize and create the making of over 3,000 Valentine cards for our heroes who serve and protect us. The 345-member union made the same significant concessions that those law enforcement unions did, including capping sick time and longevity pay, he said. No retroactive raise is included for 2019. Susan Berland (D-Dix Hills) and Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). They will present the bill at a later meeting. In 2019, more than 1,200 officers nearly half the force took home over $200,000 a year. 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. Help support the men and women of the Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs PBA!! But legislators have not had the guts to get rid of the provision. James Burke escorted by F.B.I. What scores do they usually go for? **JUST MY TWO CENTS***, at the end of this year apparently about 50-60% of the department is eligible for retirement. Its hard to imagine a starker illustration of the need to reinvent policing. He wore a badge and walked a beat. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. *The final vote count has not yet been posted but at least 16 of the 18 legislators voted for the three measures. His new job? 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. 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. Its sometimes said that the county doesnt run the police; the police run the county. Some say the unions corrupt, he told me. Detective investigators have been without a contract since 2018. Eventually, he got on an F.B.I. A member of the union sat on the reform task force. 2022 Times Review Media Group All Rights Reserved, Southold CSEA pressures town for higher pay during contract negotiations, Second annual Top Gun 5K will honor late Boy Scout Andrew McMorris in Calverton, LI natives will take the stage at The Suffolk Thursday as part of new original music series, Peconic Bay Medical Center clinicians reflect on recent medical mission to El Salvador, Election 2023: Stark, Kent to face off for county legislature seat, At environmental forum, officials discuss host of issues including waste management, housing needs. He was one of just two county legislators, both Republicans, who took no police money. 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. 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. The phrase defund the police makes his skin crawl. This is a good thing, he said, gesturing at the meeting on his screen. Contract; Education Benefits. Amongst his other reprehensible conduct, Legislator Trotta threatened the Suffolk County Police Commissioner with a secret recording he made. 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 . 0000007066 00000 n
Its the latest example of misconduct made possible under New Yorks public-sector collective bargaining rules that force the government to collect hundreds of millions of dollars annually without any safeguards on how the funds are spent. Albany, NY 12224, Phone: 518-434-3100
Ms. Stockman is a member of the editorial board. Most users ever online was 158,966 at 05:57 AM on 01-16-2021. Its becoming a young department and these last two tests were a lot of people being hired. But its not getting at this, he declared, holding up printouts about the unions political donations. . Few other occupations demand the deference and trust that police officers say they require to do their jobs. They lied like rugs, he told me. CreditIllustration by Erik Carter. Most notably, the AME deal contains language that likely wont hold up in court. Top-step base pay is $181,969 and will rise at least once a year, according to a copy of the contract. 0000005120 00000 n
In cost-saving measures, sick pay will be reduced to 13 days a year, compared with 26 days under the previous contract. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. The system works, but very slowly.. No figures were projected for 2024 or 2025, but given that more than a third of PBA-represented employees have been on the job fewer than six years, its likely police pay costs especially will surge in the out years. Isgho Votre ducation notre priorit . Everyone should be able to breathe freely in their own home.. Gonzalez said he is working on amending the bill, which failed to pass in the legislature last year, with Legis. The healthcare savings will come in part from having all employees pay 2 percent of their earnings (between $1,500 and $3,750) toward the cost of premiums. P.O. The vote for the new contract was 16-0, with Legis. 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. * The final vote count has not yet been posted but at least 16 of the 18 legislators voted for the three measures. of either driver is asked to call Suffolk Police at . Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), questioned how the county would pay for such expensive contracts. Theres no other feeling than knowing we have the love and support from our elected officials and students. 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. 0000001467 00000 n
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. A longstanding prohibition on police officers soliciting political donations from the public remains on the books, but appears to be rarely enforced. SCDSPBA Donation Page. The money was taken from the sewer fund by voter referendum last year to fill shortfalls in the county's general fund. With the detective contract, county officials have in the last year signed off on union contracts that are expected to cost about $460 million more in total than previous contracts, according to budget review reports. 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. But what really stands out about Suffolk County is the compensation that police officers receive and the money their unions spend on local elections. The Empire Center is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank located in Albany, New York. Suffolk County Police Memorial Service: 11 AM on Friday, May 10th at SCPD HQ, Yaphank. In the state of New York, police departments have been scrambling to adopt a reform plan by April 1, the deadline set by Gov. He couldnt get assigned to the public safety committee, even as a former police officer. Chief Deputy County AttorneyLynne Bizzarro will become acting county attorney. Then another. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/opinion/police-suffolk-county-unions.html, Illustration by Erik Carter. It is not a donation, its an investment, the statement read. Their payroll for active employees cost the county $7.4 million in 2020. In other news, both the PBA and AME will soon issue endorsements in upcoming races for county executive and county legislature. Box 1500 2. In New York, many elected officials did just that. He was a Republican who had predicted in a radio interview that police reform wouldnt amount to much. The activists found his suggestions absurd. Dr. Gregson Pigott, of Greenlawn,as health commissioner. The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) . Thats a major point, he told me afterward. Previously, there was a second tier of top pay that Mr. Kaiman said likely would not have made it through arbitration. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. 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. 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. And being that Im already LE, which villages dont require you to go through the academy again? 0000001156 00000 n
