That produces an immediate reduction in costs for the county, but still leaves taxpayers absorbing future cost increases. But there are also far too many cases of police officers who abuse their positions and are protected by powerful police unions. After he won, they got their expressway back, along with a new contract. 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. In 2019, more than 1,200 officers nearly half the force took home over $200,000 a year. Mr. Trotta opposed the police contract, calling it unsustainable at a time of fiscal crisis. The activists found his suggestions absurd. Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. They even have their own version of the American flag its black with a blue line running down the center, representing the idea that the thin blue line they embody is all that separates civilization from anarchy. The money was taken from the sewer fund by voter referendum last year to fill shortfalls in the county's general fund. I have a feeling its going to be like Nassau where people where people were disappointed with their grades. A Performance Audit of Hope for Youth, Inc. A Performance Audit of H.E.L.P. Contract; Education Benefits. 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. Suffolk County Police Memorial Service: 11 AM on Friday, May 10th at SCPD HQ, Yaphank. I can investigate the Police Department.. Detectives promoted before 2013 will keep their four-step system. If we could cut that in half, thats significant, Mr. Kaiman said. In 1974, police officers and firefighters in New York got an additional boost from a new provision in the Civil Service Law that gave them compulsory binding arbitration if they reached an impasse in a contract dispute. In either case, the county will have a hard time getting employees to pay more for an expense thats jumped more than 40 percent in six years. At his trial, witnesses described a union official coaching officers to lie to cover up Mr. Burkes crimes. There are more than 18,000 policing organizations in the United States. At the time, those costs represented 15% of the total county budget. Then another. Working weekly. Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda on a variety of family and criminal law topics, including custody and visitation, neglect . Ms. Kaufman was a clinical social worker who joined a Black-led community coalition called LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety, which was helping to put together an alternative police reform called The Peoples Plan. Yet that corrupt operation was intimately connected to the police unions that he and so many other politicians have been forced to make peace with by election time. But the union kept collecting special assessments of $1 a day from officers, which eventually funded the super PAC they established, the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. That super PAC is generally funded by contributions from law enforcement. We have to negotiate contracts or arbitrate them.. These agreements represent a major milestone that protect the taxpayer and are fair to the hardworking men and women who ensure our public safety and help operate county government, Mr. Bellone said in a statement. At Suffolk County's widest point the distance from the Long Island Sound to the Southern shore is only 26 miles. 0000000016 00000 n Neither bill was voted on Tuesday. Terms of the 2019-2024 contract for the Suffolk County Detective Investigators Police Benevolent Association, which represents 51 detectives assigned to the county district attorneys office, mirror those of other law enforcement contracts, officials said. Samuel Gonzalezs (D-Brentwood) bill, based on similar legislation in 63 California municipalities, would prohibit smoking in units. Anyone can read what you share. Mr. Trotta and the activists did not see eye-to-eye on much. Allies of Mr. Bellone say he is rude, hypocritical and prone to exaggeration. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/opinion/police-suffolk-county-unions.html, Illustration by Erik Carter. Long Island has a rich and enduring legacy of corruption. For one thing, its hard to know just what lawmakers were agreeing to, because the AME and PBA contracts were memorandums of agreement that modified existing deals. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy. 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. 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. 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. It was on one of those calls that Mr. Trotta encountered other people railing about the power of police unions liberal activists. The system works, but very slowly.. In 2011, the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association backed Steve Bellone. Others say, As long as Im making $250,000 a year, I dont care.. Who We Represent Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises areguaranteedto materialize. Nor did it surprise activists who demanded justice for Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean migrant who was stabbed to death by high school students. 31-2022 Change in Mental Health Providers, Annual Notice of Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, AEM 25-2021 EMHP - Important Changes Regarding Infusion Site of Care, AEM 23-2021 EMHP 24/7 NurseLine & Sydney Health App, AEM 05-2021 Extended Weekly Schedule for Drive-Through Rapid testing.pd, SPECIALIST CO-PAYMENTS AND OUT-OF-NETWORK DEDUCTIBLE FOR MEDICAL/SURGICAL BENEFITS, IN-NETWORK PROVIDERS UTILIZING OUT-OF-NETWORK LABS, HEALTH BENEFITS ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD October 15. Theres some truth to that. The PBA MOA modified a. . 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. In 2024, they will get 1.5% raises in January and July. The activists saw racism as the reason people in Black and Latino communities got stopped at higher rates. Railing about the influence of the police union in Suffolk County is like railing against the moon in the sky. Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. The County negotiated a six-year agreement with the Suffolk County PBA that would result in the lowest level of raises for Police Officers in decades. It was true. Lawmakers voted to give health care workers discounted Green Key cards until April 2022. While private sector unions have withered, police unions have flourished, supported by Democrats, who champion labor rights, and Republicans, who champion law and order. Theres nothing in ours that nobody else has, Gallagher said. Natalie Wright, of Central Islip, as economic development commissioner. CreditIllustration by Erik Carter. Until they post the scores from the 2019 exam the other list is still active, Anyone else bursting at the seams to find out their grade? 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. Buildings Operations, Maintenance & Custodial. This page was generated at 08:27 PM. Language in the SCOPE deal requires the parties to find additional savings to prevent the deal from expiring in 2023 or 2024 instead of 2025, but the countys only recourse from runaway costs will be reducing expenses through binding arbitration or moving employees to the New York State Health Insurance Plan. *The final vote count has not yet been posted but at least 16 of the 18 legislators voted for the three measures. They lied like rugs, he told me. Protesters began demanding that politicians stop taking money from the police. Politicians bellyache that compulsory binding arbitration is bankrupting their communities by handing power over police salaries to an unelected, police-friendly arbitrator. 0000002407 00000 n We will prob hear late November/December hopefully! 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. Copyright 2023 Newsday. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Never Alone Never Afraid, Inc. In June 2019, while in office, the prior presiding officer of the Suffolk Co. legislature claimed that he was threatened by corrupt individuals, that he spoke with the FBI about corruption in Suffolk Co. and that the FBI acknowledged it. The root of the evil is the money.. Corruption continues to cast a particularly dark shadow over Suffolk County. Some legislators joked about Mr. Trottas obsession with taking him down. The lengths of the deals are themselves problematic. Bellone administration officials said the county ended up not needing the money. New York City schools reopened this fall under terms dictated by the city's teacher and principal unions. 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil - 8 PM on May 13th at the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets, NW. I believe that it is illegal and its unethical, Mr. McCarthy said of the $1-a-day political assessment that was taken out of his paycheck and sent to the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. Mr. Trotta talks about politics as broken because police unions donations have been able to purchase deference from politicians, leading to unsustainable salary increases. 0000001286 00000 n Click "Download Contract" to view the contract in PDF format. Suffolk County is home to some 1.5 million people, many of them current or former New York City police officers. Suffolk County Legislature Evans K. Griffing Building 300 Center Drive Riverhead, New York 11901 Phone: 631-852-1700 Fax: 631-852-1707 Directions Sign up to receive updates about Empire Center research, news and events in your email. 0000003668 00000 n Union leaders always outlast them. LIU is the only university on Long Island with a veterinary medicine school. A longstanding prohibition on police officers soliciting political donations from the public remains on the books, but appears to be rarely enforced. There are 1,700 police officers in Suffolk County. Detectives willreach that top step sooner, according toBudget Review'sreport. Yes. 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. On the other hand, maybe they hire lower scores. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Newer detective investigators will reach the top salary step in nine years instead of 10 as set out in the union's previous contract. Two of Albanys most-vetoed concepts are headed toward Governor Hochuls desk, this time concealed as a firefighter bill of rights.. For one thing, its hard to know just what lawmakers were agreeing to, because the AME and PBA contracts were memorandums of agreement that modified existing deals. The total cash compensation, which includes bonus, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $60,181 to $70,139 with the average total cash compensation of $64,407. I can't speak to exactly what grades they take, but they typically jump a few points lower than what the county is processing IF you have residency. For RFPs (Requests for Proposals): All other unions received new contracts in 2019 or early 2020. Albany, NY 12224, Phone: 518-434-3100 Mr. Kaiman explained that the agreement creates new copays, such as a $100 emergency room copay, and raises deductibles for those who opt for out-of-network providers. Its hard to imagine a starker illustration of the need to reinvent policing. 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. At least one officer was charged with systematically robbing undocumented drivers he pulled over. Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news. Hes a potent messenger, since he cant be smeared as anti-cop. About 30 people came to the legislator to support banning the box. But he could not get rid of the dirty police chief. - 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. My program includes push ups and sit ups every class and tons of upper body strength training. Many people did not finish the exam where I took it. The union also began collecting $2 a day from every officer to put toward an education fund to educate politicians about the importance of police patrols on the Long Island Expressway. Retha Fernandez,project director for the State of Black Long Island Equity Council, will work todiversify the workforce, Bellone announced in December. In many cases, reform plans are rolled out by the same politicians who once cozied up to police unions to get elected. **JUST MY TWO CENTS***, at the end of this year apparently about 50-60% of the department is eligible for retirement. 