Take Homes

Is anybody else tired of hearing about take homes? Since the last contract the economy has taken a dump so the city wants to get money from us mid-contract to help offset the costs. The city could easily wait until next year when contract negotiations begin. My question is that if the economy tomorrow began to take off again or the city found a whole bunch of money would the city ask to reopen the contract to give us bigger salaries or better benefits? I think it is safe to say NO. Let the city take the take homes away so there is no more threats to take them away, no more worrying about finding a car to take home during an oil change, and so we can stand OUT as the only agency without take home cars.

Well said.

I am shocked and awed that none of the bean counters have not thought of this one. So they are going to take away your take home vehicles, and not give you any form of compensation for it right? Okay, so they do that one, but what if they took that nice fleet of trolleys and trams and started a service where they picked every officer up from his/her home. Gas wise it still has to be cheapier right? Then the $700,000 cash cow would still get some use. Or why don't we armor them up and have SWAT TROLLIES! The only city without take home cars and the only city WITH an SWAT TROLLY! They ought to get the people up front shaking in their ice creams!

I am shocked and awed that none of the bean counters have not thought of this one. So they are going to take away your take home vehicles, and not give you any form of compensation for it right? Okay, so they do that one, but what if they took that nice fleet of trolleys and trams and started a service where they picked every officer up from his/her home. Gas wise it still has to be cheapier right? Then the $700,000 cash cow would still get some use. Or why don't we armor them up and have SWAT TROLLIES! The only city without take home cars and the only city WITH an SWAT TROLLY! They ought to get the people up front shaking in their ice creams!

This so made my day

I am shocked and awed that none of the bean counters have not thought of this one. So they are going to take away your take home vehicles, and not give you any form of compensation for it right? Okay, so they do that one, but what if they took that nice fleet of trolleys and trams and started a service where they picked every officer up from his/her home. Gas wise it still has to be cheapier right? Then the $700,000 cash cow would still get some use. Or why don't we armor them up and have SWAT TROLLIES! The only city without take home cars and the only city WITH an SWAT TROLLY! They ought to get the people up front shaking in their ice creams!

This so made my day

Funny how we have to end up paying for just about everything, guns, leather, all equipment. now their gas to fill their cars to protect their city? I say take it back. F^&%$K your cars and your gas !!
You want police service Mayor and council I suggest you pay for it!!!
Just some advice to the 5 year and under crew.. GET OUT NOW while you can... this city has and always will be the lowiest pay and the highiest cost to officers to work here. Its too late for some of us and yes I know I should have left myself. But there are other cities like Plantation. Where was the $$$ when this city was collecting during the economic boom with realestate.. now thats theres a housing slump theyre crying poor.. Too F...ing bad!!! pay up BIIACH!!!

I am probably opening a Pandoras Box by posting on here and promised myself I wouldnt, but you all know me, Im glutton for punishment and I believe in transparancy when it comes to YOUR money.
I am the first to agree that we should get leather, guns, more pay, better retirement benefits, etc. When the times were good, the city still was extremely stingy with the purse strings while they built horse arenas, parks, golf courses, etc.
Is it a little unorthodox that we are negotiating this now, with 1 year to go in a contract....yes and no. Can they take the cars back if they wanted to...Yes they can....but we all know what a benefit the take home program is to every one of us. There are several reasons to negotiate this now to include, prevention of losing the vehicles, getting ALL of our brothers/sisters a vehicle, good faith and placing it into the contract where it should of been the whole time.....so we dont lose the BENEFIT.
EXAMPLE...someone like me drives 4.4 miles to and from work each day or 8.8 miles. Using a 235 day work year, that would = 2068 miles. Using a car that gets 20MPG it would cost me $387.75 just to get to/from work not including details, court, training, etc. With the proposed plan (which has not been agreed upon by both sides), it would cost me $260.00/year to the city or $10 per pay period. Actually, almost 80% of the dept will only be paying $10-20 per pay period.
As always, your Labor Board is here for you and as of this writing, only 2-3 members have given us input which has been very helpful. If you have any input, questions, comments, concerns...PLEASE contact me or anyone on the Labor Board.
And PLEASE....dont kill the messenger....

