Boynton Beach Merger

Well, It is official, Boynton Beach PD has been in talks for a merger with PBSO. Anyone in PBSO against it?

Well, It is official, Boynton Beach PD has been in talks for a merger with PBSO. Anyone in PBSO against it?

Lie, not true.

Nope....Chief Immler had Command Staff put it out to the Lieutenant's today 04/16/2012....it's not set in stone, still needs to be drawn up and approved by commission.

Why would anyone be against a merger between Boynton PD and the SO, what kind of dumb question is that, you must a jobless recruit that never got your foot in the door in time for this merger, sucks to be you.

This would be great for both departments. And PBSO could definitely use some real up-north style leadership like Chief Immler. He's probably hands down the best Chief in the county. Would be nice to see this happen.

Hopefully they select a better pair to do the presentation, say someone who has actually commanded a PBSO district, or maybe a city contract? We need more credibility and cannot walk in a room and expect the seas to part because we are PBSO. Don't try to sell commissioners with cheesy one liners, talk with experience...The Ocean Ridge presentation was a disaster, the finances alone are a poor way to sell the idea, explain the real benefits if you know guys, if not step aside.

[MGL]

I personally believe that the merger is neither good for the City or the employees.
First, ask Lake Worth how they feel. The LWCommission has looked into abandoning PBSO but they don't have the money. Many of the City officers felt betrayed because they were led to believe that they would be able to transfer to other areas and keep their seniority (some with over 20 years) but were later told that they had to stay in the City longer than originally promised and that they would not have their seniority outside of the City.
Second, there is no guarantee that all of the personnel would be brought over. Like they have in other cities, PBSO rightfully goes through all the files and makes decisions based on seniority, personnel file, rank, etc... In addition, the Communications division would most likely be abolished, and other civilian positions would be eliminated. Many of these folks are City tax payers and depend on the City as much as the City has depended on them. In this economy, it is just not right to add to the unemployment ranks at this time.
I believe that the City would lose respect among other cities by giving up on their police department and lose a valuable political tool. I also know that the City has the money to give the current PD what they need in the form of general funds and emergency funds. The PD may have to give a bit, but I feel that the City is better served by manning their own hometown police department than by giving up all authority over the law enforcement in the city to the S.O.

The comments made by the previous poster are meant to discourage city commissioners from considering a contract with the Sheriff's Office. The statements are without merit and are not based on the true facts. One statement claims the Lake Worth commission voted to remove the Sheriff's Office and return to its own municipal department. Out of context, that statement is true, however that city manager was terminated and the commissioners that supported those thoughts were not re-elected to the commission. Based on the support of the citizens and members of the business community, the Sheriff's Office has received accolades for the work completed in the city. Crime rates have been substantially reduced, the relationship with the minority community has been improved, (especially with the undocumented Central American residents where an advocate was hired in a federal grant), the aggresive panhandling and problems created by homeless have been reduced, and homeowner associations have a voice with law enforcement representatives who attend their meetings.
Several officers, including members of the administration, were critical of the merger, but after months after the merger have reversed their stance and are now thrilled with how they have been treated at the Sheriff's Office. Ask Lt. Pete Ebel and retired Ken White what they think of the merger.
You claim in your statements that some officers were not accepted. That's true with some agencies, but not with Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach and other municipalities that maintained adequate hiring standards. I don't know of one officer denied a position at the Sheriff's Office in those mergers. Boynton Beach would fare as well with all officers brought on board, except those who have records from inappropriate past behaviors or current Internal Affairs investigations that are egregious.
Lose a political tool? Ask Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Park, or Mangonia Beach if they are unhappy. Attend their commission meetings and listen to the positive comments made by the citizens and commissioners alike. Ask them about the programs that have been developed for their youth, just this week one of the papers wrote a positive article on a bullying program initiated in one of Lake Worth's elementary schools by deputies from the community policing program.
The rhetoric from the previous post sounds similar to the accusations made at an Ocean Ridge meeting where a chief stood up and made comments similar to what was written here. I understand that an Ocean Ridge commissioner chastised the chief for his comments and clarified that in conversations held with members of administrations from other cities she was told it was the best decision those cities ever made..
You speak of budgets? Honestly, look at the budget problems of Boynton Beach and get realistic. It is not just the salaries, benefits and law enforcement costs they are facing, but all of the infrastructure needed to maintaining the agency over the next 20 to 30 years. Your inexperience in the process of municipal budgets and maintenance is obvious by your statements.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pal...,1043687.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Police in Boynton say chief 'sold them out'
Immler backs proposal to shed 52 positions, save $5 million

By Ben Wolford, Sun Sentinel

8:29 PM EDT, June 6, 2012


Members of the Boynton Beach police union say their chief "sold them out" by endorsing a plan to outsource law enforcement to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

The plan would save the city $5 million but mean as many as 52 layoffs for the 164-officer force. Chief Matt Immler says a bleak budget may force job cuts even if the city force remains.

