Over two hundred thousand dollars a year as a State Police lieutenant? That's crazy. And a lot of it wasn't paid details - it was overtime, because it took place on a Mass. Turnpike Authority road. But that kind of overtime is just as wasted as the paid detail money: paid to a guy sitting in a car reading a newspaper, in the middle of the night, behind traffic barriers, in a closed tunnel.
In a rational society, that money would be spent paying police officers to fight crime, so vigilantes don't have to volunteer.
Carpie, question for you.
Not that the police traffic details aren't ridiculous enough, but more often than not, I observe these officers talking on their cell phones while they're supposed to be directing traffic.
It would seem elementary to me that police officers would be prohibited from talking on the phone while on duty. Is there some bogus collective bargaining issue that covers this? Has the state union succeeded in establishing a precedent that this is one of the "working conditions" they are entitled to bargain over?
What gives?
Posted by: wavemaker | March 28, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Wave,
Cell phones have become a standard means of conducting official police business. Cops talk to the station, and each other on cells. No way they could ban them. They might try to ban personal-use, but that would be difficult to enforce and would engender much resentment.
The detail cops are chatting because are so f-ing boring it can't be described. Which, by the way, is proof of their uselessness. There's usually nothing for a cop to do but chat anyway.
CP
Posted by: carpundit | March 28, 2007 at 06:46 PM
Okay, so I know they're using the phones for work -- but my question is, while they're directing traffic?????
Seriously, I have come upon a detail cop, here in rural Cohasset, standing in the middle of a curved road, with his back turned to me -- he's holding a cell phone to his ear, and he is gesticulating animatedly with his other arm. I think he must have been Italian, the way he was waving (nyuk nyuk).
Ain't it just common sense that if you can't drive and talk on a phone, you sure can't direct people who are doing the same thing?
Posted by: wavemaker | March 29, 2007 at 12:33 AM
Yeah, that's just stupid; I agree.
Posted by: carpundit | March 29, 2007 at 07:38 AM