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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint Police Officers Association official responds to recall attempt for Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and Walling's statements on union concessions
By Melissa Burden | Flint Journal
February 22, 2010, 3:10PM
FLINT, Michigan -- The head of the Flint Police Officers Association had no direct comment about an effort to recall Flint's mayor, but was critical of Dayne Walling's concessions offer to stave off police layoffs.
Keith Speer, president of the association representing Flint police officers, said Walling's concessions to the police union include not only a 15 percent pay cut, but other health care and retirement costs that police officers would pick up.
"It's about 45 percent in cuts and no one can take that," Speer said.
Last week, Walling announced 80 police and firefighter layoffs in response to the city's budget crisis.
Today, Flint Board of Education member David Davenport filed recall language for Walling in response to the public safety cuts, claiming the cuts jeopardize the safety of Flint residents.
"If citizens want to recall him, then they'll recall him," Speer said of Walling. "He should be judged on his effort. Right now, I don't see a whole of lot of effort. I see a whole lot of high-priced friends he's hired."
Walling has said the cuts are hard and painful, but necessary due to the city's budget problems. He said police and fire jobs could be saved if the unions agree to concessions.
RecommendRecommend (0) |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:03 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Tonight Flint Police Sgt. Richard (Rick) Hetherington spoke out against the police cuts. Hetherington stated he has never seen a negotiation process as dysfunctional as this one. He further said the combined police unions gave lists to the administration and offered concessions, but the administration then demanded more.The administration verbally requested 15% on concessions and then gave written requests for 40% in concessions.
Hetherington noted that the department has been cut 30% in 3 yrs. and is facing another cut of 1/3.
Rick's credentials:
Flint Police Officer since 1989
Police officers Labor Council Executive Board Member since 2001
Police Union President since 2000
Graduate of University of Michigan-Flint with a BA in Criminal Justice
Many years in Special Ops and 2 years in the Gang Unit
Defensive tactics instructor at the Flint Police Academy.
Participated in numerous training sessions such as the National labor Conferences conducted by the Labor Resource information System out of Portland, Oregon and the Pension/labor Seminar conducted by the National Association of police Officers, Washington DC.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:56 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Walling announce 9 COPS officers and 1 Sgt position to replace 9 COPS officers given layoff slips. The COPS officers will not necessarily be given their jobs back as Walling stated the process will be based on seniority.
New information is walling has told council they may have as many as 3 ministations per ward in the future.
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$1.15M grant will bring foot patrols back to Flint, save 10 police jobs
By Laura Misjak | The Flint Journal
February 22, 2010, 10:54PM
FLINT, Michigan — Less than a week after layoffs were announced in the city’s police and fire departments, the C.S. Mott Foundation will fund a $1.15 million grant to make Flint’s streets safer.
The grant will be used to re-establish foot patrols in each of the city’s nine wards.
"This is exciting news and I'm glad that its coming now because our community needs some excitement now in regards to public safety," said Councilman Bernard Lawler.
Mayor Dayne Walling and police Chief Alvern Lock announced the grant to the city council Monday.
Walling said the grant may save a few of the 57 police positions that were cut. Lay-off notices began to be hand delivered today, said personnel director Donna Poplar.
The grant requires one foot patrol officer to be assigned to each ward, along with a sargeant to oversee the project. The grant will also allow for mini-stations in each ward, including wards 1 and 3, which do not have mini-stations.
The officers will be on patrol during second shift, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Lock said.
A separate portion of the grant will be given to the Michigan State University Criminal Justice program and the National Center for Community Policing for evaluation and technical assistance with the program.
The grant will be paid out over the next 12 months, Walling said, and he hopes to get the program started shortly.
“We want weeks, not months,” he said.
Posted by tdimhcs
February 23, 2010, 12:21AM
It is great that some jobs are being saved. However, foot patrols WILL NOT WORK unless you have a fully staffed patrol bureau. How can the mayor justify officers on foot or working out of a mini station, when there will be priority 911 calls going unanswered. Remember Flint is consistently listed in the top 5 nationwide in crime.
With the amount officers we have now, there are times when none are free to respond to some 911 calls. If you do not believe me buy a scanner and listen.
Oh yeah, and it is not even summer yet! |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:10 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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FLINT (WJRT) -- (02/22/10)--They were supposed to be in the mail, but Flint police reportedly began receiving their layoff notices in person Monday.
And it is now known exactly how the demotions and actual layoffs break down.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said last Wednesday when he announced the cuts that there would be 57 fewer officers at the Flint Police Department even taking demotions into account.
That does not seem to be the case. A source at the police department says in the end 50 patrol officers will be laid off.
There will be 50 fewer officers in Flint when the layoffs go into effect March 9. Then seven others will be demoted to a lower rank.
That same source says one captain will become a lieutenant, one lieutenant will become a sergeant and then five sergeants will become officers.
All weekend and even Monday, those expecting pink slips expected to find them in the mail. The officers association is trying to set up meeting.
The first available date is March 9.
Raul Garcia, president of the Flint Firefighters Union, says he was not given any layoff notices in person.
