PAX Centurion - September / October 2014

Page 18 • PAX CENTURION • September/October 2014 617-989-BPPA (2772) Gubernatorial candidates Charlie Baker and Martha Coakley respond to BPPA questionnaire 1. Do you support and would you fully staff and fund the Joint Labor-Management Committee’s process for lawful resolutions to the collective bargaining disputes that can arise in contract negotiations between municipal management and police & fire unions? 2. The Boston Police Department in 1994 was stripped of the concurrent jurisdiction in law enforcement on MassPort Proper- ties located within the City of Boston. Concurrent jurisdiction that had existed for decades. That change in law gave exclusive jurisdiction at LoganAirport, as well as all other MassPort prop- erties located within the City of Boston, to the Massachusetts State Police. All residential 911 calls within the South Boston Waterfront and Seaport District, as well as the ability to enforce and investigate crimes within the South BostonWaterfront and Seaport District and other MassPort properties within the City of Boston, is restricted by law to the Massachusetts State Police. However, Boston EMS and Boston Fire still routinely respond to all 911 emergencies within the South BostonWaterfront and Seaport District andAirport. The residents of the City of Boston living or working in, as well as those non-residents who work within the South BostonWaterfront and Seaport District are, by law, prohibited from receiving the same service and protec- tions as all other residents of, and visitors to, the rest of City of Boston. In the Marathon Terrorist Attacks, Post 9/11 world we live in, this situation of restricted law enforcement is untenable. With the limited personnel resources of the Massachusetts State Police and their vast jurisdictional requirements outside the City of Boston, this insufficiency needs to be corrected. As the pri- mary police service within the City of Boston, the Boston Police Department’s command staff, it’s police unions, the Mayor, city councilors, and residents find this situation insupportable. However, MassPort and the Massachusetts State Police continue to fight all attempts to resolve this jurisdictional nightmare. Do you agree that the Boston Police Department must have exercise full police jurisdiction on all MassPort Properties within the City of Boston?Will you file and support legislation (requires legislative fix) to resolve this dangerous situation? 3. Media and political efforts to replace police officers at road con- struction sites in Massachusetts with civilians flagmen has failed to produce a safer working environment for workers or vehicular and pedestrian traffic, nor has it resulted in any cost savings. On a daily basis hundreds of Boston Police Officers assigned to construction site details are deployed, at no costs to Boston taxpayers and they help supplement the police presence through- out the neighborhoods of Boston. Federal HighwayAdministra- tion studies, which were authorized by the late Congressman Joe Moakley, have concluded that police officers offer the best protection for workers, pedestrian and vehicular traffic in and around a construction work zone. The study also indicated that Massachusetts had the safest road construction sites in the nation because of the practice of police details. Would you support and/or sign any law, CMR, regulation, ordinance or law that would replace uniformed police officers on traffic details in and around construction sites with civilian flag- gers? 4. Massachusetts General Law Chapter 150E requires both public employers and employees to collectively bargain any changes to hours, wages or conditions of employment. Will you veto any attempt to restrict or remove any of the protec- tions under this law. 5. Do you support private college security forces having the power (MGL Chapter 90) to stop motor vehicles on Boston city streets and public ways? 6. Do you support automated traffic cameras for capturing pictures of traffic violations and issuing citations by a third party? 7. Will you support and work with the public worker unions in efforts to collectively bargain health insurance costs and any plan design changes? 8. Massachusetts State TruckingAssociation has undertaken efforts to limit the City of Boston’s enforcement of Federal Motor Car- rier Safety Regulations (FMCRs) on Boston’s streets. This is ef- fort contrary to Department of Homeland Security programs and training efforts. Scores of dangerous cargos are carried through streets of Boston daily in order for trucking companies to save money cutting through the city to reach north or south shore destinations. This creates serious threats to public safety and puts the lives and health of our residents and visitors at high risk. Will you support the Boston Police Department’s Truck Team enforcement of FMCRs and Boston city ordinances within the streets of Boston? 9. Massachusetts Public Pension Systems are administrated in a professional, prudent, and efficient manner. They have in recent years undergone legislative “reforms” that have tightened up an already well-run public retirement system by closing potential loopholes and modernizing retirement benefits. Official govern- ment and private actuarial studies have confirmed that today’s public employees largely fund most of their future retirement benefits. Do you support the defined benefit pension plans that public employees & employers currently fund in Massachusetts? 10. Do you support the unbiased and neutrally influenced civil ser- vice examination and testing of candidates for entry and promo- tion in police services? Questionnaire compiled by James Barry, BPPA Legislative Agent