moreSouthampton Village Mayor Mark Epley has taken a hard stance against Police Chief William Wilson’s decision to amend the village’s regulations regarding police officers’ second jobs, and he may end up fighting to overturn the chief’s actions.
Mr. Epley said he has reached out to the New York Conference of Mayors in Albany to find out if he and the Village Board have the power to reverse the chief’s decision. He has the support of at least two other Village Board members, Richard Yastrzemski and Bonnie Cannon, who agree that changing General Order 110 in such a way that the police will no longer be required to fill out applications for second job approval is a bad idea.
“We’re trying to keep as much open government as possible,” Mr. Epley said. “I look at that general order ... it’s a hard order to rescind, because we have already set a standard, and now have stepped back from it.”
Chief Wilson pulled the application component of General Order 110—which also limits the kind of work police officers can do—because he does not want any information about his officers and their second jobs to be made public.
Instead of formal written requests, the chief said he will rely on word-of-mouth and other “communications” to ensure that his officers are abiding by the village code of conduct and state and federal regulations while working a second job.
Village Police Captain Thomas Cummings helped Chief Wilson draft the rule requiring officers receive permission before working a side job in 2006. Capt. Cummings, who earns $140,979 per year with the Village Police, not including overtime or benefits, has two permits on file, one for private investigation work for up to 20 hours per week, and the other for security and law enforcement training, for less than 20 hours per week.
Seven of the department’s 33 employees reporting to Chief Wilson have secondary employment approvals.
Officer Michael Hunsucker, who makes $74,724, has the okay to do wallpaper and painting work and construction with a union; Officer Bernard Bobinski, who earns $102,261, has permission to develop and maintain law enforcement software systems; and Sergeant Christopher Mohl, whose salary totals $117,600, is allowed to do security guard instruction and security work. Officer Kevin Dunkirk, who is paid $74,724, has a permit for locksmith work on file with the chief, and Officer Michael Medio, who earns $102,261, can do property management work. The salary figures do not include overtime or benefits.
Chief Wilson, who earns $158,993 per year, not including benefits, also formerly owned a security business, and his wife currently owns one. He said he does not do work on the side for that company.
Det. Sgt. Herman Lamison, who earns $124,656 in salary from the village, has three secondary employment permits on record with the chief. He received approval to work as a high school varsity basketball coach for 10 to 12 hours per week, to operate a security company where he manages operations for a varied number of hours per week, and to work security for ten to 15 hours per week.
Add a comment
Also, I fail to see what the salaries of the officers mentioned has to do with anything.
Total comments by diy_guy: 45
Total comments by Puros: 21
Total comments by PBR: 431
Total comments by intheknow911: 54
Total comments by RemembertheDucks: 54
The FOIL request was honored, and the records were turned over to the Press. Now, I ask you Mr. Editor, other than creating headlines to sell papers, what purpose does this entire convoluted episode serve? Were ... more improprieties discovered? I did not read anything that would indicate that the PD was doing anything wrong. Are they allowed to work secondary employment or not, is it even legal?
Instead of pitting officials against each other in print, let us try to accomplish some journalism and answer the questions that your reads have.
Total comments by K Aventi: 24
Total comments by dee: 13
Total comments by pstevens: 139
Freedom Shall Prevail !
OUR Freedom of Speech and Press was intended by our Founding Fathers to be rough-cut and imprecise. Rooting out possible wrong-doing may dig up some dirt, or not, but "dig we must."
The Press is protecting us all by their FOIL request.
This is by design, don't you realize?
Freedom Shall Prevail.
Total comments by PBR: 431
Total comments by DP377k: 13
Total comments by March Madness: 3
Total comments by NorthSea: 10
Total comments by NorthSea: 10
Total comments by DP377k: 13
Total comments by dee: 13
Total comments by Justice : 4
What, are you four years old?
Total comments by taxraven: 23
Total comments by taxraven: 23
Total comments by dee: 13
Total comments by NSea: 10
There is no conflict here, no scandal. The only conflicts and scandals going on here are the ones made up by the Press and the 12 people that comment on all of their stories. This is America and if someone has the will and the ability to make ... more hundreds of thousands of dollars (college degree or not) then GOOD FOR THEM!
Total comments by March Madness: 3
The idea that their secondary employment effects their ‘on-duty’ time is incorrect. Every time I drive by them in the Village they have someone pulled over, they can’t be that tired… Read the police reports ... more in the Press, they do plenty.
Total comments by taxraven: 23
Total comments by taxraven: 23
Talk about 4 yrs old. What are you still in awe when you see lights and hear sirens? When is the last time you read about a Village cop saving a life?
That is commical.
Either way, what does that have to do with the issue?
Total comments by DP377k: 13
Total comments by zaz: 67
Total comments by littleplains: 175
I'm all for safety and protection but enough is enough. This is where our taxes go.
Total comments by littleplains: 175
Total comments by taxraven: 23
600 arrests by 30 cops is 20 arrests per officer... that's what cops would do in a DAY in big cities and even in other parts of Suffolk.
Everyone out here is coasting. Police, teachers, the supervisors - they all make huge salaries for part-time work, which is why we have a huge deficit in one of the richest communities ... more in America.
Total comments by littleplains: 175
Total comments by K Aventi: 24
Total comments by littleplains: 175
Total comments by nellie: 319
Total comments by davidf: 102
Amazing!
Was a SWAT team in place too?
An article on this has been posted on the web site of a certain weekly paid-circulation newspaper which is published east of Southampton. It is however against the rules here to post a link to that site.
No wonder our taxes are so high.
Total comments by PBR: 431
Reichel v Water Auth., App. Div., 2nd Dept., 283 A.D.2d 475
Certain employees of the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) also maintained private businesses that offered plumbing services to homeowners. Such services included the installation of water service lines from private property to the water main at the edge of the street.
Although SCWA inspects and approves such installations, it does not itself perform this service.
In response to SCWA's request for an informal ... more opinion concerning its employees engaging in plumbing services involving connecting a residence to the Town's water system, the Attorney General advised that "SCWA employees should not be so engaged, to avoid even the appearance of impropriety."
SCWA then amended its personnel policy and "Rules of Conduct" and prohibited its workers from providing private plumbing services that would require or involve SCWA inspection and, or, approval upon completion.
The Appellate Division sustained the lower court's rejection of the employees' challenge to this policy, ruling that "[a] governmental entity may implement conflict of interest policies restricting outside work by its employees so long as the policy is rationally based and reasonably related to maintaining public confidence in government."
The court also commented that the policy adopted by SCWA "was sufficiently narrow in scope so as not to eliminate other opportunities for the [employees] to continue to engage in outside work.”
Total comments by PBA: 14
Frankly, the SCWA case is overly simplistic in its view of secondary employment, and would not be appropriate ... more for police personnel.
Total comments by taxraven: 23
Total comments by diogenes: 57
Total comments by pstevens: 139
Total comments by nellie: 319
Total comments by PBR: 431
Add a comment