I agree that it is a definite benefit to have the cars and definately cheaper than taking our own. But we pay for EVERYTHING. The department doesn't even issue road patrol assault rifles at which we had to by our own. The rifles are not overkill it is a necesity that hopefully we will not need to use but considering that we have a large day population due to malls, stores, hospitals, and other businesses we definately could be a target whether it be terrorism or just some wacko. Why did most of us buy our own? To help us do the job we were hired for. A $1000.00 is a lot of money to me. Imagine if an incident happened at the Broward Mall with subjects heavily armored. What if we did not purchase these weapons? I would be pretty upset if my family, friends or anyone got hurt and found out the city does not prepare there officers AGAIN with equipment. The likely scenario would be to call in BSO or any other properly prepared department. The citizens need to know that we are a very capable department but just lack the backing by the city.
Now getting back to the take homes. I think the city could easily not charge or at least wait to next year. Many other departments who provide items like mentioned above still do not charge and if they do most of them allow for personal use at which we can not. If we can invest a $1000.00 of our own money for weapons to protect a city that most of us don't live in because housing is to expensive and the schools are terrible, the city should invest a little more in us. If they can't afford us maybe other options should be looked into.

I agree that it is a definite benefit to have the cars and definately cheaper than taking our own. But we pay for EVERYTHING. The department doesn't even issue road patrol assault rifles at which we had to by our own. The rifles are not overkill it is a necesity that hopefully we will not need to use but considering that we have a large day population due to malls, stores, hospitals, and other businesses we definately could be a target whether it be terrorism or just some wacko. Why did most of us buy our own? To help us do the job we were hired for. A $1000.00 is a lot of money to me. Imagine if an incident happened at the Broward Mall with subjects heavily armored. What if we did not purchase these weapons? I would be pretty upset if my family, friends or anyone got hurt and found out the city does not prepare there officers AGAIN with equipment. The likely scenario would be to call in BSO or any other properly prepared department. The citizens need to know that we are a very capable department but just lack the backing by the city.
Now getting back to the take homes. I think the city could easily not charge or at least wait to next year. Many other departments who provide items like mentioned above still do not charge and if they do most of them allow for personal use at which we can not. If we can invest a $1000.00 of our own money for weapons to protect a city that most of us don't live in because housing is to expensive and the schools are terrible, the city should invest a little more in us. If they can't afford us maybe other options should be looked into.

Good point, didnt even think of that angle. The houses in Plantation are so over priced and the public schools are horrible. Just the other day I happen to meet a new resident who moved in from up north. He was going to send his children to one of our high schools. I didnt want to burst his bubble of how wonderful it he thought it was here. I figured that he could do that on his own. What a crock that this city fools its residents that we're prepared. Granted i think the rifles are about time, but what a shame that "they" charge their police for the very tools they require us to use to secure their citizens and property. Now, "we" have to pay their gas too? for their cars? Granted I do like the take home, but I have two cars and never have i relied on this city for that hmmm how do i say "bonus"? Funny how teachers, cops, firefighters and other first responder jobs seem very important to the public at large. However it doesnt reflect in the pay or benifits to their families who also sacrifice their loved ones to protect the good people of Plantation. Oh got that tax break the other day from the trickle down budget cuts that the city is still having a knee jerk reaction to. Yeah Ill be spending my $200.00 annual savings. woohoo!! maybe it will help offset the cost Im going to pay to work in this city. Yeah Im lucky to have a job, that will be posted next, yeah the times are tough right now, but can you really put a price on protecting lives? Its unbelievable how the city leaders sleep easily at night knowing what should be done, is not getting done. and the one thing they are not doing is protecting their OWN!!!
Maybe the next person who wants to live in Tree City USA will get the real facts of crime here and not go by what they city in the police blotter. What a joke....

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 7489.story

Maybe the next person who wants to live in Tree City USA will get the real facts of crime here and not go by what they city in the police blotter. What a joke....

Even Helen Keller could tell you that Plantation is the new Lauderhill. Only difference is their city isn't rail-roading them into paying for cars (you know the ones they use off duty, take to palm beach with their city issued gun racks and rifles. You may recognize them...they're black and white)