Apr 4, 2012 11:56 AM
- RELATED ARTICLES
- > Auditors Say Southampton Police Department Compensation System Is Easily Abused Apr 3, 2013 11:25 AM
- > Pearce Sworn In As Southampton Town Police Chief Dec 6, 2012 3:26 PM
- > New Southampton Town Police Chief Pearce Explains Goals Dec 5, 2012 11:23 AM
- > District Attorney Looking At Town Police Attendance And Time-Off Payments Nov 30, 2012 11:17 AM
- > Pearce Takes Over Southampton PD After Wilson Departure Nov 14, 2012 11:06 AM
more
Despite a host of civil service protections that make it difficult to oust a police chief from his post, speculation about an easier way for the Southampton Town Board to get rid of the town’s top cop, if members desired, surfaced in Town Hall last week.
Southampton Town Police Chief William Wilson Jr. has been on the job for less than a year, but there have reportedly been at least two efforts to force him out: a buyout offer, and an alleged political maneuver offered to Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst.
Under Civil Service Law, police chiefs can be removed only if they are found guilty of formal charges of misconduct or incompetence following a hearing. But under a decades-old provision of town code that allows the Town Board to force police officers who... more
Southampton Town Police Chief William Wilson Jr. has been on the job for less than a year, but there have reportedly been at least two efforts to force him out: a buyout offer, and an alleged political maneuver offered to Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst.
Under Civil Service Law, police chiefs can be removed only if they are found guilty of formal charges of misconduct or incompetence following a hearing. But under a decades-old provision of town code that allows the Town Board to force police officers who... more
(Rome is burning by the way!)
BTW, before all the dittoheads start piling on the PBA for crying about the law now when they didn't complain about it being used against the senior officers union last year -- remember, it was the PBA's givebacks that spared the department any forced retirements last year.
Wilson's safe, and he ...more should hang tough. Comptroller Wright let this same crew wear her down with their pick-pick-pick, and she finally left. If Wilson sticks with it, the sniping will stop soon, because even these morons will get embarrassed by their own stunts. First it was The Big Backroom Deal that didn't get dealt, then The Secret Buyout that fell flat, and now this. They're like The Sopranos Meet The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. No threat.
clue, they should learn how to be an effective elected official first. The ignorance shines right thru.
On the subject of the "20-year-and-out" proviso in the Town Code, it should be noted that in the four decades since the STPD agreed to "enhanced" (a euphemism for "stupendous") wage, retirement and health insurance benefits in exchange for this requirement, the annual compounding of the "enhancements" has resulted in their currently being paid 4X the average salary in Southampton Town. Now the PBA claims that ...more the agreement was illegal (but they will keep the stupendous consideration, thank you very much.)
2) Only deals with a certain section of retirement and not wages, health insurance, or anything else.
3) Has nothing to do with the current pay.
4) The pay of the average police officer in Southampton is not 4X the average salary in Southampton Town. More like 1.3x the average salary. AND please, I would like somebody to challange me on this using "per capita income" so ...more I can easily disprove them wrong. Hint - "per capita income" probably is not what you think it is.
5) Both the PBA and the Town Board knew that the statute was illegal at the time it was created. State Civil Service law clearly states "last hired, first fired". The town needed to retain experienced people who were leaving after 20 years. That is why in all the years of its exsistance, no town board has ever used it until recently. And they still have not used it. It is a good treatening tool but they realize if used, it will cost the PBA thousands to fight but in the long run, the Town will lose and probably pay out hundreds of thousands to wrongly fired police officers.
Last I heard, it was 26k for Suffolk, and 35k around town. Not sure it that is net, or gross, but it's squat either way.
The formula is simpler than P = I x E.
5) Qui tacet consentire videtur
4) Wikipedia (Southampton [town], New York)
3) Rubbish
2) Implicit in the agreement, I would say. However, Town Board stupidity and
pusillanimity is the cause generally if not this agreement specifically.
1) We have been over this ground before. Town code makes retirement
mandatory whereas NYS statute is unspecified.
Nevertheless, your assertion that the PBA will sue the town to death if it tries ...more to enforce the agreement is correct. It is hardly surprising that a group that has accepted the benefits of an agreement for forty years with no intention of ever honoring its end would pursue a policy of extortion by lawsuit.
The only salvation for our children, who will otherwise bear the burden of STPD compensation that make today's $$150K/yr. average seem quaint, is to transition to a sworn contract police force from the current civil service one.
4) It only backs up what I previosly said. You may have been confused because statistics are not always what you think they are.
3) Nope. Just a fact
2) Just ...more another fact.
1) Well, what is the section of Town Code? I can provide the section of law including title and section number. Can you?
Your take, on the other hand, from the STPD PBA point of view, is ...more that the Town of Southampton stupidly gave the STPD PBA members tens of millions of dollars without any legal obligation for the STPD PBA to do anything in return and that the Town is thereby obligated to continue this stupid behavior since it has become habitual. Ergo, "past practices" (silent stupid repetition) gives consent.
The concepts of "quasi-contract' and "unjust enrichment" come into play as well, both referring to the idea in equity and law that a duplicitous party should not profit by its dishonesty.
Who knows though, after a seven digit legal expenditure by the town, the court MIGHT rule in favor of the PBA. Even if the town emerged victorious, it would be stuck with a disgruntled police force whose members feel abused and unappreciated, and whose sub par performance would deteriorate even further.
How much more rational and productive to simply start with a clean slate of sworn contract officers, which would guarantee us first-rate service now and in the future at a sustainable cost.