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Why did it take so long to find a solution to the excessive overtime expense in the local police and fire departments?

In this Sunday’s Pal-Item was the obvious answer to the flagrant abuse of police overtime pay revealed in last Sunday’s Pal-Item. Between the police and fire dept. budgets, total overtime pay in 2008 ballooned to nearly One Million Dollars. That is inexcusable. Surely, somebody knew about it. Why wasn’t it brought under control before?

Overtime pay should be reserved for emergencies and unpredictable events. It’s become a way of life. And right there on the front page this Sunday was (finally) the obvious answer: Develop a group of volunteer reserve officers. These volunteers aren’t picked up off the street. According to the news story, they are given training in firearms, ethics, criminal traffic law, and other skills of a safety officer. We’re not talking about fully-trained professional officers. We’re talking about a volunteer auxiliary that can help at special events, such as they were planning to do at the Sunday night fireworks at Glen Miller park. They can fill-in at many events where we’re now paying overtime to regular officers. It doesn’t take a professional officer to tell the kiddies to stay on the sidewalk and don’t get in the street.

Now it’s up to the fire department to follow suit. They may have to be more creative in finding solutions, but it can be done if there is a will to do so.

And why might there not be a will to change the system? Well, if you were “gaming” the system (legally) to earn more than the chief of the department, would you want to change it? And unlimited sick days in the union contract is an invitation to abuse. There are plenty of stories (told privately) of employees of both departments going sick, drawing sick pay, and making way for a buddy to cover for him at overtime pay. How often? Who knows? A limit to sick pay, as is customary in most businesses, would bring it under control.

All this is not intended to question the integrity of officers in either department. We all want them paid fair wages and provided with benefits. But as fellow citizens and taxpayers we are affronted by a system that allows some to “use” the provisions for their own benefit and run up wasteful costs in a time of financial constraints when other citizens have no jobs at all. Our elected officials and their managers should eliminate this political cancer that is reflecting on these professionals in public service.

–Vic Jose

Vic Jose :: Jul.05.2009 :: Uncategorized ::

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