Nov 30, 2012 11:17 AM
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Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office confirmed this week that its investigation of the Southampton Town Police Department is continuing, with a focus on what the lead investigator described as years of “troubling” policies and practices within the department.
The D.A.’s division chief of investigations, Chris McPartland, said this week that his office’s now months-long investigation of the town department has turned its focus to the oversight, recording and tracking of days worked by police officers and time off accrued under the union contracts.
“Our investigation into troubling administrative practices in the Southampton Town Police Department is ongoing,” Mr. McPartland said. “Our review of procedures for maintaining evidence and recording time and accruals to police supervisors goes on.”
Mr. McPartland would not comment on the findings of the investigation, with regard to... more
The D.A.’s division chief of investigations, Chris McPartland, said this week that his office’s now months-long investigation of the town department has turned its focus to the oversight, recording and tracking of days worked by police officers and time off accrued under the union contracts.
“Our investigation into troubling administrative practices in the Southampton Town Police Department is ongoing,” Mr. McPartland said. “Our review of procedures for maintaining evidence and recording time and accruals to police supervisors goes on.”
Mr. McPartland would not comment on the findings of the investigation, with regard to... more
Predator Nation.
Segue, or allegory.
Your choice...
Insubordinate PBA leaders, millions to come in false arrest awards, and now this. What more has yet to be revealed?
Time to seal off this midden and find another way of protecting the public.
Substantiate please
The Press article that described the DA's release of two men convicted illegally due to malfeasance by an STPD officer noted that Southampton Town was ill-prepared for the damage suits to follow from them and others whose arrests were tainted by the STPD cop/addict who participated in the busts.
How much ARE juries awarding lately to persons incarcerated by corrupt cops?
Remsenburg, Quiogue and Speonk are UNincorprated hamlets. (i.e. there exists no municipal governments) They are governed by the Town of Southampton.
Nature/Sunny Days - very cogent points. You now have the making of a reasonable financial model. What's it cost to have you own police force? What is the nominal benefit? What would it cost to pay Southampton to do the work. What level of service would you get? What level of service do you give up? And maybe most importantly...exactly how many crimes are committed in a particular community in the off season vs the regular season? ...more Seems simple enough right?
It's the obvious solution to an intractable problem ...more that will only worsen with time.
Again, please tell us where this has been done in any municipality, anywhere.
Quote: "Again, please tell us where this [contract police] has been done in any municipality, anywhere."
- - -
The San Francisco Patrol Special Police, in existence for 164 years, patrol areas of San Francisco in SFPD uniform by private contract. They are not civil service employees and receive no civil service, health, or pension benefits from the city.
The Town Council needs only float the proposal. ...more There are scores of municipalities just like Southampton with entrenched, stupendously overpaid departments (Vide Sag Harbor.) There is so much profit potential in this field that once the private security firms were sure that the various municipalities were serious, they would flood them with offers.
Admittedly, it takes two essential qualities to make this vision a reality, first, a Town Council with foresight and, second, one willing to stand up to the STPD PBA. Nevertheless, miracles DO happen.
Considering most starve to death on a stomach full of plastic, and nineteen of the twenty one species are endangered, well, maybe the albatrosses aren't the only ones...
You've put his dead horse in front of the cart for years and you continue to beat it; come back to reality. The guy who pulled you over is probably long retired by now.
The San Francisco Patrol Special Police exist within the jurisdiction of a civil service police force every bit as protective of its own interests as the STPD. The fact that the regular SFPD has been unable to crush the SFPSP in 164 years is proof of its value. (Although the civil service cops have very NEARLY succeeded.) Can you imagine what the STPD would do to a similar force in Southampton?
I am unable to find any statutory prohibition against contract ...more police in NYS. Why do you assume that there IS one? Moreover, all the Town Council needs to do is to put out a request for proposals and the PBA lawyers will answer this question as well as raise every obstruction possible to the implementation of a contract force. We will then know the difficulties to be overcome (although a PBA lawsuit is a certainty, regardless.)
There will be no problem training the contract police. The winning bidder will contract with an established force and have its recruits trained to precisely the same standard as civil service cops. Or, if enough municipalities sign on, it will establish its own academy.
If a "Zimmerman" occurs, the terms of the contract will limit the blowback to the contractor. Southampton Town will never again be on the hook for millions of dollars of damages due to incompetent and corrupt police.
Contract police WILL become common, the benefits are simply too slap-in-the-face striking to overlook. Just as California broke under the weight of the enormous salaries of the state corrections officers and went to contract officers, so communities like ours, crushed by the stupendous salaries of local p.d.s, will do the same. Southampton Town will save a lot more money by being at the head of the charge rather than a straggler, AND we will have a truly professional force that much sooner.
What I think is funny is you are advocating for $65 an hour "Special Police" when an armed security guard can probably be hired for about $40 an hour. Your plans saving money already!!
Additionally, if the Town did what you suggest, it would result in lawsuits costing the town MORE $$$ (that will solve the fiscal crisis). ...more
Only time the Town could do it is when all contracts between PBA and other police unions have ended. If you were to do this while you had existing contracts - well, let's not find out what will happen.
I 1994, the regular San Francisco Police succeeded in having the the arrest powers that the San Francisco Patrol Special Police had enjoyed FOR LONGER THAN THE SFPD HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE stripped from them. Guess why? Until then, they had been fully authorized city police under private contract AND their employers were well-satisfied with their performance.
"I" am advocating spending $65/hr for cops? Ridiculous. A contract police patrolman would earn a fraction ...more of that.
to Nature:
Any expenditure in legal costs would be recouped in the first few years of reduced p.d. budgets. From then on, it would all be gravy.
One way to avoid wrongful termination suits would be to send the STPD cops home and continue to pay them until their contracts expire. It would be a sacrifice today for an enormous and continuing saving for our children and grandchildren. Thee are doubtless more creative solutions that the Town's lawyers could provide.
I do't want to be a Council member but I agree that any candidate advocating STPD reform puts a target on his back for the STPD PBA. (Vide LInda Kabot.)
Time to rid ourselves of a force that acts like an occupier rather than a public servant.
Example - If they were hired as security for a business they could issue you a ticket for parking in the businesses privately owned parking lot. If an actual crime occured, the S.F. Patrol Special Polce would have had to call a real Police Officer.
Now they are just armed security people for business and wealthy clients. And yes they do charge $65 an hour, moe than the $40 an hour for armed security ...more here.
Spinny is right. According to 2010 figures - they charged upwards of $60/hr. Here is where your argument for using such a service in Southampton falls apart:
1. They do NOT have police powers. They have the same "arrest" powers as citizens.
2. They are hired by PRIVATE companies to protect PRIVATE property. Yes, we could use such an organization for the Boardy Barn/Neptunes instead of having so many real police outside - but that can be done through requirements ...more of security.
3. Since they are paid by private companies, they have no authority to respond to general 911 calls at private residences or in public spaces. They *MAY* assist in emergency situations, but this is no different than deputizing citizens or bringing in other nearby agencies
4. They are screened and appointed by the San Francisco Police Commission. i.e. they are used IN ADDITION TO (not as a replacement of)
It can work as a supplment for a big city such as San Franciso (if you have a market for it), but I fail to see how it can work in our small town.
They cannot even write traffic tickets or pull over speeders/drunks etc.