personal cell phones agency use

Anyone else have a problem with how we are forced daily to use our personal cell phones for agency business?

Daily I am called by dispatchers, SAO, supervisors, witness management and other people on my personal cell for work related use.

They refuse to give us agency cell phones yet expect to use them like the county is footing the bill.

Now that they took the pagers away my agency related cell phone bill has doubled. When they told us to take our pager numbers out of the system I put my home number in the system and took my personal cell out.

I was told to put my personal cell number back in or face reprimand because the agency must be aware of all contact numbers (not only home number but cell as well).

Supervisors blow my phone up like it doesnt bother them because they are using the agency phone.

Now as I recall the agency implemented a plan some years ago stating those with agency cell phones had to pay the agency .25 per minute for personal calls.

What would be wrong with members charging the agency .25 per minute for agency related calls on our personal cell phone bills?

This is just a subject that has bothered me for some time but being told I have to put my personal cell phone in uniplex because the agency did away with pagers is not right. When 1200 minutes of my aloud 1400 minuntes a month is used for agency related issues I deserve compensation.

AM I THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE THAT FEELS THIS WAY?

I claim 100% of my cell phone bill on my taxes as a deduction every year. I get it all back. If I'm mandated to have a phone then the government can reimburse me 100% for it's use!

I typically do my job well and keep to myself, thus, not having very many reasons for supervisors to call me. I typically have more problems from the newbies on the shift calling me asking me questions. I have since told them to just cdpd/message me on the computer with their questions.

I typically do my job well and keep to myself, thus, not having very many reasons for supervisors to call me. I typically have more problems from the newbies on the shift calling me asking me questions. I have since told them to just cdpd/message me on the computer with their questions.

I'm a dispatcher not a deputy but we were also told we had to put our cell phones in HR screen. I don't agree we should be forced to as long as there's home number listed. My supervisors have my cell and can contact me if needed.

As for us having to call deputies on their cell, we do not like it either. I prefer just paging someone. I know that may seem impersonable, but most of the time I'm so busy that I don't have time to wait for someone to answer the phone, paging was much quicker. I'd only use the cell if no one answered from a page for s77.

A pager fits easier on a deputy's gun belt than a phone, which requires the purchase of a holder with a clip so it will attach. Besides, who wants to worry about losing their phone if your chasing someone. So it's probably left more often in the patrol car which means we probably won't reach you landline for s77.

If the s.o. is going to force deputies to use their personal cell and not issue a company one, then they should have to pay for the work related phone calls.

Bring back the pagers!!!! If Judd wants to save money, take away the laptops, radios and company vehicles from alot of these non-sworn members that don't need it.
:devil:

I dont like using my cell phone while working but though on a different note. I leave my phone in my car because I do not wish to break my phone, loose my phone, someone steal my phone, or have something else happen to it. Yes, I have insurance on my phone, but I personally do not care nor wish to fix my phone (and be without one for two weeks and depending on what needs to be done to fix it) on my off time. I work really hard during shift and I know that if it broke and I had to run to the store to fix it, my shift wouldnt like that because sometimes its longer to wait then the alloted time of my lunch.

But I also do not care for EVERYONE to have knowledge or access to my phone either, pagers were much smaller and was accomodatable (sic) on my other shoulder and out of my way. Being on night shift I get phone calls from the SAO and other members (sometimes) telling me about court and other reasons.

Maybe and hopefully this without a pager is a trial period. Hopefully we can get our pagers back before someone gets hurt in a crash responding to someone not answering the radio or from being in a 'dead' radio area. It would be such a senseless injury.

What's the big deal? I was very happy to turn in that $%#@# pager! I don't HAVE to answer my cell phone or even have the thing turned on. Claim it all on your taxes and get it back at tax time! Don't we have more important to be concerned about these days???

