01-23-2011, 04:19 AM
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. HB303 is a proposal that will destroy our pensions if we don't take action. Newly elected Representative Fred Costello (R) Ormond Beach drafted this bill and needs to hear from us. Be Safe.
Representative Costello,
My name is Doug Lashbrook. I’m 47-years-old, married and have a 13-year-old son. I have been in the Florida Retirement System since age 18. For the past 20 years I have been proudly employed by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff who earns the 3% Special Risk service credit. After reading HB 303, a proposal by you, a Dentist/State Representative, I must say that I and all of my co-workers are thoroughly appalled with your bill.
Allow me to give you some of my employment background with the State of Florida. I was in my high school senior year in 1981 when I took a job with the Florida Park Service as a Park Ranger in Flagler Beach. I’ll be the first to say the money was not the reason for working at the park it was the Florida Retirement System. I earned the 1.6% service credit per year as did many other employees. I continued my state employment for 8 ½ years and had the opportunity to work and travel throughout this beautiful state. In 1987, I attended the Law Enforcement academy in Quincy, Florida where I obtained my Law Enforcement certificate. Now in South Florida, I continued working for the Park Service in places like Bahia Honda State Recreation Area in Big Pine Key, John Pennekamp in Key Largo and lastly, North Shore State Recreation Area in Miami Beach. It was there I worked closely with the Miami Beach Police Department and became very good friends with the Police Officers and liked what they represented. This was a turning point in my career that led me to becoming a Deputy Sheriff and increasing my service credit from 1.6% to the 3% high risk.
I and many others throughout the state are nearing the end of our careers. This proposal is a slap in the face to us who have given everything we have to a career that promised security and peace of mind after retirement. The same type of security and peace of mind that for 20 years I have strived to provide to the citizens of the county I serve. Your proposal of HB 303 will take that all away and force the next generation of Law Enforcement Officers to think twice about this career.
It’s very clear to my colleagues and me, that you do not support Law Enforcement or any profession that puts their own life on the line to protect the citizens of this great State. Nor have you researched (or maybe you have and didn’t care) the lifespan of a Law Enforcement Officer after retirement. I ask you Representative Costello, are you familiar with “fight or flight”, “adrenaline dumps”, or “stress”? I’m sure you may have heard of the terminology, but have you ever experienced it? Again, you may have, but look at it from another perspective. Put on a uniform, badge and gun, then patrol the mean streets everyday for 25 years (our current time allowed for retirement). Experience what it’s like to “fight or flight”, have an adrenaline dump and continuous stress then multiply that, on a low end of once per shift, five times per week for 25 years. Do you see where I’m going with this? Stress Kills. We as Law Enforcement Officers are sworn to protect and serve life and property die at a much younger age than other professionals because of job-related stress compared to those who sit behind a desk! And you’re proposing we work longer and reduce our retirement benefits?
I invite you to attend the funerals for Miami-Dade Police Officer’s Roger Castillo and Amanda Haworth who were brutally murdered on January 20, 2011 attempting to arrest a murder suspect. In fact, why don’t you speak to the families, friends and fellow Law Enforcement Officer’s who have gathered from around the country who are grieving over the senseless deaths of more Law Enforcement Officers? Please do so and tell the widow and three children of Officer Castillo and Officer Haworth’s 13-year-old child that there ultimate sacrifice’s mean nothing to you.
For those of us who have chosen Law Enforcement as a profession, we know the dangers that are present. But we do this with pride, because we want to make a difference. We remove the dangerous criminals from the streets and protect the innocent, knowing that when our career has ended, we will live out our last few years rewarded with a good retirement for the sacrifices we made and with any luck, pass that tradition off to our children.
We in the Law Enforcement community know all about your proposal. You see, it’s easy for you to sit behind your desk and propose HB 303 not knowing the sacrifices we make everyday to protect people like yourself. Or maybe this proposal is your way of retaliation for the “smear” campaign that you allege. Sadly, those allegations go hand-in-hand in the political world. Get over it. Whatever the case may be, hopefully your political career will be short-lived just for being vindictive.
If you haven’t already, ride along with the Ormond Beach Police Department or Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. But if you feel real brave, come to South Florida and get a first hand look at what we experience practically every day of our career.
