Last week I wrote about the police union's negotiations with the City of Woodstock, or rather I alluded to the on-going negotiations.
The contract between the City and the officers of the Woodstock P.D. expired about three months ago, and the officers have continued to work without a contract. I have learned that cops cannot strike; i.e., they apparently cannot walk out and leave the City of Woodstock without local police protection.
Just why is there is no new contract? Without the leverage of a strike, what can they do to come to an agreement with the City?
One thing they could do is "slow down." Each officer could stop his squad car to read the in-car computer for call assignments, and only after proceeding (at the speed limit) to a safe stopping place, which at night would mean in a well-lighted, public place such as the Jewel parking lot or the parking lot of a convenience store. Why should he try to read the computer in a moving car or pull over in a nearby dark, secluded place? (The use of "his" here is not meant to disregard Woodstock's female police officer, who is entitled to every respect and privilege granted to the male officers.)
He could also find a safe stopping place before picking up the microphone and responding to the dispatcher's call to advise a need for police services. That ought to add 3-4-5 minutes to response time.
When running "hot", he could come to a full stop at intersections where he must cross against a red light. And remain fully stopped until absolutely, 100% certain that every driver within two blocks has seen his red flashing lights and heard the siren (assuming both are in use, which may be the topic of another story).
And, when he arrives at the "scene of the crime", he could wait at a safe distance until adequate back-up arrived. Of course, in Woodstock, that might mean waiting for additional response by the sheriff's department, Illinois State Police or whatever. "Adequate" is defined in the mind of the arriving officer, as he assessed the danger to himself. There are, no doubt, many times when all other on-duty officers are already on calls, and so the assigned officer must respond alone or make a traffic stop without immediate back-up.
An officer could take all the time he needs to write, and re-write, his report of each and every call until it would satisfy a professor with a Ph.D. in English Composition. That ought to add 2-3 hours to each call.
This type of "slow down" would paralyze police services in Woodstock.
Another option is for the City to engage in meaningful negotiations with the union representatives and get the Contract written and signed.
The cops have to be reasonable, too. If money is a problem, you put the budget on the table and say, "We have this much money. There ain't no more. This is what we have to work with this year." And then the entire City participates in cutbacks or gives up their dream list, certainly including senior departmental personnel and City Hall administrators.
The City's finances will be worse next year and the next, as Assessed Valuations of real estate, and correspondingly property taxes, begin to go down. Hopefully, the City of Woodstock will not operate like State Government in Springfield and the Federal Government, offering and promising everything to everyone with no ability to pay for it.
© 2008 GUS PHILPOTT
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3 comments:
I'd have a real serious problem if I found out that I dialed 911 because someone was endangering the lives of my family and the police took 20 minutes to respond because of a union action. I think I'd lose all trust in them.
A slowdown is just fine on reports and administrative tasks. But responding to emergency calls or keeping pulled over cars at the side of the road for unnecessary amounts of time involves the citizens in a way that is dangerous in the former and aggravating in the latter, which does not win them any sympathy for their case.
If I were in such a situation I would make it a point to attend the next city council meeting to speak and tell the city that police who are incapable of answering an emergency call in a timely manner or police who need a car to wait a half an hour at the side of the road before approaching it (I often have a small child in my car with me, not that I've ever been pulled over recently) are obviously not working to any sort of high standard that would make them deserving of any pay or benefits increase whatsoever, regardless of what it is they are seeking in their contract negotiations.
Why is inconveniencing someone an issue? Because a lot of police work depends on the public trust. Lose it, and they won't be able to do their jobs as effectively when they need help from the citizens.
There's a reason they can't go on strike. A partial slowdown, one that affects the department operations without endangering the citizens of the town would probably be beneficial to them, but a full slowdown is just a way to go on strike while still clocking in and collecting a check, and would be just as wrong.
Bill, thanks for your good and well-written comments.
All of the above "slow down" steps could be considered as appropriate safety steps.
We have the fast response times that we do, because officers read their in-car computers while the vehicle is moving, hurry (usually safely) against red lights and stop signs, and write reports quickly (sometimes omitting information necessary to successful prosecution in court).
I invite you to show up at the next City Council meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 2, and urge that the City complete its contract negotiations with the P.D.
If my "sideline" experience with the City of Woodstock is an example of how they take care of business and take care of their city tax payer paid lawyers I would venture to say the patrol officers might have a contract, if lucky, by 2015. The mounting legal fees incurred by the city's attorneys will be paid promptly upon receipt of the bill...so much for a budget and priorities. They might be better of with a federal mediator from a financial point of view. I am surprised that the citizens of Woodstock put up with this kind of nonsense on the part of the City. Seems the tactic of delay, delay, and further delay is a modus operandi used to affect and financially hurt not only people enganged in litigation with the City but also their own loyal patrol officers who put their lives on the line everyday and night....sad...isn't it.
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