The New York Daily News by Jeanne Noonan - April 17, 2012
Local 1549 will rally outside City Hall in support of 'civilianization' of NYPD clerical jobs; Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. says cops behind desks 'makes no sense.'
City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. pushed for surveillance camera to be installed in an Astoria parking lot near his district office after local business owner Rosario DiMarco was mugged in the lot in January. He later installed a camera in the lot himself. Elected officials and union leaders, convinced cops should work on the streets and not behind desks, will rally outside City Hall on Wednesday. District Council 37 has long battled with the Bloomberg Administration to preserve civilian jobs in the NYPD. And while the city has filled some of those civilian jobs, members of Local 1549 says its not enough. The city and the union have a long and somewhat tortured history over these spots, including various legal actions. For years, many civilian workers were provisional employees and some of them lost their jobs when they were forced to pass civil service exams. Others say the city has let civilian employees of the NYPD go as a way to thin the payroll. “It’s a blame game,” said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.” But City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said the issue should be simple. “Civilianization makes sense from a financial standpoint and a public safety standpoint,” said Vallone. “It makes no sense to have the lowest patrol strength in 20 years while having 500 able-bodied police officers behind desks.” The NYPD has about 34,500 offices — a dramatic drop from 41,000 back in 2001. Despite several new police classes in recent years, the numbers can’t keep up with the scores of cops who retire. “This is the quickest way to get more cops on the beat,” said Vallone. “I would like to have a higher head count and more cops to be hired in the future. While we work on that, the easiest thing is to get them out from behind desks.” The city’s Independent Budget Office has crunched its own numbers. It said civilianization would help the city slash its hefty overtime price tag - budgeted for $418 million for FY2013. The rally is slated to start at 10:30 a.m.
Local 1549 will rally outside City Hall in support of 'civilianization' of NYPD clerical jobs; Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. says cops behind desks 'makes no sense.'
City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. pushed for surveillance camera to be installed in an Astoria parking lot near his district office after local business owner Rosario DiMarco was mugged in the lot in January. He later installed a camera in the lot himself. Elected officials and union leaders, convinced cops should work on the streets and not behind desks, will rally outside City Hall on Wednesday. District Council 37 has long battled with the Bloomberg Administration to preserve civilian jobs in the NYPD. And while the city has filled some of those civilian jobs, members of Local 1549 says its not enough. The city and the union have a long and somewhat tortured history over these spots, including various legal actions. For years, many civilian workers were provisional employees and some of them lost their jobs when they were forced to pass civil service exams. Others say the city has let civilian employees of the NYPD go as a way to thin the payroll. “It’s a blame game,” said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.” But City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said the issue should be simple. “Civilianization makes sense from a financial standpoint and a public safety standpoint,” said Vallone. “It makes no sense to have the lowest patrol strength in 20 years while having 500 able-bodied police officers behind desks.” The NYPD has about 34,500 offices — a dramatic drop from 41,000 back in 2001. Despite several new police classes in recent years, the numbers can’t keep up with the scores of cops who retire. “This is the quickest way to get more cops on the beat,” said Vallone. “I would like to have a higher head count and more cops to be hired in the future. While we work on that, the easiest thing is to get them out from behind desks.” The city’s Independent Budget Office has crunched its own numbers. It said civilianization would help the city slash its hefty overtime price tag - budgeted for $418 million for FY2013. The rally is slated to start at 10:30 a.m.
1 comment:
They have to occupy Albany. Oust the entire corrupt government. Anything else is like pissing on a forest fire.iduesdedigtng
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