Thank you above poster! Allow me to give some of you some pointers that may make your life easier:

1)You don't HAVE to answer the cell phone.
2)Most all cell phones have caller ID nowdays so if you see it is someone you don't want to talk to... DON'T ANSWER IT!
3)Turn it off while you are sleeping or turn all notifications off so you can see the missed calls when you wake up.
4)Leave it in the car so you don't break it.
5)Listen to your radio while you are at work for when they call you (which you should do anyway).
6)If you are in a dead radio area (and you should know where these areas are), return to your car with in 2 minutes and give the dispatcher a S77 so they won't be sending the cavalry to you 10-18.

If we use some common sense and responsibility we can remove some of the stress in our lives. We can only control what we can control.

Be safe out there!

to above poster all that is true but there are some dead areas that have been reported for years and there are times you cant get back to your unit in 2 mins why cant the dead areas be fixed with a few more towers is it going to take another deputy getting killed to get a tower how much is your life worth :cop:

i think the point of the post is that most of the bosses now expect you to call them on a routine basis. there are some bosses that have learned to trust in those who can be trusted to handle business and leave them be. however most(especially dayshift) supervisors want an update on nearly every call and usually before you have time to get the information yourself.

the simple answer is this: don't call them when they ask you to. eventually they learn to stop asking. always offer to 10-55 as an alternative.

if they have a question,10-55 with them. the reason they typically want you to call is to keep themselves off monitored radio traffic. if it needs to be said,it can be heard by all.

never use a suspect's or witness' phone,either home or cell. if a boss absulutely needs to talk to you on a phone, they'll just have to wait till you can get to a COPS station or substation. That or send a reimbursement memo in for 50 cents for payphone use.

as for turning in pagers: i think its been long overdue. i agree that people need to pay attention to their radios. the in-car radios get out everywhere in the county,even polo park and bradley junction. i am thrilled to death that when i am off,i'm off. i'm no longer required to be "available" 24\7 with my little wireless leash.

"Another" deputy getting killed due to poor radio coverage? When was the first one to die because of this. Somebody fill me in. EVERY radio system has dead areas. Anyone that tells you otherwise does not know what they are talking about. Polk County is the same size as Delaware and Rhode Island, 2,000 square miles. I doubt a few new towers will clear up all bad radio areas. You apparently weren't here when the radio channel towers were in the district. It was not like it is today when you could 10-55 with a unit in Davenport when you were in Bradley. This system works well, it isn't perfect but no radio system is. The car radios are a wonderful tool and I'm glad they finally broke through and bought them for us.

Damn you guys whine... some of us remember when we had no WT, cell phone, laptop, tasers and all the other toys we have on the batman utility belt... As for radios not working, it was everything east of 27 and south of 60 that was dead.. but no worry, there was one other deputy working at the time so backup was just 20 to 60 min. away.. Thak God Grady changed all that

To the above poster, I totally agree! When I started I had no WT, no computer, no taser, no chemical spray, no cell phone, only 4 channels on the car radio for the entire county for the entire SO, no 10-55 channel on day shift, no patching the radio with other cities or counties, etc etc. I drove a complete crap 1978 Chevy Nova with no radio (music, etc) and no plexy glass in the cage and the thing had 200k plus miles on it and would top out at about 80 mph! It had no spot light on it and a single bubble light on top. When out on a call I'd hang the radio mic out the window and try to get back to it asap to let dispatch know I was still alive! When out of the car we were OUT OF TOUCH! We HAND WROTE reports and had to do reports on almost everything. I wore an ugly lime green uniform shirt and a tie during the fall and winter months! These people have no freakin' clue how good they have it now! These freakin' deputies now cant even find anything without a stupid GPS unit and even then it takes them on some indirect route that takes longer to drive! Oh yeah, we had no maps outside of the Lakeland & Winter Haven area! And somebody is *****ing about using their cell phone??? Amazing ...

P.S.

... and I made a whopping $14,500 a year!

P.S.