Even those who disdain Mr. Trotta acknowledge that he has a point when it comes to the money. 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. We have no choice, said Jennifer McNamara, the countys director of labor relations. About 75%of county employees, excluding sworn law enforcement officers, are white, which is not reflective of the county population, Bellones office said. This is the first Ive taken of this exam. Lawmakers voted to give health care workers discounted Green Key cards until April 2022. The AME contract runs through December 2024 and the PBA and SCOPE deals run through December 2025. On August 4, 2012, a new police contract restored responsibility for patrolling the LIE and Sunrise Highway to the SCPD. Last year, the county hosted what was billed as the largest Back the Blue rally in the country. In 1983, police unions in New York successfully lobbied to amend a law that barred them from donating to politicians. Union leaders always outlast them. We will prob hear late November/December hopefully! 852-4690. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) abstaining. Legis. LIU is the only university on Long Island with a veterinary medicine school. Term: Six (6) years -January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2024. A sheet of paper in his office hangs above his desk with the number 62 on it, showing that Suffolk County ranks 62 out of 62 New York counties in fiscal stability. 217 members and 34093 guests. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. In every conversation, he found a way to bring it back to Jimmy Burke, one told me. Copkiller Invited to Speak at Suny Brockport. But he could not get rid of the dirty police chief. The DSPBA is asking for your support so that we may continue to provide many community based programs and events. That means they are not adverse to having a very important conversation about policing.. He touts a new district attorney who set up a conviction integrity bureau to investigate wrongful convictions. 0000003124 00000 n
He reminded them of Jimmy McNulty, the quirky detective from the TV show The Wire.. In reality the best thing anyone can do is to stay out of trouble, keep in shape because it is no joke from what I hear in the academy and will be one less thing to have to worry about last minute and dont let the wait for the call or even the letter to start your investigation consume your life. 0000006404 00000 n
Across the country, police commissioners who have attempted to hold police officers accountable for killings have seen their authority undermined by police union leaders who get fired officers reinstated. 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. 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. There are currently 34310 users online. GL. Mattituck, NY 11952, Site made in collaboration with CMYK Giving a paramilitary force the right to collective bargaining would undermine the military chain of command, they argued. 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. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's Social Media. Neither bill was voted on Tuesday. The lengths of the deals are themselves problematic. Just be aware the last test was told over and over again it was going to exhaust all the people that scored 95 but at the end they only made it through the first 2500 of the lottery. We wanted a structural change to how policing works. But his reasoning the police unions political donations caught the ear of an activist named Emily Kaufman. It amounted to more than $200 million over the life of the contract, when the county was already in debt. Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises are. 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. Before he was appointed chief, members of the police force wrote an anonymous letter to Mr. Bellone warning him that Mr. Burke was known to frequent prostitutes, interfered with an officer-assault investigation and used information obtained from a wiretap as leverage against a politician. 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. Another superior officer left with $624,082, including unpaid vacation days and sick time. just got their return.. He was impressed. Photographs by Getty Images. Click "Download Contract" to view the contract in PDF format. Mr. Trottas small, quixotic battle is part of a much larger struggle in the United States to wrestle power away from police unions that for too long have resisted meaningful reform. In 2022, new costs would slightly overtake savings, and in 2023, the deals would add more than $70 million to the countys personnel costs. The lengths of the deals are themselves problematic. All rights reserved. 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. In other news, both the PBA and AME will soon issue endorsements in upcoming races for county executive and county legislature. 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. 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. Excellent work by Highway Patrol Officers Bunger and Siesto, Fifth Precinct Officer Reyes, & Highway Patrol Sergeant Carey who, over the weekend, responded to a call for a woman in labor on the shoulder of the LIE. Ithaca Mayor wants to Abolish the Police! Anyone know the estimated time frame it usually takes to hear back with your score? 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. 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. P.O. Box 7113
The newest contract followsthe Police Benevolence Association and Superior Officers Association contracts, union president David Gallagher said. 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. Thats one reason police reform so often gets announced at news conferences but so rarely seems to occur in the real world. 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. In 2011, the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association backed Steve Bellone. Detectives willreach that top step sooner, according toBudget Review'sreport. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy. The activists saw racism as the reason people in Black and Latino communities got stopped at higher rates. 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. 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. hb```a``:"N33 ?3+Pc*y-{0q;PIV1001$1$0& Qf,Q