PAX Centurion - April / June 2016

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • April-May-June 2016 • Page 33 and go home safely at the end of the day. We, as police officers, are “jacks-of-all-trades” but masters of none. We are expected to accept more and more responsibilities that used to be borne by parents and teachers, and then we end up criticized more because everyone likes to be a Monday-morning quarterback. Everyone thinks that they could do a better job, especially when they are not the ones backed into a corner or forced into a situation that causes them to make a split-second decision that could be a matter of life and death. Next on the agenda, jurisdiction and the Seaport District: As most of you know, one of my pet peeves while I was a member of the BPPA leadership team was the fact that we, the Boston Police, have no jurisdiction in an area of the city that is obviously part of a specific Boston neighborhood. This is absolutely ridiculous; no other state or city police agency is subjected to this situation. Why an amicable solution cannot be worked out is even more ridiculous. Apparently, the legislature does not want to deal with this vexing problem. The State Police think this is all over details; as we know, it isn’t. The issue here is pure common sense; public safety and liability in case of an emergency. The Boston Fire Department and Boston EMS respond to emergencies in the Seaport and the bars and restaurants are granted City of Boston licenses. It makes no sense that the Boston Police Department doesn’t even have concurrent jurisdiction in a neighborhood of Boston. Commissioner Evans has been attempting to work with the legislature to attain joint jurisdiction, but they are not listening to him. I will give him anA-plus on his efforts to achieve this. South Boston State Representative Nick Collins has filed the bill with language in it that will give us concurrent jurisdiction in the Seaport; but it will never be let out of the public safety committee (through no fault of his own) at the State House; which means it dies a slow death. Some noted politicians, like Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, have refused to take a stance on this issue giving lip service to the issue. Members of your association and mine have asked her and she refuses to give a straight answer on this topic. The Boston City Council wants to deal with the issue, but Massport (the state) does not have to answer to the council so they are dismissive to them and the Mayor. Massport operates within the City of Boston with virtually no oversight by any city entity. Massport’s answer to all of this is to build parks in areas of the city that serve to remove the property from the tax rolls and then police it with their own police department, thus taking work and future jobs away from all of us. Unfortunately, the public is easily fooled by what are presented as “free gifts” from a quasi-public agency with little oversight. Something else on the topic of jurisdiction: if the State Police do not like us, Boston police officers, doing details on their roadways, then why are they always on ours? In the past several weeks, I’ve witnessed Troopers doing details that are clearly on City of Boston streets and again like the schools, as I listen to my portable radio, I’ve heard multiple officers call off that the State Police were on scene. Why are the troopers coming to a shooting on a side street in Jamaica Plain?Also, if they do not want us enforcing traffic laws on their roadways, then why are they sitting on Bunker Hill Street or in Sullivan Square in Charlestown doing Chapter 90 stops? There are lots of roadways that are under their control where they can be doing this. If you see a trooper on our roadway doing a detail, call for a supervisor and have them address the issue. If the shoe was on the other foot you would be confronted and asked why you were doing work on their jurisdiction. In closing, I respect that the State Police have a job to do: like us, they are trying to go to work, make a good life for themselves and their families, and get home safely at the end of the day. However, why are there so many of them within the Boston city limits and so few of them in the more rural areas of the state where they may be needed more by smaller towns with fewer resources?As the saying goes, if you see something, say something! Remember, go on the air and request a supervisor, it’s your work and your job security. It is my opinion that Mayor MartyWalsh needs to get involved because eventually something is going to go wrong and he will not have a say in its outcome, he is not the State Police’ employer. They do not answer to him, the City Council, or any community group in this city. The Boston Police Department has worked extremely hard to build strong relationships with community leaders, the clergy, and the people who live in the neighborhoods of the city. With the state police responding to a larger number of calls within the city, do you think that if something went badly they would be showing a video to the clergy of what had transpired?Absolutely not! Governor Baker and the legislature are the only people they answer to. During the writing of this article, Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarantino was shot and killed. Please keep Officer Tarantino and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Remember to watch out for each other, back each other up and most importantly, go home safe at the end of the day. Guess who? Name this BPPA member – Pictures are scattered throughout this issue of the PAX – first correct response to rcolburn@bppa.org wins a $50.00 Dunkin Donuts gift card. If NO correct responses, the now-grown-up member wins!