Paid Police Details Are a Scam

As I've written before, paid police details are a scam and ought to go. At jjdaley.com (a Boston daily read), John Daley takes a different view. He's wrong. He writes that throwing out the paid police detail system because of a corruption scandal would be tossing the baby with the bath:

There are two separate issues: police details themselves and police abusing the system. The [Boston] Globe apparently has them confused. Tightening up on the latter is reasonable. Abolishing details altogether, a Globe goal, is not.

[The Globe] paints it as a police union intimidation issue. Menino, who has made his reputation in standing up to police unions, is in favor of paid details. Barbara Anderson, quoted in the Globe story, doesn't have a dog in the fight. Details don't cost taxpayers anything. Why exactly was she approached for the story?

I strongly disagree with Mr. Daley's opinion.

It is a police union intimidation issue. When hundreds of uniformed cops protest your every move, that's intimidation. Of course Menino will back the details. Remember the disgraceful conduct of the police union around the DNC?

The taxpayers do have an interest. I'm no fan of Barbara Anderson, but she's right about the burden. The city requires details. NStar, Verizon, and Modern Continental are forced to pay for the details. They get the money by raising rates or raising their construction bids. Either way, we pay.

In general, police details cost too much, waste police resources, diminish extant police resources, are open to abuse and are widely abused. They need at least to be reformed, if not abolished.

Comments

[Herman Killabrew]

You don't like details because you don't like cops. You resent them because of their authority and that they write tickets. You need to get a life.

[Scott]

I admire cops and greatly appreciate their work in the interest of public safety. What I don't appreciate is seeing 10 cruisers lining a short stretch of Big Dig at 2am. Or seeing the cop sipping coffee and staring at the lift while painters work on my neighbor's house on a quiet residential street at 10am on a Tuesday.

[Robert]

A new book describing what happens on police details is now avaivalble on Amazon or lulu.com.The title is called " a day in the life of a road detail police officer" very funny stuff and also un-believable

police details add more police officers on street for small communities that would otherwise have 4 or 5 officers
on street, when a critical incident happens, they are not only great back-up but often the first on scene!

[tim]

The reality is this. One of Govenor Patrick's campaign promises was he was going to put upwards of 1,000 new cops on the streets. Since he taking office cops are being laid off all over the place. To take it a step further he has vilanized police officers making these public servants the subject of negative front page news. Govenor Patrick has done a horrible diservice to the entire profession.

Police earn anywhere from $30 to $40 an hour while on detail with the average probably falling somewhere in the middle.

a 10% surcharge is added which goes into (in most cases) the city or town general fund. Most department are fairly small and the 10% a very imporant part of their budget.

When a police officer earns his detail rate he gets the $ only. It does not count toward retirement or anything else. The officer gets the cash & the transaction is ended.

Govenor Patrick's proposal as spoken by Tranportation director Bernard Cohen seeks to retrain existing MA highway employee to be flagmen. They will earn between $31 & $38 per hour (as explained by Mr. Cohen) depending on the location of the detail.

As MA highway employees the state will surely have to provide benefits, pay insurance, overtime, sick time, vacation time, etc. Also, in the winter months when traditional road construction slows I would imagine these employees would be laid off & paid to stay home.

A Flag man would earn far more then the 40k or so starting salary most cities / town typically pay.

Also, i am severely tiring of the argument "MA is the only state in the country to use Police for road details". If you drive 95 from MA to FL you will see cops on construction details in every state. It is a common practice with many states preferring the use of police.

As for the "talking on your cell phone" or "drinking coffee" argument . . . How do you know what those calls are? Often they are the PD calling for any number of legitimate business reasons. Sometimes it is your wife asking to pick the kids up on the way home, or sometimes the kids.

If we put a highway beside each & every working persons desk & had the general public comment (without truly knowing the detail) on you how would you be rated? Do you ever get a call from your spouse? Does a co-worker every call from another extension? Do you every venture out for a smoke break (gross habit by the way) & if so how much time do you spend smoking each day at work? Do you check your personal e-mail? Do you ever surf the web? Do you ever eat a sandwich or go to the bathroom while at work? Do you ever laught with a co-worker?

Are there cops that are complete asses with respect to the above? of course there are but they are a small minority & certainly no indicative of the masses just like at your work place.

In the end the bulk (by far) of details are paid by private industry who in turn pays 10% extra to the city or town which hosted the detail. The cities & town make money of the details which are key to their budgets. Cops make lousy salaries & the city & towns are able to keep them because they can supplement by working details. Cops are needed at details. Drunks, fleeing felons, people traveling at ridiculous speeds, & accidents are common place in & around details. Cops are trained pro's who handle these thing daily & they should be right where they are now.

There saving will be zero if going to flag persons. The cost will be far greater in terms of dollars & so many other ways.

Police Officers command respect & have the power to write tickets, truly slow traffic, & arrest if the situation calls for it.

In my opinion this has much to do with the Boston PD not supporting Gov. Patrick's bid for office. The public response has been largely due to most people's interaction with the police being their getting a ticket. They simply want to get back at the guy that wrote them up.

As for the argument the phone, cable, or gas bill is higher because of police details do you really think verizon is going to send a "good news . . . we are reducing your bill because we no longer have to hire cops"?

Govenor Patrick has been a huge failure. This state should have a casino or two, slots at the racetracks, & anything else that bolster our ecomony by putting people to work. Gov. Patrick has to kknow his chances of re-election are next to zero.

Support you local police. They are there for you 24/7 (night/weekends/ & holidays) for a base pay of probably 50k on average.

If your kid were playing in the road (obviously not a good idea) would you want a cop keeping watch on them or a flag man?

Thanks for you time,
Tim

M

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For some people the highways became a funny trip and never think of care they must to have every time they go over there.

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If only the 350 cities and towns could find the same political will. We can break the back of the police unions here, if people don't chicken out.

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For some people the highways became a funny trip and never think of care they must to have every time they go over there. I do expect some separation of views between the introverts and extroverts, but don't know if your unscientific poll will be able to discern that distinction. Should be interesting to see your next post reveals.

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[pb]

why are we the only state that requires a police detail no matter how small or remote the construction job is. barriers in many cases would be sufficient

[pb]

Iam all for police details fighting crime. How about night details in high crime areas.

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