PAX Centurion - November / December 2015

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • November/December 2015 • Page 7 Secretary’s Thoughts: Christopher J. Broderick, BPPA Secretary I realize that the state of society today has many of us wondering why the sworn officers in the biggest City in the State, the Capital City, are not better equipped. It would seem obvious that Boston would be a target based on the incredible historic value to the entire country, based on our successes as a City that enjoys thriving tourism and commerce, and most importantly because it has already happened here. Some may argue “What difference would long guns had of made during the Marathon.” Maybe they would be right, but I’m not so sure. If we look at the events surrounding those days inApril 2013 I recognize that having officers with long guns would not have stopped terrorists from placing pressure cookers within the crowd and allowing them to detonate and devastate so many innocent people’s lives. The question would be if between the 18 th and the 19 th would a better equipped Boston Police Department, with the proper training, been able to end the incident quickly. The tragedy in San Bernardino would have still have happened whether those officers had long guns or not. The terrorists were gone before the police were able to respond to the Inland Regional Center. The resulting gun battle that ended the terrorists’ ability to continue their twisted odyssey was over in what was essentially minutes as opposed to the extended chase, gun battles and search that officer and citizens endured those two days inApril. Is it possible that was because the officers in California were better equipped by their Counties, Cities and Departments? We have our Tactical Response Units. Two, three or maybe even four “Gun Cars” for a City that is nearly 50 square miles. The officers assigned to SWAT do a tremendous job with what they have but they can only do what they can do. At any given time one half of the SWAT team is off… off shift or on days off. History tells us they will respond when they are needed but will that be enough? Should an incident like what happened in Paris come here how would we respond? On duty SWAT units will surely be on scene… four, six or maybe eight members…will that be enough? The off-duty SWAT officers will respond as always… from their homes, from their beds… they will respond as quickly as humanly possible… but will that be enough?What would we do with multiple and simultaneous incidents throughout the City? It isn’t just long guns. There is equipment out there; Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs) AKA Tasers, for one. Tasers may cause deaths and the idea of a big yellow gun on a gun belt may be alarming to some but there is an upside to them that we do not focus enough on. CEW deployment shows a history of ending use of force incidents quickly and with limited injuries. The injuries for officers forced to make the decision to deploy a CEW drops dramatically. The police should not beAmerica’s punching bag, figuratively or literally, but when required to end a situation using force we do it. Isn’t it reasonable to equip an officer with something that dramatically decreases his risk of injury as well as the suspect?We have all seen the videos… they work. Are there tragedies involved in the deployment of CEWs?Yes. Those tragedies are a result of the bad guys’ actions not the responding officer’s reaction to those actions. What is the downside of equipping officers better? Some may read this and think “Do these guys want Bazookas and Tanks, too?” I don’t think we are there yet and therefore I don’t think it is fair to think that way. We simply want to be as well-equipped if not better than those we are asked to contend with. Train us, equip us and hold us accountable to the policies that are put in place with the implementation of these tools. The BPPA House of Representatives, as well as the other three bargaining units, recognize that we need this equipment, along with things like readily accessible and complete first aid kits and riot shields to properly protect the life and property of the City of Boston and the women and men that protect it. We will continue to advocate for the better equipping of our members. Accident and Disability Programs O ne of the ongoing issues the BPPA tries to help members with is Accident and Disability policies. Many of us buy these policies and pay on them for years. The day comes when we need them because of an accident or injury and find out we were sold a bill of goods that won’t pay off. The great majorities of those selling these policies do not tell you about Insurance Commission regulations or review your existing policies with you to see if you are able to carry and collect more than one. We take these policies in good faith thinking if we are sick or injured we can maintain caring for ourselves and families. When we do need them all we get is frustration. When this happens members will contact the Union Hall and ask for help. We can advise them or relay other’s experiences with particular companies but there has never been anyone the Union can reach out to. Based on that when we were approached by a company that is a broker of multiple vendors we sat down and talked with them. The Company, New England Benefits Connect, deals with City employees, particularly the Fire Department. After multiple conversations and meetings we have agreed to work with NEBC in helping them promote their products. By doing this we believe we can have a direct link for the member to get quick answers when issues arise and when possible expeditious resolutions to those problems. It essentially makes someone accountable to our members. NEBC is approved by the City of Boston to sell their products to employees, as are other groups and vendors. They will sell it whether we had worked with them or not. What they agreed to do for members is review what they currently have and make sure you are aware of what you have. They have agreed to help our members’ process claims through a helpline and website specific to members. For those that have wellness policies they will assist you in getting back any unredeemed but available money. We will stop short of endorsing their product based on the lack of real experience we have with it but it is important that you know we have done what we can to educate ourselves and will look forward to input, positive or negative, from our members so we can gauge the services of NEBC and advise the membership going forward.