This why I am a PBA member

MDPD Director Responds To Budget Cut Concerns
Reporting
Natalia Zea
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MIAMI (CBS4) ?

CBS4 News sources within the Miami-Dade Police Department, and the president of the Police Benevolent Association say recent budget cuts are hurting investigations, and spreading street cops too thin, and now the police director is reacting.

CBS4 Reporter Natalia Zea had asked Director Robert Parker to comment on these concerns since Tuesday. After the initial story aired Thursday night, Parker went on the record Friday, and he says the cutbacks are not jeopardizing investigations or your safety.

Times are tough, and in Miami-Dade County budget cuts are the talk of the town. But some people within the Miami-Dade Police Department say recent cuts are jeopardizing the safety of residents, and causing some investigations to remain unsolved.

"Investigations are being put aside, put in the file, and forgotten about," said union president John Rivera.

He says officers and detectives are stretched so thin they can't serve and protect you how they want.

"To the citizens certainly the warning we give is lock yourselves in your house, do what you can to protect yourselves," said Rivera. "This is a great time to be a criminal."
Police Director Robert Parker says that's not true.

"That's certainly not the case," said Parker. "The citizens of Miami-Dade County and its visitors are very much in a safe environment, a safe condition, I think that's somewhat of a careless statement to make a statement like that."

Parker admits he has ordered significant cuts to overtime, and certain crime prevention programs, but despite what CBS4 Sources, and some police officers have said, he says investigations are not suffering.

"We are making some adjustments, but I certainly assure you that those adjustments do not include any circumstances where a police officer is not allowed to go out and investigate some imminent thing he needs to go out and investigate," he said.

In a memo sent out last Monday, the Police South District commander says that recent budget cuts have led to a modified policy, when it comes to the types of crimes detectives will respond to during off-hours. This includes a statement that the modified policy "Places the added responsibility on uniform patrol to complete the entire investigation and arrest affidavit form."

Rivera says this means uniformed cops will now have to do detectives' jobs- overburdening them: "Not only are the officers themselves being endangered, but the citizens are being put in a very bad position."

But Parker says the memo just shows how the department has always handled certain cases.

"Certainly the term he uses is modified, that is his choice of terms, but I can tell you it reads very much the same as our normal process and normal procedure," said Parker.

The director says the bottom line is that they will protect you and thoroughly investigate cases, all while protecting your tax dollars.

"I'm certain that citizens would not want a situation where overtime is not monitored and is not being managed very closely."

Director Parker also points out that Miami-Dade Police' rate of solving and clearing cases is higher than the national average. Sources in the Department say they worry that could change.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

How do I become a PBA member? Can I be PBA and FOP?

PBA is cheaper, better and much more professional. But the best part is that they have their priorities straight. All our FOP does is selectively choose what issues are convenient for the them and the chief.

As far as being both. Yes you can. But there is a move to just be PBA. Reason being that the FOP has gotten so weak that it is being used by the administration for their own benefit.

Lets get a vote together and make the PBA our bargaining Union, enough is enough.

hey why don't you check with the other's that are leaving the PBA and ask why?

The FOP has really become a disappointment. Just look at all the sworn positions that have been lost all the while the FOP stood on the sidelines. Now you have a president that is going to accept a promotion knowing that two fellow members got skipped in order to make him.

You have a push by certain members of the Executive Board to get an officer that has been gone for 5 years all her seniority back. That is not fair. Why can't they just follow the letter of the SOP which prohibits this?

We continuously get called in on our days off even though there is a contingent of officers that get paid 5% more than us for this specific purpose.

will the city recognize the PBA as a bargaining agent?

will the city recognize the PBA as a bargaining agent?

Once we get the majority they don't have a choice. I can assure you that they will do anything to keep this from happening.

PBA all the way. Cheaper, Better and much more professional.

Just became a member yesterday. Their LDF is second to none.