PAX Centurion - January / February 2014

Page 30 • PAX CENTURION • January/February 2014 617-989-BPPA (2772) The number of officers who use FLSA comp time will impact the number of officers who must be granted a contractual comp time shift. (Note that officers will likely earn less FLSA comp time with the introduction of the 28 day work period, so the number of occur- rences where FLSA comp time “bumps” contractual comp time will be minimal). In units and districts of 25 or more, on weekdays 2 FLSA comp day requests will be granted without impacting the right of 4 officers to request contractual comp time (each FLSA day request over 2 reduces the number of contractual comp time requests that must be granted by one). On weekends, and at all times during high season, 1 FLSA comp day request will be granted without impacting the right of officers to be granted contractual comp time. In units or districts with less than 25 officers assigned, 1 FLSA comp day request will be granted without impacting the right of officers to be granted contrac- tual comp time. One additional caveat, the department may deny comp time requests “where the Police Commissioner determines that staffing levels must be temporarily increased to meet public safety needs. This includes but is not limited to the following events/circumstances: First Night, Boston Marathon, Caribbean Festival, July 4 th , major sporting events, major cultural events, and weather emergencies.” One additional note – prior to theAward, the department unilater- ally stopped the practice of “rounding up” all WI work to a full shift. While that practice is now changed by the award, the Union filed an unfair labor practice over the unilateral change. Pursuant to a settle- ment agreement, the Department is obligated to “make whole” all of- ficers who were denied a full roll-up prior to the award. These monies should be paid in January, 2014. While this all sounds complicated, and we’ve no doubt there will be issues with implementation, it is, for the first time, a system that will not allow local commanders to administer different rules for granting comp time requests. It is our understanding that the Depart- From Comp Time on page 28 The comp time section of the Arbitration Award – What it means for you ment has already initiated training for Captains on their obligations under the new system. Once fully implemented, the new system will ensure fairness. As always, the BPPA will be vigilant in making sure that the Department is properly running the new system. If you be- lieve that your rights under the new system are being violated, contact your rep immediately. ment Memorial and a social event following. This year another name of a Boston Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty will be added to the NLEOMWall. He is Donegal, Ireland native John Lynch who succumbed in 1944 from injuries that occurred in performance of his duties. Each year in March, we hold our Annual Awards Banquet which is a consistent sellout. At this time we have our installation of incom- ing Officers. We also present our “Man of theYear” and “Officer(s) of theYear” and other awards. It is a time for the celebration of our accomplishments and a time of reflection of our losses. These are two things we refuse to forget. Although our list of accomplishments in Law Enforcement continues to grow, so does the price we pay. Of the more than 19,000 names on the Law Enforcement Officers Memo- rial Wall inWashington DC, statistics provided by the NLEOM themselves show a third of the names to be of Gaelic descent. In the Boston Police Department’s Headquarters a wall is also dedicated to the heroes who gave their life for the City, with many more who can trace their roots to “the bogs of Ireland.” Join the your Emerald Society and help keep the tradition alive! – Robert “Doc”Welby, President, The Emerald Society From Emerald Society on page 20 Proud of our heritage – Emerald Society of the BPD The true story of the chicken gun Sometimes it does take a rocket scientist! S cientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch standard four pound dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the space shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields. British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the British engineers. When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer’s back-rest in two, and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin, like an arrow shot from a bow. The horrified Brits sent NASA the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the U.S. scientists for
suggestions. NASA responded with a one-line memo -- “Defrost the chicken.” (This is a true story.)