89 Grand for Palm Trees????

Are you kidding me?
Here's the link:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008 ... om+Arizona (http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/6/18/357984.html?title=New+Pinellas+Park+palms+came+fro m+Arizona)

Paid for with grant money. Cost the City very little if any. Let this one go

I think they should have given the officers a raise with the money instead of buying trees grants or not.

Why is it everytime this city gets caught blowing large amounts of money on the stupiest items, ie- church/performing arts center, Drain, oops train station, plots of land, italian tile, fancy sign poles, new jobs and/or new positions for the CM's buddies and friends or maybe imported Arizona Palm trees. Wait lets not forget the caboose, that our workers lit on fire and the transients use as a public toilet. Stop with the crap about this money is grant. I'm sure cities have been creative in their explanation of grant expendatures, in order to help their employees. I just read in the paper that our city is in better financial shape that we thought. Since the CM is getting a 13 % raise, along with all his cronies and the useless department heads, assistants, vice co-program directors, or whatever new title this city as created..ie- neighborhood services. What a joke.. This city has gained no respect with it's citizens, it's employees, and it's visitors. Come election time there will be a sand storm of change, including CM. This city has been run into the ground ever since he took over. Tax payers, please make your voice heard

Paid for with grant money. Cost the City very little if any. Let this one go

The grant was from the Florida Department of Transportation, which is a government agency. FDOT gets its money from the same pool as other state government agencies, such as FDLE, for example. FDLE had to cut funding to training centers this year, which means local agencies will have to pick up the cost. That mandated increase in training costs is going to have a direct impact on police officer salary and benefits across the state.

This is just one example, but ALL government grants are still funded by taxes, which means they DO end up costing even the smallest level of government.

The city, however, should not be blamed for accepting the grant. The governor should be blamed for allowing FDOT to continue distributing funds for this type of grant in the face of serious cuts in other areas that are more important than highway beautification.

Accept the grant money and use it for the things we have in our budget. Use the other money to pay us or buy equipment to improve services. Stop promoting and making positions within this city. Seems like every position has an assistant and they are the vice director of nothing. Cut the fat in the city admin and at the top of all of our sections. We have many positions at city hall that if they were eliminated, no none would even notice and service to the citizens would not change. I'm tired of wasteful city spending and this WILL be an issue at voting time.

I agree...however....it will be no issue at voting time....

It WILL be for you...however...you are one vote....you need more than that...

What are you going to organize to make a difference? The FOP reps can't even get cops to show up at contract negotiation meetings when what is discussed directly impacts their pay, so what makes you think it will make a difference what you think.

Here's an idea............. Get some grants for the police dept.,,,,,,,,,,

they would just waste it

they have not yet figured out how disconnected they are from the troops yet

Speaking of waste....how many guys does it take to the work of what used to be two? I'd hate to see what happens if a lightbulb goes bad. Make the corporals work! Remove the excuse to be lazy.

Nice. Are you going to give specifics or just snipe and run?

Heard on the radio, today.......two of the great corporals in action....

Example 1:

Corporal: " I can take that signal 17 base, I am on my way to work. "
Base: " Can you take a signal 48 instead, subjects on scene, they want a trespess letter?"
Corporal: (Not happy about being pulled off the open 911 line and given the possibility that he might actually have to WRITE an 05N) "I guess....if there is no one else available"

Example 2:

Different Corporal, about an hour later: " Base do you have a report of a SIG 4 in the parking lot of wal-mart?'
Base: " 10-4 we do "
Corporal: " Are you going to send someone? "

These are just two "specifics" from about 1 hour of radio traffic I hear today. It is getting a little ridiculous. We need to trim fat alright............in more places than Tim Caddel's office. I did not start this post and do not really care where it goes, but you asked for it.

I know, I can just go somewhere else if I don't like it, yada, yada, yada.....just save it. And I know I am a coward / sniper because I can not afford to give my name in this tiny agency. Call me what you want, but I am smart enough not to put a huge target on my back for the COPRPORALS to pad my file :)

Oh, speaking of trimming fat, why is ML on light duty again?