God Bless you.
Doug Lashbrook
Deputy Sheriff
Broward County Sheriff’s Office
Representative Costello,
My name is Doug Lashbrook. I’m 47-years-old, married and have a 13-year-old son. I have been in the Florida Retirement System since age 18. For the past 20 years I have been proudly employed by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff who earns the 3% Special Risk service credit. After reading HB 303, a proposal by you, a Dentist/State Representative, I must say that I and all of my co-workers are thoroughly appalled with your bill.
Allow me to give you some of my employment background with the State of Florida. I was in my high school senior year in 1981 when I took a job with the Florida Park Service as a Park Ranger in Flagler Beach. I’ll be the first to say the money was not the reason for working at the park it was the Florida Retirement System. I earned the 1.6% service credit per year as did many other employees. I continued my state employment for 8 ½ years and had the opportunity to work and travel throughout this beautiful state. In 1987, I attended the Law Enforcement academy in Quincy, Florida where I obtained my Law Enforcement certificate. Now in South Florida, I continued working for the Park Service in places like Bahia Honda State Recreation Area in Big Pine Key, John Pennekamp in Key Largo and lastly, North Shore State Recreation Area in Miami Beach. It was there I worked closely with the Miami Beach Police Department and became very good friends with the Police Officers and liked what they represented. This was a turning point in my career that led me to becoming a Deputy Sheriff and increasing my service credit from 1.6% to the 3% high risk.
I and many others throughout the state are nearing the end of our careers. This proposal is a slap in the face to us who have given everything we have to a career that promised security and peace of mind after retirement. The same type of security and peace of mind that for 20 years I have strived to provide to the citizens of the county I serve. Your proposal of HB 303 will take that all away and force the next generation of Law Enforcement Officers to think twice about this career.
It’s very clear to my colleagues and me, that you do not support Law Enforcement or any profession that puts their own life on the line to protect the citizens of this great State. Nor have you researched (or maybe you have and didn’t care) the lifespan of a Law Enforcement Officer after retirement. I ask you Representative Costello, are you familiar with “fight or flight”, “adrenaline dumps”, or “stress”? I’m sure you may have heard of the terminology, but have you ever experienced it? Again, you may have, but look at it from another perspective. Put on a uniform, badge and gun, then patrol the mean streets everyday for 25 years (our current time allowed for retirement). Experience what it’s like to “fight or flight”, have an adrenaline dump and continuous stress then multiply that, on a low end of once per shift, five times per week for 25 years. Do you see where I’m going with this? Stress Kills. We as Law Enforcement Officers are sworn to protect and serve life and property die at a much younger age than other professionals because of job-related stress compared to those who sit behind a desk! And you’re proposing we work longer and reduce our retirement benefits?
I invite you to attend the funerals for Miami-Dade Police Officer’s Roger Castillo and Amanda Haworth who were brutally murdered on January 20, 2011 attempting to arrest a murder suspect. In fact, why don’t you speak to the families, friends and fellow Law Enforcement Officer’s who have gathered from around the country who are grieving over the senseless deaths of more Law Enforcement Officers? Please do so and tell the widow and three children of Officer Castillo and Officer Haworth’s 13-year-old child that there ultimate sacrifice’s mean nothing to you.
For those of us who have chosen Law Enforcement as a profession, we know the dangers that are present. But we do this with pride, because we want to make a difference. We remove the dangerous criminals from the streets and protect the innocent, knowing that when our career has ended, we will live out our last few years rewarded with a good retirement for the sacrifices we made and with any luck, pass that tradition off to our children.
We in the Law Enforcement community know all about your proposal. You see, it’s easy for you to sit behind your desk and propose HB 303 not knowing the sacrifices we make everyday to protect people like yourself. Or maybe this proposal is your way of retaliation for the “smear” campaign that you allege. Sadly, those allegations go hand-in-hand in the political world. Get over it. Whatever the case may be, hopefully your political career will be short-lived just for being vindictive.
If you haven’t already, ride along with the Ormond Beach Police Department or Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. But if you feel real brave, come to South Florida and get a first hand look at what we experience practically every day of our career.
God Bless you.
Doug Lashbrook
Deputy Sheriff
Broward County Sheriff’s Office