In 2024, they will get 1.5% raises in January and July. At Suffolk County's widest point the distance from the Long Island Sound to the Southern shore is only 26 miles. Gerard McCarthy, who recently retired as chief of operations for the Suffolk County Police Department, lauded Mr. Trotta for being the sole person willing to raise the issue of the police unions political donations. 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. 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. Mr. Spota was once a police union lawyer. Ms. Kaufman felt hopeful about the mention of a three-tiered mental health crisis response and a 911 Call Diversion, although the plan contained few specifics. 0000001286 00000 n Eventually, he said, it dawned on him: The county doesnt run the police. Detectives will see their pay raised 2.25% this year and 1% every January and July through 2023 under the 2019-2024 contract. In Suffolk County, the police unions wield outsize influence. There are 1,700 police officers in Suffolk County. Can they do it? You should say what I say: We would love to pay them $500,000 a year, but we just cant afford it, he told them. Steve Bellone, the Suffolk County executive who appointed Mr. Burke, says he was fooled by Mr. Burke and Mr. Spota and turned against them when he discovered their criminal enterprise. He vows that a new day has dawned. 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. But there were moments that felt inspiring and new. Susan Berland (D-Dix Hills) and Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). 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. Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. Members of the 175th Suffolk police recruit class celebrated their graduation Thursday. Ms. Kaufman thought Mr. Trotta might support the plan. Mr. Trotta watched the rollout on Zoom at his office desk in Smithtown. Buildings Operations, Maintenance & Custodial. This is a good thing, he said, gesturing at the meeting on his screen. Amongst his other reprehensible conduct, Legislator Trotta threatened the Suffolk County Police Commissioner with a secret recording he made. James Tomarken, who served as commissioner since 2009, is retiring this month. 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. 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. Late Thursday, as hailed in this space, Mayor de Blasio finally made a decisive moveor at least seemed to make a movein the direction of actually saving some money on labor costs by getting tough with a powerful (and powerfully self-entitled) municipal union. 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. Lawmakers in Albany worked up the courage to repeal 50-a, a state statute that prohibited the release of police officers personnel records. Railing about the influence of the police union in Suffolk County is like railing against the moon in the sky. 0000001467 00000 n In 2012, he flew to Costa Rica to testify in court in a money-laundering case. All rights reserved. Bellone, who is running for a third term this year, issued a news release claiming the deals together secure $40 million dollars in new health care savings and result in the lowest level of raises for Police Officers in decades. But his office produced no details to support this claim before he sent the measure to county legislators for approval. Additional provisions of the contract include: of either driver is asked to call Suffolk Police at . Brownwill be paid $145,560 in the new role, down from $173,226. The activists behind The Peoples Plan put out a statement that lauded parts of the countys plan, but criticized the lack of a civilian review board or outside investigators for complaints against the police. `H VY. The vote for the new contract was 16-0, with Legis. I was reading the county charter about what a legislator does. 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. While private sector unions have withered, police unions have flourished, supported by Democrats, who champion labor rights, and Republicans, who champion law and order. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy. That case revealed a stunning indifference on the part of police officers. No retroactive raise is included for 2019. They will present the bill at a later meeting. **JUST MY TWO CENTS***, at the end of this year apparently about 50-60% of the department is eligible for retirement. The Suffolk County Office of Central Procurement oversees the Countys procurement processes. New Docs Raise Big Questions About NYs Megafab Mega-Deal, Firefighter-rights bill torches local control, Still-Unreleased Union Deal Rains Cash on State Workers, Thanks to Unions, NYCs School Reopening Deal Was Costly and Educationally Hazardous, With State Officials Freeze Through 2023, More Reason To Ice All Government Pay, De Blasios (Apparent) Good Move Dissolves Into Phony Savings. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Ryhan's Center of Hope, Inc. Emergency Housing Program, Suffolk County Department of Audict & Control, Registration of Nonprofit Veterans Organizations, A Performance Audit of Association for Mental Health and Wellness, Inc.'s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Federal Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of Single Audit Subrecipient Monitoring, Suffolk County District Attorneys Office, A Performance Audit of Adelante of Suffolk County, Inc. Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Program, A Performance Audit of Pathways to Recovery, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Pathways to Recovery, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of the Sheriff's Office Forfeiture Funds, Suffolk County Department of Probation, Department of Social Services, and Youth Bureau. Historically, in Suffolk County, you cant win a major office without the police unions endorsement, said Gus Garcia-Roberts, a journalist with The Washington Post who is writing a book about Mr. Burke. There are more than 18,000 policing organizations in the United States. We pay $30 to $40 million a year in overtime. Thats one reason police reform so often gets announced at news conferences but so rarely seems to occur in the real world. The money was taken from the sewer fund by voter referendum last year to fill shortfalls in the county's general fund. - Suffolk, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Haven House/Bridges, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit ofRyhans Center of Hope, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Mercy Center Ministries, Inc. I heard a lot of people didnt finish this exam. 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 . Mr. Trotta was skeptical: What if a mentally ill person turns violent on a dime?. Ms. Stockman is a member of the editorial board. Thus far, police benevolent associations have operated outside those restrictions. Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises are. For RFPs (Requests for Proposals): Legislators approved an emergency resolution to restore $25 million to a sewer stabilization fund. Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk, Inc. A Limited Scope Report of Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk, Inc. Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Procurement Procedures, A Performance Audit of The Departments Forfeiture Funds, Time Reporting Practices and Related Payroll Payments of Selected Employees of the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Legislators approved $1.2 million for district attorneys office renovations, and $1 million for plumbing and electrical improvements at the county Medical Examiners forensic lab. Contract Search OFFICE OF CENTRAL PROCUREMENT 335 Yaphank Ave, Yaphank, NY 11980 Phone: 631-852-5196 Fax: 631-852-5221 Contract Search Please select either a Contract Number or Commodity Category or enter a Commodity Phrase* or select a Vendor: In 2019, when a local paper asked Mr. Trotta what he had accomplished as a legislator, he replied: The chief of police went to jail and the district attorney has been indicted. The total cost of the contractwas not available Tuesday night. One was driving a blue 2011-2013 Toyota Highlander and the other was driving a white 2019-2023 Dodge Ram truck. 0000004429 00000 n This page was generated at 08:27 PM. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. If a guy was known to live beyond his means, Mr. Trotta asked around about where the money came from. The. The night the police commissioner, Geraldine Hart, rolled out Suffolk Countys reform plan on Zoom, much of it sounded like more of the same old thin gruel: more community policing, more money for training, more body cameras which police officers will be paid extra to wear. Mr. Trotta had loved being a cop. The Suffolk AME, which had been without a contract since January 2017, will receive an average raise of 1.5% each year through 2024, officials said. The police union spoke out against the bill. Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news. The problem is, if you make $40,000, thats 10% of your entire salary, he said. 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. 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. Yes. (Mr. Bellone argued that an arbitrator would have given them more.) During the first half of the 20th century, police unions were rare, weak and lacked legal status, Aaron Bekemeyer, a Ph.D. student at Harvard who is writing his dissertation on the history of police unions, told me. It was on one of those calls that Mr. Trotta encountered other people railing about the power of police unions liberal activists. Current Audit Reports - Released in 2019 Contact: Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller: Phone: 631-853-5040 Email: douglas.sutherland@suffolkcountyny.gov H. Lee Dennison Building 100 Veterans Memorial Highway Hauppauge, NY 11788 Douglas Sutherland Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller Finance and Taxation: Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive Transcripts of the public safety meetings in that era are full of county legislators praising the chief. Backed by the union, the district attorney and the county executive, Mr. Burke seemed untouchable. Eventually, he got on an F.B.I. Top-step base pay is $181,969 and will rise at least once a year, according to a copy of the contract. 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. Im not against people getting a cost-of-living increase, but they were getting three times the cost of living, Mr. Trotta told them of the raise that Mr. Bellones contract gave the police. The fee may also be waivedif you are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household and for recipients of Medicaid, SSI, Public Assistance or those in a training program under the Job Training AME is the exclusive representative of about 5,000 workers, with whom the county has agreed not to bargain directly, or to let any other union bargain on their behalf. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellone, That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. CO make more than a nypd cop..safer and just a better job (done both) corrections out suffolk is a great job,,easy work if you can even call it work 97k without OT and bonus's is around 110k with new contract(12 years) downfall vs NYPD is 25 years to retire instead of 20. trailer <]/Prev 215076>> startxref 0 %%EOF 58 0 obj <>stream Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news. This brazen, premeditated robbery is a stark reminder of the lawlessness created by failed reform policies making it impossible to live here safely. *The final vote count has not yet been posted but at least 16 of the 18 legislators voted for the three measures. That produces an immediate reduction in costs for the county, but still leaves taxpayers absorbing future cost increases. Hes a potent messenger, since he cant be smeared as anti-cop. Then he added one that made Mr. Trotta smile: Investigate the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. The Office helps facilitate each County departments mission, protects the interests of the County and its taxpayers, and promotes fairness in contracting with the business community. The lengths of the deals are themselves problematic. But it didnt shock the loved ones of Kenny Lazo, a Black man who got pulled over by Suffolk County officers in 2008 and wound up beaten to death in a case the medical examiner ruled a homicide. The top base salary will be$174,000 a year by 2024, up from $155,000, Gallagher said. If, for any reason, you can not access, view or download these listings, please contact PERB at 518-457-2676 and arrangements will be made to provide them to you. 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. Without that extra spending, Mr. Trotta said, We could have done the roads. Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service, https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service, If this is your first visit be sure to check out the frequently asked questions by clicking here. Everyone should be able to breathe freely in their own home.. The justification for this sweetheart deal for the police and firefighters is that they are so essential to safety that communities cant risk a strike. A fiscal conservative in a deep-red district, Mr. Trotta won handily, even though the union hated him. Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller, Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive Riverhead, NY 11901, Office Hours: In many cases, reform plans are rolled out by the same politicians who once cozied up to police unions to get elected. in my experience, Suffolk civil service moves a lot faster than Nassau, so hopefully before the year ends. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of The Suffolk County STOP-DWI Program, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, A Limited Scope Audit of the Surplus County-Owned Real Estate Auction Held on October 22 & 23, 2019, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, Suffolk County Department of Public Works Capital Projects, Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, A Performance Audit of the Administration of Sweet Hills Stables, Inc. License Agreement, A Performance Audit of Small Scale Construction Bids, A Compilation and Analysis of Contract Agency Disclosure Form Data, Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation, A Performance Audit of the Administration of Requests for Proposals and Awarding of License Agreements, A Performance Audit of the Probation Departments Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of the Administration of License Agreements, A Performance Audit of The Sheriff Offices Forfeiture Funds, An Audit of the Suffolk County Sheriff Offices Civil Bureau. Their payroll for active employees cost the county $7.4 million in 2020. At his trial, witnesses described a union official coaching officers to lie to cover up Mr. Burkes crimes. from the Suffolk County Park Police Department pursuant to the September 30, 2014 memorandum 41 18 Under section 17 of the AME MOA, the county has committed to pay into a union trust that would provide retiree health benefits only to members in good standing. Under the states exclusive representation rules, a public employer cannot confer a special benefit specifically on those workers who choose to pay union dues. He said some elected officials visibly stiffened when police union representatives walked into county meetings. We will prob hear late November/December hopefully! Thats one reason the growing criticism of the police has been met with a passionate counter-movement, called Blue Lives Matter. Mr. Bellone also announced new contracts with the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association and the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees. It was true. Previously, there was a second tier of top pay that Mr. Kaiman said likely would not have made it through arbitration. Mr. Trotta talks about politics as broken because police unions donations have been able to purchase deference from politicians, leading to unsustainable salary increases. Dennis Brown, of Huntington, will bedirector of the Real Property Tax Service Agency after serving as county attorney. Press@EmpireCenter.org. the old exam expires when the list for the new exam is established. But Mr. Trotta is reviled by the political establishment. Police Officers will receive average raises of 1.875% per year over the term of the contract. Andrew Cuomo for communities that want to remain eligible to receive state funding. 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. The PBA MOA modified a 2012 MOA, which modified terms set in a 2010 arbitration award, which were based on a 2004 contract. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. Giving a paramilitary force the right to collective bargaining would undermine the military chain of command, they argued. As a detective, he uncovered drug dealers in places others didnt think to look. and members of the Suffolk County Police Explorers program. I wonder if we can talk about creating an effort for a non-police response that could be as safe or safer, and maybe even cheaper, she told him in a conversation she later recounted to me. 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. Unless legislators were presented with all four documents, they had no way of seeing what they were actually committing to. They cited political donations from the police union as the reason. Something changed last summer, after George Floyds death. The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) . Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's Social Media. Dec. 12, 2019| NewsdayHigh-ranking Suffolk County policeare set to get 11.25% raises over six years under a tentative $53 million deal reached with the Superior Officers Association, officials said Wednesday.Sergeants, lieutenants, captains and other senior officersat top step would have base salaries ranging from $183,000 to$273,000 a year by 2024, officials said. Here are some tips. 0000007066 00000 n 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. Mattituck, NY 11952, Site made in collaboration with CMYK But that same logic beat back an attempt to unionize the American military. That means the winners of the next two general elections for county legislature will already be committed to the terms. 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. 0000001156 00000 n The AME contract runs through December 2024 and the PBA and SCOPE deals run through December 2025. Click the graphic above for the full interview. He reminded them of Jimmy McNulty, the quirky detective from the TV show The Wire.. Corruption continues to cast a particularly dark shadow over Suffolk County. (383p00Ue@Aa#CS#in=`i L#" endstream endobj 42 0 obj <> endobj 43 0 obj <> endobj 44 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC]/XObject<>>> endobj 45 0 obj <> endobj 46 0 obj <> endobj 47 0 obj <>stream About 75%of county employees, excluding sworn law enforcement officers, are white, which is not reflective of the county population, Bellones office said. Copyright 2023, Suffolk County Government, A Compilation and Analysis of Contract Agency Disclosure Form Data for the 2023 Budget Evaluation Process, Department of Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services, Suffolk County Department of Social Services, A Performance Audit of Mercy Center Ministries, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of United Veterans Beacon House, Inc.'s Emergency Housing Services Program, Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, A Performance Audit of the District Attorneys Office Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of SCO Family of Services, Inc. That means they are not adverse to having a very important conversation about policing.. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. We strive to keep Suffolk County a safe and thriving place to live and work by aiding our members in their vocation as Suffolk County Police . Politicians bellyache that compulsory binding arbitration is bankrupting their communities by handing power over police salaries to an unelected, police-friendly arbitrator. One of New York Citys largest public-sector unions has been effectively taken over by its national parent after an audit revealed extensive financial mismanagement. On November 20, 2012, the Highway Patrol Bureau resumed patrolling and answering all 911 calls for service . CreditIllustration by Erik Carter. Detectives willreach that top step sooner, according toBudget Review'sreport. 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. Detectives promoted before 2013 will keep their four-step system.
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