It seems dayshift officers are complaining online about supervisors. What officers were working dayshift today 6/24/08 and which ones are posting this nonsense about corporals, should be easy to know. Stop crying & do your job!

Ok we know he posted the complaint about the corporals at 1715, as soon as he got home he ran for to the computer. Let's look at the line up for today, (6/24/08) hmmm who could this unhappy dayshift officer be?

If he would have listened he would have heard the Corp going out on a follow up and the other was on the way to work, So what? the call was handled, Why don't we post your radio comments? Go work & cry elsewhere, and by the way if you work days tomorrow, smile & pretend you aren't a back stabber.

If you want to know why M.L. is on light duty, man up and ask her.

If she chooses to share with you, then you will know, and I am sure she will unless you ask in the same crap manner you did on here.

Stop trying to get dirt and do your job. Oh by the way, it is legit, so try and dig up your slop elsewhere.

Theres no retaliation at this PD, is there? Sounded like payback is coming once the witch hunt is complete. I hope you get the right person and you don't make several officers suffer because they have similar schedules. Just read the posts where someone tries to investigate who may be posting and what shift they may be on. For some of the supervisors, this might be the closest thing to working a call they've seen in years. It's good to see you can waste your time on this board, but when calls are backing up or you roll up on something, you can't be bothered to handle it. This corporal deal was the worst idea this PD has come up with in a long time. A few Cpls are very hard workers and very well respected, but most are a joke. Three supervisors to read reports? Sometimes 5 supervisors on one shift to watch 5 officers. Don't start with the manpower numbers because it is absolute crap that Cpls count as manpower towards a shift. Taking photos or taking a X94 once a shift doesn't cut it. I have heard radio traffic where a DAV is called out and a Cpl goes out to check on it. When the DAV turns S4, the Cpl asks dispatch to send a unit, even though it was very busy on this date. The Cpl waited for 10-15 mins for a officer to arrive on scene, which should have been plenty of time to complete a short form. Actual report writing must be beneath Cpls. 7% extra pay for what? This program is wasteful and useless. And for all of you out there trying to figure this one out, don't waste your time and effort, try helping out the officers by taking a call for service.

Or "Woman" up.

no, responses from the corporals? Im surprised nobody told that poster they are a "sniper, whiner, malcontent, lazy, gossiper, or troublemaker" yet. I guess the truth hurts. Paybacks, good post, the truth is being heard and please don't take their advice and leave. Dump the corporals, make them officers again and let the Sgts read reports. We need the extra bodies taking calls for service in this time of Amendment 1, not sitting at the PD plotting the X58 plans with the LT. I guess the investigation on the dayshift poster hit a brick wall. Remember practice makes perfect, get out there and handle some calls, you might spark that investigative fire you had when you got into this profession. I love this agency, I just don't like the direction it's been going in. I hope we get back to basics and become a real team again.

Cry me a river lazy boy....

Oh, we need more help...Oh amendment one...Whatever...Amendment one has not had an effect on patrol so stop crying.

We haven't lost one person since amendment one took effect so don't make excuses. You don't like corporals, we get it. Take your beef with a certain evening shift corporal up with him to his face. You won't because you are a coward. You will say because you fear retaliation, however, that is a cowardice response. Suck it up, man up or shut up.

Oh by the way...I'm not a corporal. I don't particulary care for the way this agency has been heading either. It hasn't been heading anywhere. We are flying neutral. We have had no recent major changes, we have no incentives to be above average, and no inspiration. However, its not the corporals fault and I like the program. Keep it, however, hold them accountable. Corporals should be the best of the best, and many are not, I get it. The problem is not the program, its several of the ones who hold the position. However, the reality is, they were the few who were eligible so we got stuck with what we have. In a few years, many more will be eligible and hopefully the pool of corporals will be better. Don't scrap the program because a few bad apples are in the bunch.

