I have been reading quite a bit lately about cops getting laid off, furloughed, having pay and benefits cut, and the like. I am hoping our readers out there who are officers right now, or who are familiar with their local department’s situation, to comment here and let us all know what they have experienced.
I have written before on what a foolhardy proposition it is to lay off cops to save money. Cash saved right now, perhaps. But in the long run, the price will not be worth the increase in crime, reduction in public trust, and hard cash that will be spent later to battle the problems caused today.
Let us all know what the state of affairs is in your local jurisdiction…
Sep 26, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Here in a suburb of Phoenix we had to take a .85% pay cut. So far no lay-offs, but OT has been dramatically reduced.
Sep 27, 2009 at 5:00 am
We’re lucky here, in that at no point have layoffs been discussed – although some neighboring jurisdictions are having to consider them.
We also don’t have a full-on hiring freeze – we are at least hiring enough to fill retiree/resignation slots as they are projected, as opposed to losing manpower.
However we are in a pay freeze right now & are looking at seeing an increase in our health care copays.
So, like everyone else I’m sure, a mix of the good and the bad.
Sep 27, 2009 at 9:46 am
Laying policemen off is never a good thing. I am not in the force but I believe the more cops on the beat the better.
Sep 27, 2009 at 4:41 pm
The impression that I get is that the most visible services are the first to go, not because it is necessary, but because it can be more easily used for “OMG, panic we need higher taxes!!”. You don’t get the same panic when you lay off park department groundskeepers.
Sep 29, 2009 at 5:42 pm
In the Ghetto call Milwaukee the Mayor Tom Barrett is illgally breaking out labor contract, and furloughing us 4 days each, which will be a $1000 loss in pay from my family. In others cities they included the Unions and the Unions membership voted to accept the furloughs which is not our case, where it is just being imposed. He is lying my breaking a sworn written promise in the form of a contract and at the same time the claim there is “no money” to pay us they are, hiring new officers at a lower pay rate, civilian part timers to do our job, and even approved a measure to pay 5% about lowest bidder for city contracts if the business was inside the city, which is totally unnecessary if it were a “true economic crisis” please log on to my electrontic petition at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tombarrettisaliar/ and sign it it does not matter if you live in Milwaukee, I want to send this scumbag mayor a message that nobody agrees with him. Please help us. Stand up for police families.
Matthew Quist
Sep 30, 2009 at 7:55 am
One thing a lot of cities are doing is “dipping” into the LEOs retirement funds (to balance thier budgets)…and when the tab comes due for the officers…there’s no money there.
Amazing.
I know for a fact that Philly owed the PPD over SIX MILLION bucks for past wages and warranted O/T.
And that city’s almost broke as it is.
Many other cities are investigating the “use” of the funds, and possible city “tappings” into them.
We need public safety a helluva lot more than entitlement programs for lazy-asses…that’s for sure.
Oct 7, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Hi there! I just wanted to thank all of you for serving our country so bravely. Too many people take you for granted. I really look up to you guys. Thanks again!
Oct 10, 2009 at 6:07 pm
My husband is a police officer in the IL south burbs. So far no lay offs have been suggested, no pay cuts or benifit cuts have been introduced… The fear that someday it might come to that is still processed in our day to day existence… The streets need cops… Cops need cops… Cuts won’t benifit anyone, especially the tax payer.
Oct 15, 2009 at 6:12 pm
LAPD officers are about to get slammed. They are trying to get us to sign off on some serious slashes in benefits and a HUGE pay cut. No bonus pay at all, and all overtime to be compensated through time off and not cash.
The proposal would save the city of Los Angeles over $100 million next year.
They plan on continuing to hire new recruits to meet attrition needs…. Which is a joke because everyone knows it’s just a political move for the mayor so he can claim that he put more cops on the street during his term…..
good times
Oct 17, 2009 at 11:02 pm
“here in phoenix, we had to take a .85% pay cut.”
so in phoenix, where actual unemployment (counting the U-6 stat the government refuses to publish anymore) is over 15%, cops had to take a loss of .85%.
so a cop making 60K would be STRIPPED OF, FORCED TO TAKE, HAVE STOLEN FROM HIM…..a grand total of $510 a year. just a few cents shy of ten whole dollars a WEEK. my god. the horror. how WILL the poor cops survive? and “overtime dramatically reduced”!!” will they have to wait 3 years instead of 2 before trading in the car for a newer one? will they have to wait till ribeye goes on *sale* before they stock up? as if they were mere common civilians?? i’m almost in tears as i write – this is EXACTLY like when the okies had to walk away from their farms and move, penniless, to california back in the depresssion.
still got the fabulous *bennies* and the gold-plated *pension*, though, right, boys?
if you want pity, give us a call when you have a *third* of your people laid off. or all your benefits dropped. or 50% pay cuts. REAL problems, like “CIVILIANS” have to deal with.