(Copyright ©2010 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:25 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Time to double up on my trips to the range. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 8:21 am |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:38 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| My idea of a fun vacation would be the annual machine gun shoot in Paris, Kentucky. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:25 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| My idea of a fun vacation would be the annual machine gun shoot in Paris, Kentucky. Haven't fired one in a long time. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:25 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
FLINT (WJRT) -- (02/22/10)--They were supposed to be in the mail, but Flint police reportedly began receiving their layoff notices in person Monday.
And it is now known exactly how the demotions and actual layoffs break down.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said last Wednesday when he announced the cuts that there would be 57 fewer officers at the Flint Police Department even taking demotions into account.
That does not seem to be the case. A source at the police department says in the end 50 patrol officers will be laid off.
There will be 50 fewer officers in Flint when the layoffs go into effect March 9. Then seven others will be demoted to a lower rank.
That same source says one captain will become a lieutenant, one lieutenant will become a sergeant and then five sergeants will become officers.
All weekend and even Monday, those expecting pink slips expected to find them in the mail. The officers association is trying to set up meeting.
The first available date is March 9.
Raul Garcia, president of the Flint Firefighters Union, says he was not given any layoff notices in person.
(Copyright ©2010 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
I can't believe people in this town aren't speaking up and protesting this move. Wonder boy Dayne needs to cut his own salary and staffs before going after our public safety.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:47 am |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:56 am |
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Furnitureguy
F L I N T O I D
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| Haha Ryan you really are a phony queen, Your direct comment to Dayne Walling on facebook is commending him for coming out to some bs event, and you are on here trashing him? Do you even know what truth you speak or what is a lie? lmao |
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Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:55 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint determining how to reshape police department if more than 50 layoffs take effect
By Laura Angus | Flint Journal
February 24, 2010, 6:20PM
FLINT, Michigan — With about 50 police officers expected to lose their jobs March 9, the city is still not saying how it will reshape the department when it loses about a third of its force.
Union representatives said the layoffs will require “massive restructuring” but say they haven’t been notified of any plans for a post-layoff police department.
Questions like ‘how many fewer officers will be on the street,’ ‘how will patrols change’ and ‘how many police cars will be available to answer 911 calls’ remain unanswered.
Public Safety Director Alvern Lock said he is in the process of determining how the police department will be restructured but said Wednesday that those details have not been fully worked out.
Lock, however, acknowledged that the layoffs could affect special squads for neighborhood enforcement and community policing.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said there will still be room for special details.
“They may not be the same size, but with the advances in technology, with better targeting of resources, we’ll be able to achieve a high level of public safety,” said Walling.
The cuts don’t leave residents like Nina Hubert with a comforting feeling.
“I think this is the worst thing they could possibly do,” she said.
But others, like Allen Robb who works as a lawyer in the area, said he supports the mayor and the efforts to balance the budget.
“We need public safety, but how do we fix the problem?” he said.
Keith Speer, president of the police officers’ union, said he is “totally in the dark” on what will happen if the layoffs take effect.
Union officials said that many of the current night-shift officers received layoff notices but Sgt. Rick Hetherington, president of the police sergeant’s union, said he is not aware of any officers being informed of shift changes.
The union contract requires that the city give its officers a 14-day notice of a shift change — a deadline that would coincide with the March 9 date that officers would officially be off the job.
“We’re trying to figure out how it will be possible to maintain any level of service for the citizens of Flint,” said Hetherington.
The city announced last week that 57 police officers and 23 firefighters would be laid off because of a projected $8 million deficit.
City officials, however, have said layoffs could be averted if the union agrees to contract concessions.
With no negotiating sessions planned until March 9, Flint police officers union president Keith Speer doesn’t believe the layoffs are a bargaining tactic.
“I think (layoffs are) going to happen,” said Speer, referring to the layoffs. “I just don’t know how it’s going to happen.”
The city is expected to offset some of the police layoffs with a $1.15 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
The money will be used to form a pilot program for community policing but Walling couldn’t say Wednesday how many layoffs could be averted with the grant.
Although two of the three officers assigned to downtown patrols will lose their jobs — along with the director of the Police Activities League — Walling said those duties will be filled by other officers and that the city will continue its dedication to programs like PAL. |
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Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:59 pm |
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Pachuco
F L I N T O I D
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| How about a compromise? The police and fire take a 5% cut like Dayne and his staff did, and we layoff 10 police officers, and 1 Mayoral appointee? |
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Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:11 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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That compromise won't save enough money to eliminate the deficit. We only have until June 30th to effect enough measures that will balance the budget. State law says the city must implement budget amendments as soon as city officials recognize there will be a deficit.The deficit was apparent several months ago, especially when Granholm cut revenue sharing for Flint by $2,7 million. According to Kincaid at the last council meeting, the budget amendments sent to the finance committee still reflects a $3.5 million dollar deficit. That includes the police layoffs. So now the question is will more police have to be laid off to meet this defit elimination requirement.
At least you are getting involved in trying to find solutions. |
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Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:00 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| It's puzzling that the only proposed cuts to date are police & fire. All the other city departments must be running with skeleton crews already. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:29 am |
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