Your last paragraph made some valid points, but the rest is tough guy/gal trash. If you really think Amendment 1 has not effected us, you need to open your eyes. Look at your paycheck, look at how many positions are going unfilled, ask how much money we have to spend for the rest of the year. You say hold the Cpls accountable, but how can that be done and what is your definition for their accountablity? Everyone knows the workers and everyone knows the lazy bunch, but they make the same and I would guess there is no expectation of production. Thanks for the pep talk, I will "man up" like I do every day I come to work. As for confronting Cpls or supervisors, you obviously must be very new or not so sharp. That would be an easy way to have a tough road at work. But I'm sure if (you may be one anyway) you were a supervisor, you would be so nice when a subordinate confronts you about being lazy, hanging out at X19, etc. I'm sure you would say sorry, hand them a tootsie pop, and cover their next call for service. Sorry to put it to you that way, but with all the suggestions you made in your post, this seemed to be the only way to explain reality to you. I know already I'm a no good loser, whiner, crybaby, weasel, chump, girlie boy, etc; thanks I know how the drill works, save your fingers the typing.

Ok, by your agreeing that I made a few valid points shows you have some common sense and honor. I withdraw my lazy boy comment and harsness of my post. You were clearly not who I intended the post for.

I will stick to my belief that the Corporal program is viable and a good idea but concede the best candidates are not in every position. The focus should be on improving a viable program, not gutting it because of a few mis selections. If the perception of the majority of patrol is the corporals are not on the road enough or carrying their weight, then either the admin needs to do a better job of explaning their assignment or examining the complaints and fixing the problems. Ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away is not a good strategy and will just continue to fuel the fire.

I withdraw my suggestion on confronting the Corporal. I understand your position.

Thank you, this is what this board was designed for. You are someone I would love to talk to and I appriciate we can find common ground on this board. I don't agree with everything you say, but you do have a valid point in your stance. I think this PD should eliminate the Cpl program and change the standards to make them less than Sgts. Start fresh with people who have established leadership and earned respect, not the giving the positions to lazy college grads, who have 7 yrs on the books. Look at our track record with that. It's sad the requirements for Cpl are more restrictive than Sgt. I could name multiple badge numbers who would make great Cpls or Sgts, who don't have college degrees or credits. Remember we have supervisors who got hired with GEDs and they did not have any college degrees when they got supervisor positions. Are they less a supervisor? Should we take their stripes and pay back? Having a college degree does not make you a great leader. Lead by example and your troops will fall in line. We have admin and officers who have multiple degrees and when they get to a call they are clueless. Does a degree help with administrative planning?; sure it does, but for old fashioned police work, it is useless. Interpersonal skills, personal interaction, and common sense, take over and clear the call. If you have these skills, then get your degree, I may say yes, you deserve a chance, but please don't say because I put years in and I have a college degree, I deserve to be your boss. Degrees are very overrated for early positions (Cpl/Sgt), but I agree the the top admin could benefit from college planning courses. We have alot of 1 yr officers, who have a 4 yr degrees, no life experience, and struggle in patrol. The SOP says they can put in for a supervisor position when their time is due, but is this what we need? Please keep it clean

Well said. Book smart street stupid does not make a GOOD supervisor.
Street smarts, a good head and common sense along with the ability to lead and lead by example, leadership presence by knowing how to communicate and teach as u lead as well as treating your troops as people.

Too bad no one reads these posts and is willing to have the guts and strength to make the changes.

I agree with everything you said. Except the elimination of the Corporal program. We will have to agree to disagree on that one.

As for talking about this in person, we likely have, that is the beauty and frustration with this site.

Don't fret, plenty of people who have decision making ability in this agency read leo affairs daily. If your posts are articulate, well spoken, and respectful, you may be able to sway an opinion.

If those use this forum to snipe, call names and laugh at other brothers and sisters, then whatever they say will be discounted regardless if their topic has merit.

BTW, couldn't agree with you more on the Corporals being harder to achieve than Sergeant. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I know it is that way because it is a leftover of the MPO program (a ten year requirement) becoming the SPO program (a seven year requirement) becoming the Corporal positions (still a seven year requirement) I am sure it will change with time.