0000005769 00000 n 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. With the legislatures vote Tuesday to approve the detective investigators contract, all the countys nine bargaining units have contracts that will expire at the end of 2024. This brazen, premeditated robbery is a stark reminder of the lawlessness created by failed reform policies making it impossible to live here safely. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellone, That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association would like to congratulate our 2019-2020 Retirees, Medicare Premium Reimbursement Eligibility Audit Forms, Suffolk County Police Department Chaplains, Blue Line Wealth Management RPI Scholarship, Blue Line Wealth Management Catholic High School Scholarship, Blue Line Wealth Management College Scholarship, Police Reserves 2023 Scholarship Application, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives wont listen, 17 ARRESTS FOR SHOPLIFTING IN 13 MONTHS, ZERO CONVICTIONS, Ortt, other WNY leaders call for changes to bail reform, Suspect the poster child for bail reform problems, source says, Gov. Then another. Departments > Public Works > Bids and Contracts. Fiscal conservatives and liberal activists both want to curb the power of police unions in Suffolk County. The Suffolk County Office of Central Procurement oversees the Countys procurement processes. He was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to a year in confinement. Adding up the projected costs and savings of the three deals in each year (see below) show the countys expects to save more money than it pays out in raises during 2019, 2020, and 2021. The annual minimum contribution will be $1,500 and the maximum will be $3,750, increasing to $4,000 after five years. United For Justice In Policing Long Island, VisionMissionGuidingPrinciples Our HistoryThe Problem, In The NewsAnnouncementsEvents / RalliesFood For ThoughtDid You KnowPolling. Please click here for access to Suffolk County Bonfire Portal: https://suffolkcountyny.bonfirehub.com/. Eventually, he said, it dawned on him: The county doesnt run the police. Can they do it? The top base salary will be$174,000 a year by 2024, up from $155,000, Gallagher said. 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. Box 1500 The 2019 test *should* be a lot of hires due to new requirements of the new contract since the older members will not want to pay into their medical. Mr. Bellone appointed him anyway, after Mr. Spota vouched for Mr. Burke. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), who abstained on Tuesday'svote along with Legis. Even an officer who was criminally charged for falsifying time sheets walked away with a payout of $291,868. The revelation that officers lied shocked many on Long Island. Isle of Wight County. 0000001156 00000 n Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises are guaranteed to materialize. On March 11, the county unveiled its long-awaited plan for police reform. But they talked to him for three hours anyway. The police union spoke out against the bill. For the first time, Suffolk County employees will contribute toward their health care plan under a new agreement reached with County Executive Steve Bellone last week. In 2013, the department agreed to oversight from the Justice Department over its treatment of Latinos, which mandated the department to collect data on racial disparities in traffic stops, forcing the department to admit it had a problem. Credit: Heather Walsh. of either driver is asked to call Suffolk Police at . Click the graphic above for the full interview. The AME contract runs through December 2024 and the PBA and SCOPE deals run through December 2025. Mr. Spota was once a police union lawyer. 0000001377 00000 n 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. That means the winners of the next two general elections for county legislature will already be committed to the terms. But that same logic beat back an attempt to unionize the American military. Eye-popping a sum as that might seem, its par for the course in Suffolk County. 0000004429 00000 n I was reading the county charter about what a legislator does. 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. Still waiting. Police commissioners come and go. Really curious how the scores will play out on this exam compared to others, Copyright 1996-2021, Officer Media Group, Endeavor Business Media - Public Safety Interactive. The activists mostly ignored him. Hes full of praise for the rank and file. Please help support the brave men and women of the Deputy Sheriffs PBA and the great work they do for the people of Suffolk County! A fiscal conservative in a deep-red district, Mr. Trotta won handily, even though the union hated him. Press@EmpireCenter.org. 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 1983, police unions in New York successfully lobbied to amend a law that barred them from donating to politicians. The Hochul Administration published a pair of documents concerning the Micron Megafab deal that raise more questions than they answer. That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. For one thing, its hard to know just what lawmakers were agreeing to, because the AME and PBA contracts were memorandums of agreement that modified existing deals. 