Tulsa FOP never satisfied

[RecycleMichael]

This from Channel 8...

Tulsa's FOP Worried Over Mayor's New Budget  
Tuesday May 01, 2007 9:26pm   Reporter: Abby Ross    

Mayor's New Budget Includes Rate Hikes, Golf Cuts  
 
Tulsa - Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor laid out her plan for more police officers on the street. But, not everyone in uniform likes the idea. NewsChannel 8's Abby Ross spoke to officers, some who are worried about the big picture.

Most people like to see patrol cars in their neighborhood. But, under the mayor's proposed budget, some officers are worried they might not be there in the future. "We'll put more officers on our streets..."

That was Mayor Taylor's promise to the community one year ago. Now one year later, we ask you, do you think she lived up to that promise? "What has she done," asks Doug Sawyer. "Crime is rampant in North Tulsa. I have a concealed carry permit. I carry my own gun. She's not doing squat for me."

"I think she's doing all right," says Tom Cameron. "I think she's doing pretty good." Deputy Mayor Tom Baker showed us the numbers. Right now, the city has 815 sworn officers. It's only required to have 780. The city also has 37 extra positions to keep up with attrition. And under this year's budget proposal, the city would get 20 more officers from the academy. "We're not taking away anything," Baker says. "In fact, we're adding to it. We added to it from last year and we're adding to it this year."

But, the Fraternal Order of Police disagrees. President Darin Filak tells us last year, the city had two academy classes, putting forty more officers on the streets. He says if the mayor only allows one, that means a weaker police presence in neighborhoods. Attrition is two officers a month," Filak says. "So, in effect, we'll have four less officers on our streets than we do now because of them canceling the second academy class."

The FOP is considering going to the council themselves. Officers will meet Wednesday night. The council must approve the budget by June 23rd.

The police department got bigger pay raises than the fire department and public works employees. The Parks department got layoffs.

I hate that the golf courses where I play golf are closing, but I understand why. Someone explain to the police FOP that people are tired of their whining.

[MichaelC]

The Police should be patrolling Page Belcher.  That course is murder.

[iplaw]

RM:

What is it with you and the police department?  I don't really care one way or the other, but you seem to be consistently very critical of them.  What gives?  Have you been personally affected by them...did they touch you in a bad place?

[RecycleMichael]

It is pretty obvious, huh? It does go way back.  

I remember the way they treated Susan Savage when she was Mayor. The union just spread lies about her. The way they treated Bill LaFortune was equally bad. They endorsed anybody but him.

Now they go to the media and complain about Kathy Taylor.

That is why I titled the thread this way. It doesn't seem to matter who the mayor is or what they do for the FOP, they still whine.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

It is pretty obvious, huh? It does go way back.  

I remember the way the treated Susan Savage when she was Mayor.

The FOP pretty much dealt her out of the game when they prevented her from removing some bad cops in 2002:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=000628_Ne_a9rulin

How many other city departments can do that?

[guido911]

paging NSUGRAD...

[rwarn17588]

For all the machismo that police try to project, its union paradoxically seems to do an awful lot of whining.

[sgrizzle]

I like cops.

I generally distrust the FOP.

The do have a point that they should lose 2.2 cops per month (about 26) but only hire 20 when the complaint has been "not enough officers."

The minimum requirement is too low.

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

It is pretty obvious, huh? It does go way back.  

I remember the way they treated Susan Savage when she was Mayor. The union just spread lies about her. The way they treated Bill LaFortune was equally bad. They endorsed anybody but him.

Now they go to the media and complain about Kathy Taylor.

That is why I titled the thread this way. It doesn't seem to matter who the mayor is or what they do for the FOP, they still whine.

I have the same distrust of unions you do...I gather you don't have a problem with the police, just their union leadership, which is fair...

[MichaelC]

The FOP certainly has a case that their underpaid.  Maybe understaffed.  But as long as there is little federal and state funding for intercity PDs, they'll ALWAYS have that case.

The city's tax base isn't growing at the rate of the financial responsibilites of the city.  And barring temporary miracle fixes or a major initiative from the Fed or State, TPD will always be underfunded.

Here's a thought though.  If the FOP is really interested in hiking wages and building up staffing, how about approaching the Mayor with the idea of a private/public partnership to build an endowment exclusively to help fund our TPD.  Think out of the box.  Be proactive, instead of tearing everything down.

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

I have the same distrust of unions you do...I gather you don't have a problem with the police, just their union leadership, which is fair...[/quote]

I know many officers...like 'em all.

My father was a Tulsa police officer during the 60's and 70's.

Yes, my beef is with the union tactics.

[patric]

They could always try Corporate Sponsorship...

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2839440/show/17671

[Breadburner]

The last thing we need is more firemen.....

[TulsaSooner]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael
The police department got bigger pay raises than the fire department and public works employees. The Parks department got layoffs.

Public Works and all other non-union employees.

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

RM:

What is it with you and the police department?  I don't really care one way or the other, but you seem to be consistently very critical of them.  What gives?  Have you been personally affected by them...did they touch you in a bad place?

AMEN!!

Michael is mad because the FOP (a union) negotiates on behalf of its members.  The members, in this case police officers, pay for everything the FOP does, including everything related to negotiations and employment.  Yet, he won't recognize that state law prohibits the FOP from representing non-sworn police officers.  He won't recognize other city employees don't have the courage to form their own union and negotiate pay raises for themselves.  Then gets mad when the FOP negotiates pay raises for its members and expects other city employees, who pay no dues to the FOP for its costs related to negotiations, don't get the same raises.  Then, won't recognize that all city employees got 8-10% pay raises this year, all because the FOP was able to negotiate pay raises for police officers, which the city then extended to all other employees.  Did any other city employee pay one red cent towards the cost of negotiations or arbitration this year?  It cost the FOP in the area of $20K or more.

Our new Mayor, who touts herself as the public safety mayor, has not done one thing since she has been in office to promote public safety.

In one Tulsa World article she says the next chief must do something about community based policing and getting officers to patrol in neighborhoods.  There is obviously a disconnect as to what community based policing is.  Community based policing says patrol officers must have at least 70% of their work time free to do community based things.  Yet with Tulsa manpower the way it is, police rarely have 20% free, even on a good day.  If you don't have enough personnel in order to generate the free time to do community based policing, how do you then say officers must do community based policing?  When?  During the five minutes of free time I had two weeks ago?

Then in another article, she (or her office) talks about how they are adding to the ranks of police by holding one police academy this year of 20 officers.  That is not adding to the ranks when the police always do two classes each year of at least 20.  If you start with 20, you will never finish with 20.  And during that one year it takes to get those officers out on their own, you have lost 25-30.  That is going backwards, not forwards.  

Once again, this city has a budget presented by the mayor that is the largest in the city's history, increased by $20M more then last year,  a 3.7% increase.  With inflation currently running about 2.5%, it all comes down to priorities.

The FOP is concerned about fighting crime.  They want to see crime go lower then it is.  Tulsa is at the bottom of the list for just about everything related to police except for education, which is at the top.  Police staffing in Tulsa is horribly low when you look at police per population compared to other large cities.  But, as I have said numerous times before, until citizens complain about crime, your city government will choose to spend money elsewhere.

If you are satisfied with the mayor's budget proposal, including the amount of money that goes towards public safety, by all means, call your city counselor and urge them to vote in favor.  If you are not satisfied with where money is being spent, then by all means, call and complain.  If you don't do either, don't b*tch!