He told city commissioners Tuesday night that closing the department "is the best way to make up that budgetary deficit." He declined to comment Wednesday.

"They're very, very upset with the chief," said John Kazanjian, president of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association. "They're feeling like the chief sold them out.''

Meanwhile, Immler's job appears to be secure under the proposal.

"There is a captain assigned" to the Boynton Beach district, said Lt. Steven Thibodeau in his presentation. "That captain, as we've proposed, is Chief Immler."

Kazanjian said he spoke with the Sheriff's Office on Wednesday and intends to seek a deal with no job losses. Though 52 positions would be eliminated, some officers or civilian employees may retire.

Teri Barbera, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman, said "there will be negotiations back and forth."

"Listen, I represent them," Kazanjian said. "They either need to take everybody or just forget it."

In the past year, the police department has been deeply troubled, with four officers arrested on charges including methamphetamine trafficking, official misconduct and falsifying a police report. Commissioners have called for an external review of the department, though Immler says the corruption was isolated.

Martha Meeks-Light, a resident whose two neices were gunned down in a high-profile homicide in March, was concerned about losing so many officers.

"I realize they need to cut, but not the police department," she said. "That's the last thing I would cut."

But the financial realities are of greater importance to Terry Lonergan, a homeowners association president and member of a citizen's financial advisory panel.

"I don't think we're going to lose response time; I don't think we're going to lose anything," Lonergan said.

The commission ultimately will decide whether to make a deal. The city is struggling to close a nearly $6 million projected shortfall.

The terms call for Boynton Beach to pay $21.9 million annually over 24 months, according to a draft agreement. The city would no longer be responsible for equipment maintenance, including an impending $10 million radio system upgrade.

After the first two years, rate increases are capped for three years at 7 percent a year.

Commissioners were reticent to comment about the proposal, but Steven Holzman said the job loss was a concern. Commissioner Bill Orlove raised questions about the quality of service and response times.

"The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is an excellent law enforcement agency," Immler said Tuesday. "They can provide the same services that the Boynton Beach Police Department provides at least at our level. The safety would not suffer."

bwolford@tribune.com or 561-243-6602 or Twitter @benwolford

[MGL]

Wow, I didn't expect that someone so knowledgable with the take over procedures would respond so quickly. Allow me to address your response.
First, I am neither the Chief you compare my statements to, nor am I a member of BBPD.
Second, I know both Ebel and White and they both had great careers with PBSO and this is no knock on PBSO or its employees.
Third, you assert that the comments made by the late LW Commision are moot because the Commission was later voted out. I fail to understand your logic that this somehow nullifies the fact that they wanted their department back. Their decision was based on complaints from citizens and a lack of accountability by PBSO upper management. It is a fact that PBSO does not answer to a city commision. The Sheriff is an elected official and even though a captain is assigned to the City in question, he too is answerable to the sheriff. As such, a City commission cannot demand anything of PBSO. I don't mean this accountability issue to be a slant on PBSO as I worked very closely with deputies and have many friends and many deputies that I trained/worked with, working for them at this time. PBSO is a great agency and fully capable of managing the issues Boynton Beach has, but if the Commission wants anything special, they have to request it and go through a chain of command instead of the way it is with their own department.
Fourth, the cities you mention were all small cities with major issues and crime problems. BBPD and the City of Boynton have neither. Boynton is a large city in PB County and has a very good reputation as does the police department. In fact, it is known that if you commit a crime in Boynton you will be caught! The fact that the City refuses to raise taxes the small amount necessary to keep the police department is an issue.
If the City Commission wants to give up the stellar reputation of its Police department, then that is a future political issue. Can PBSO lower the crime rate in Boynton? It is my assertion that they cannot, because the local PD has done a fantastic job doing it already. So, in future elections, when the law and order issue arises, what is the Commission to say? "we turned all law enforcement over to another agency that we have no control over"?
I realize that it would be a major feather in the cap of PBSO if they were to take the reins from BBPD, and apparently I have stepped on the toes of someone who will wear that feather.
There is also the issue of what happens to the rank and file of BBPD. There are tenured sergeants and Lieutenants that worked hard to get to where they are today and did great jobs for the City. Their future is at risk as PBSO has indicated that they will bring everyone over as deputies. What happens to a 20 yr Lieutenant or sergeant? what happens to the Communications staff, crime scene, tech services? There has been indications that they will not be retained. Is this really what the City wants?
As for my managing budgets, I can truthfully say that I have handled million dollar budgets for years and I fully understand the budgetary issues that are driving this discussion, but those issues are not unsolvable and can be fixed easily to keep the City a fully functioning municipality with its own police force.
Lastly, my comments are my own, constitutionally protected and not meant to sway anyone's opinion. If they make you nervous enough to reply so vigorously, maybe there is some validity to them after all.