07-21-2008, 03:44 AM
PBA can we do this? Or take a vote on it? PLEASE???????????
Despite savings, Delray officials loath to hand policing to sheriff's office
Listen to this article or download audio file.
By DON JORDAN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 20, 2008
DELRAY BEACH — Lower costs. Better resources. Higher pay.
These are the benefits municipalities gain when they transfer their policing to the county, according to the sheriff's office.
City police union leaders suggest that it could be the solution for a cash-strapped city such as Delray Beach, saying rank-and-file officers would favor the move over proposed cuts to the department.
"It would mean one word: savings," said Sgt. Vinnie Gray, the city's police union spokesman.
But city leaders say the transfer isn't likely to happen.
Even the mayor, who said this month that "everything was on the table," acknowledged that the move is perhaps the one thing that isn't on it.
"I wouldn't seriously consider it, nor would the citizens of our city," Mayor Rita Ellis said. "We can address the needs of our city much better than the county can."
City and union leaders will begin negotiating a new contract soon.
Hanging over the talks is an estimated $8 million budget shortfall and two reports from a budget task force charged with sifting through the city's finances to determine where money can be saved. The group has made 29 recommendations to the city commission that would have cut $2.4 from the current budget and nearly $600,000 from future costs. More than half of the recommendations affect the police or fire departments.
The proposals include reducing the percentage of salary used to determine how much the police and fire pension plan pays out to retired employees and reducing the percentage of fire and police base wages paid annually to a retiree insurance fund from 3.3 percent to 2 percent.
Of 60 city employees who earned more than $100,000 last year, 51 are in the fire or police departments, according to the task force report.
"They're crying that they're broke and need budget cuts and have no money," said Gray, adding that joining the sheriff's office is "the answer."
"The city doesn't want to do this because they'll lose control," he said.
Union officials are reviewing the city's proposed budget to identify other possible cuts, Gray said.
A number of municipalities in the county have turned over their policing to the sheriff's office in recent years. The sheriff's department operates in the unincorporated areas of the county, as well as Mangonia Park, Royal Palm Beach, Belle Glade, Pahokee, Wellington, South Bay and Lake Park.
Royal Palm Beach Village Manager David Farber said the transition was relatively painless and provided greater resources at a cheaper cost.
The sheriff's department absorbed the village's police force in 2006. Within the first year, the village saved nearly $2.4 million.
"They function as if they're a local police department," said Farber, adding that he chats with a sheriff's captain at least once a day.
The changeover in Mangonia Park in early 2007 was a bit rockier, as the two agencies had trouble merging records and vehicles, Town Manager Lee Leffingwell said.
"It was a little chaotic at first, but then it settled down," said Leffingwell, adding that the town has saved money without sacrificing the quality of policing. "They have more resources, more equipment, more of everything."
The sheriff's office and Lake Worth officials are negotiating turning that city's police over to the county.
But what's good for one city might not be good for Delray Beach, said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, adding that deputies and Lake Worth officers work closely in certain situations, such as gang-related crimes.
Without examining Delray Beach's budget, "you can't even begin to talk about what the dynamics are," Bradshaw said. "I know absolutely nothing about their police department."
Although the transfer probably would save the city money, city commissioners say a change would be short-sighted.
Commissioner Woodie McDuffie, who has joined police on numerous ride-alongs since taking his seat, said he has seen the value of quality community policing.
"We have officers that work particular neighborhoods and the people in the neighborhoods know them," McDuffie said. "They roll their windows down. They talk to people. They get out of their cars.
"I'd be hard-pressed to give that away." ~'don_jordan@pbpost.com
Despite savings, Delray officials loath to hand policing to sheriff's office
Listen to this article or download audio file.
By DON JORDAN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 20, 2008
DELRAY BEACH — Lower costs. Better resources. Higher pay.
These are the benefits municipalities gain when they transfer their policing to the county, according to the sheriff's office.
City police union leaders suggest that it could be the solution for a cash-strapped city such as Delray Beach, saying rank-and-file officers would favor the move over proposed cuts to the department.
"It would mean one word: savings," said Sgt. Vinnie Gray, the city's police union spokesman.
But city leaders say the transfer isn't likely to happen.
Even the mayor, who said this month that "everything was on the table," acknowledged that the move is perhaps the one thing that isn't on it.
"I wouldn't seriously consider it, nor would the citizens of our city," Mayor Rita Ellis said. "We can address the needs of our city much better than the county can."
City and union leaders will begin negotiating a new contract soon.
Hanging over the talks is an estimated $8 million budget shortfall and two reports from a budget task force charged with sifting through the city's finances to determine where money can be saved. The group has made 29 recommendations to the city commission that would have cut $2.4 from the current budget and nearly $600,000 from future costs. More than half of the recommendations affect the police or fire departments.
The proposals include reducing the percentage of salary used to determine how much the police and fire pension plan pays out to retired employees and reducing the percentage of fire and police base wages paid annually to a retiree insurance fund from 3.3 percent to 2 percent.
Of 60 city employees who earned more than $100,000 last year, 51 are in the fire or police departments, according to the task force report.
"They're crying that they're broke and need budget cuts and have no money," said Gray, adding that joining the sheriff's office is "the answer."
"The city doesn't want to do this because they'll lose control," he said.
Union officials are reviewing the city's proposed budget to identify other possible cuts, Gray said.
A number of municipalities in the county have turned over their policing to the sheriff's office in recent years. The sheriff's department operates in the unincorporated areas of the county, as well as Mangonia Park, Royal Palm Beach, Belle Glade, Pahokee, Wellington, South Bay and Lake Park.
Royal Palm Beach Village Manager David Farber said the transition was relatively painless and provided greater resources at a cheaper cost.
The sheriff's department absorbed the village's police force in 2006. Within the first year, the village saved nearly $2.4 million.
"They function as if they're a local police department," said Farber, adding that he chats with a sheriff's captain at least once a day.
The changeover in Mangonia Park in early 2007 was a bit rockier, as the two agencies had trouble merging records and vehicles, Town Manager Lee Leffingwell said.
"It was a little chaotic at first, but then it settled down," said Leffingwell, adding that the town has saved money without sacrificing the quality of policing. "They have more resources, more equipment, more of everything."
The sheriff's office and Lake Worth officials are negotiating turning that city's police over to the county.
But what's good for one city might not be good for Delray Beach, said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, adding that deputies and Lake Worth officers work closely in certain situations, such as gang-related crimes.
Without examining Delray Beach's budget, "you can't even begin to talk about what the dynamics are," Bradshaw said. "I know absolutely nothing about their police department."
Although the transfer probably would save the city money, city commissioners say a change would be short-sighted.
Commissioner Woodie McDuffie, who has joined police on numerous ride-alongs since taking his seat, said he has seen the value of quality community policing.
"We have officers that work particular neighborhoods and the people in the neighborhoods know them," McDuffie said. "They roll their windows down. They talk to people. They get out of their cars.
"I'd be hard-pressed to give that away." ~'don_jordan@pbpost.com