2020 through December 15, 2020, AEM 2020-19 Coverage and Dependent Eligibility Audit (1) 8.4.20, AEM 2020-18 EMHP Tele-medicine Provider (1) 7.31.20, AEM 2020-14 Out-of-Network Annual Physical Changes (1) 5.22.20, AEM 2020-13 COVID-19 EMHP COVERAGE CHANGES (1) 4.24.20, AEM 2020-06 Tele-Medicine - Coronavirus (1) 3.13.20, AEM 2020-06 Part 2 ADHC_coronavirus_stop_the_spread 2 (1), AEM 2020-01 EMHP Important Change to your Acupuncture & Occupational Therapy Benefits 1.29.20, Eligibility Audit for Coverage and Dependents 8/04/20, Prescription Reimbursement PBA Benefit Fund, Important Information Regarding the Cyber Attack, Outside Resource: LEO Support Group offered as a resource to SCPD officers, Self-Care Videos- Exercise, Yoga, Meditation, Time Managment Technique and Goal Setting. Something changed last summer, after George Floyds death. Tara Smith is a multimedia reporter who joined the Times Review Media Group in 2018, covering everything from local government and environmental issues to breaking news and features. Did anyone recieved their scores? As hated as Mr. Trotta is among the political establishment, many of his former colleagues respect him. personnel in 2015. a union official coaching officers to lie. The six-year PBA deal will result in the lowest police raises in decades, averaging at 1.8%. In 2012, he flew to Costa Rica to testify in court in a money-laundering case. As a detective, he uncovered drug dealers in places others didnt think to look. All rights reserved. And it said in it, Investigate any department you wish. My eyes lit up. Other politicians, particularly those allied with Mr. Bellone, call Mr. Trotta a toxic character, a bomb-thrower, a hypocrite or a loon. But his reasoning the police unions political donations caught the ear of an activist named Emily Kaufman. 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 . This lottery was done in 2019 for people who took the Spanish speaking test in 2016 and scored an 85. As far as I know, any village in Suffolk county will make you go through the academy again. On November 20, 2012, the Highway Patrol Bureau resumed patrolling and answering all 911 calls for service . 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. Now people in the county are watching the reform process play out, to see whether thats still true. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. He was one of just two county legislators, both Republicans, who took no police money. Just giving my best advice for anyone that will take it, Civil Service has removed the old eligible list from their websiteexpect the new one soon, They usually post it before Christmas. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellonestandard practicefor New York public employers. The bathroom in his office is decorated with rows of articles from the Long Island newspaper Newsday about corruption in the county. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Unless legislators were presented with all four documents, they had no way of seeing what they were actually committing to. That scandal, which led to the conviction of the powerful district attorney, Thomas Spota, who was scheduled to be sentenced this month, and the head of his anti-corruption unit underscored how easy it can be for cops and politicians to get in bed together and turn law enforcement into a system of political favors and personal vengeance. Mr. Trotta kept in touch with the feds, feeding them things hed learned and trying to keep the case alive. That means they are not adverse to having a very important conversation about policing.. A member of the union sat on the reform task force. AEM NO. Mattituck, NY 11952, Site made in collaboration with CMYK Additional provisions of the contract include: Spoke with my trainer he knows I need to stay in shape to do the PAT. Then he added one that made Mr. Trotta smile: Investigate the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. But that raisewill cumulatively cost the county an additional $19 million, plus increased costs for benefits and overtime, according to the legislatures Budget Review Office. . 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. 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 Officers. Establishment Democrats avoided Mr. Trotta, but the socialists were intrigued. Mr. Trotta had loved being a cop. Its sometimes said that the county doesnt run the police; the police run the county. In every conversation, he found a way to bring it back to Jimmy Burke, one told me. In the 1960s, a series of debilitating public sector strikes across New York persuaded lawmakers to pass the Taylor Law, which outlawed strikes but granted access to a labor-friendly board that resolved disputes. Villages hire anyone with a passing grade 75 or better; but must be a resident of that area.. 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. 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. Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), questioned how the county would pay for such expensive contracts. For years, the feds couldnt prove it. Was browsing through the site and saw that lottery result for. Thats one reason police reform so often gets announced at news conferences but so rarely seems to occur in the real world. About 75%of county employees, excluding sworn law enforcement officers, are white, which is not reflective of the county population, Bellones office said. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellonestandard practice for New York public employers. trailer <]/Prev 215076>> startxref 0 %%EOF 58 0 obj <>stream Since then, the average salaries of the police and firefighters have risen far faster than other government employees, and well above the rate of inflation, according to E.J. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. But its not getting at this, he declared, holding up printouts about the unions political donations. He touts a new district attorney who set up a conviction integrity bureau to investigate wrongful convictions. The officers who saw the beating were too afraid to talk.
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