PAX Centurion - September / October 2014

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • September/Octoberr 2014 • Page 11 Treasury Notes: David “Duke” Fitzgerald, BPPA Treasurer Thoughts and some rhetorical questions T he following are just some thoughts and considerations of what is going on around us within the Boston Police Depart- ment. These thoughts are just my own considerations and should not be taken as official positions of the B.P.P.A. nor the police department. Some of these thoughts were raised at the annual open meeting of the association on October 10, 2014 and some were not. And away we go. Ordered overtime A s I hope everyone is aware, the association has no control over overtime or minimum manning. We have no control over the issuing of permits for special events or parades. The only thing we control or supposed to control is how that overtime is issued out. This past summer was the worst summer I have ever seen for overtime. There was not one person in area B that was not doing a double the entire month of June. If you came into work, regardless of what shift it was, and had not done an eight hour detail or went to court, you were being ordered for the next shift. In many cases even of you went to court you were still going to be held over. Many officers who normally did not or do not do details began doing them just so they would not be ordered. That is a horrible way to have to live. In many cases this was being done because the boss’ did not want to be the one to have to order. I can appreciate that nobody wants to or likes to be the bad guy but when it is your job it is your job. Throughout the month of June, especially June this past year, I would receive calls from my members about being ordered. They would be explaining horror stories of how they have been working and then that they were just ordered for a last half. This would only enrage me. As their union representative I would place a call to the duty supervisor, regardless of who it was, and ask for an explanation of why this particular officer was being ordered. In most cases I would be told that when that Lt. or Sgt. Came into work they found out that they needed 18 people for a last half. That is just absurd to me. This same procedure would go on day after day. I understand that there is an absolute concern for public safety but there needs to be a better way to do things then wait until the last minute. When the recruits graduated from the academy things did get a little bit better but there is still ordering going on now in October, in area B anyway. New CAD System I s there any member of the patrol force who is in favor of the new CAD system that isn’t even working correctly? I know that this is a rhetorical system but it is asked anyway. This new system that cost the city/department crazy money to implement has already been dropped and canceled by the NewYork City police department. As I always like to say the NYPD is like our big brother so then why don’t we try and learn from their mistakes? Or is this just like real life growing up that we need to make the same mistakes that our brothers made so that we can learn for ourselves. Through this new system many members of the patrol force can no longer even log onto the computers in the cruisers. This is going to make our lives easier? Can anyone remember anything that this department has done to make our lives easier?Again a rhetorical question I guess. It is being said that the second phase of the new cad system is coming soon. I know that I was trained on the new cad system back in October of 2013 and pretty much remembers none of my training because I was never allowed to put it to use, the system never worked and still doesn’t. So when it does go on line who of us is going to know what to do? Another rhetorical question I guess. New batteries W hen we were issued our new radios we were all also issued two batteries. Each of these batteries would last for eight hours. In the instance that you either volunteered or were ordered for a double you would need both batteries. So it makes you wonder why there isn’t a battery out there that would last for 16 hours. Well what do you know? I was playing golf one day with a gentleman who just happened to know that I was a Boston police officer. In our conversation that day he explained to me that he was in the middle of trying to sell a battery to the city that fits our radios and lasts for 20 hours. This gentleman went on to say that he just sold some to Philadelphia and that he was going down to Miami the following week. When I asked him the question of what did Boston say to him he told me that they explained that they were broke. With that response I could only shake my head because I was not at all surprised and he generously told me that he was going to give me one to try out. I accepted that offer quite appreciatory and have been using that battery ever since. I now get three to all four tours without changing my battery. So I have to ask why the city doesn’t buy us these batteries that would make our lives a little easier. Rhe- torical once again? I understand that the city runs itself and controls its own busi- ness. I can appreciate that they do not want us sticking our noses into their business. However, when they are making decisions that affect our lives then it is our business. They are making decisions well in advance that could be life and death decisions. When you are out in the street with a dead battery that could be a life changer. With this new CAD system when you key your radio it no longer displays whose radio it belongs to. That also could be a life and death difference. When you are ordered to work more than eighteen hours consecu- tive and you carry a gun that too could be a life or death decision maker. So with just a couple of rhetorical questions a person has to won- der who with the city is looking out for the patrol force? We all know that the City is a business and conducts itself as one. They purchase everything on what is on sale. They buy the cheapest bullet proof vests, the cheapest radios, the cheapest batteries, so on and so forth. The only sure thing we have to protect ourselves is one another. Having said that look out for each other regardless of the district or the shift and let’s all remember one thing, let’s be careful out there.