... and I made a whopping $14,500 a year! I started when it was a long sleeve white short and a green tie... We did have a white unmarked ford called the Mayflower cause the girls came across in it... but that was the 70s when the job was fun.... bet we worked together at some time

perhaps, the deputies today just expect a little bit more since they do a whole lot more than deputies had to do in the past. i know you will try and dispute that. lets consider the growth in this county since the 70's. lets consider the added calls for service, proactive thinking, and added responsibilities that deputies today have. i respect you guys who worked backed then, but noone forced you to choose to a poorly equipped, poorly staffed, and poorly paid agency to work for. it's a matter of principle when it comes to the expectation that deputies should use their personal phones to conduct agency business. and don't give me the response that i could go and find a payphone and advise the number for it over the radio so i can be called on it. payphones are few and far between. i don't know the last time i even saw one. the ones that i did see had a line of illegal aliens lined up at them with handfulls of phone cards so that they could call home. having said all this, i know that deputies will continue to have to use their personal cell phones to conduct agency business. believe me, i am skilled in screening calls on my days off.

You will never say that you guys dont do way more than us old guy did. Your job is tough, I have only respect for you and the job you do. I love what grady has become and know where he started.. God bless you all... One day, if you last long enough, you will know where I'm coming from with my comments.. Every year your toys get better and better as they should... Be safe my friend...

Quote" but noone forced you to choose to a poorly equipped, poorly staffed, and poorly paid agency to work for." Who forced you to work for an agency that forces you to use your cell phone???

Sorry, let me make a correction

You will never hear me say that you guys dont do way more than us old guy did. Your job is tough, I have only respect for you and the job you do. I love what grady has become and know where he started.. God bless you all... One day, if you last long enough, you will know where I'm coming from with my comments.. Every year your toys get better and better as they should... Be safe my friend...

There will always be those who have something to complain about. Back in the day this..... Back in the day that..... I have to use my personal cell phone so the agency can spare a buck..... There are radio dead spots in the County..... We carry the M26 not the X26 taser..... Many agencies across the state are laying officers/deputies off at an alarming rate. Many of our brothers and sisters that work for other agencies work with fewer members, poor equipment and aging cars.... I am thankful that our boss has had the foresight to cut corners where he can to ensure that all of his employees have a job despite a poor economy and reduced tax base. I am sure if you were in a radio dead spot and you needed a S35 yesterday you would surely utilize your cell phone to notify dispatch asap without a single complaint. In exchange for your personal cell phone use you are hereby authorized to use the tax payers vehicle for 10-85, the tax payers laptop while at home and both the tax payers vehicle and laptop (for watching movies) to make additional money while performing off-duty details. Keep in mind that other agencies, such as Hillsborough County, require their deputies to purchase their own sidearm, they do not have 10-85 use of agency issued vehicles but you know they do get agency issued pagers and cell phones.... I hear they have numerous positions available if anyone is interested. God bless and stay safe.

so at hillsborough county i'd buy my own gun with the extra 6-7k they start off at? plus i could live out of county? i don't see the complaint there

There will always be those who have something to complain about. Back in the day this..... Back in the day that..... I have to use my personal cell phone so the agency can spare a buck..... There are radio dead spots in the County..... We carry the M26 not the X26 taser..... Many agencies across the state are laying officers/deputies off at an alarming rate. Many of our brothers and sisters that work for other agencies work with fewer members, poor equipment and aging cars.... I am thankful that our boss has had the foresight to cut corners where he can to ensure that all of his employees have a job despite a poor economy and reduced tax base. I am sure if you were in a radio dead spot and you needed a S35 yesterday you would surely utilize your cell phone to notify dispatch asap without a single complaint. In exchange for your personal cell phone use you are hereby authorized to use the tax payers vehicle for 10-85, the tax payers laptop while at home and both the tax payers vehicle and laptop (for watching movies) to make additional money while performing off-duty details. Keep in mind that other agencies, such as Hillsborough County, require their deputies to purchase their own sidearm, they do not have 10-85 use of agency issued vehicles but you know they do get agency issued pagers and cell phones.... I hear they have numerous positions available if anyone is interested. God bless and stay safe. Amen!

I claim 100% of my cell phone bill on my taxes as a deduction every year. I get it all back. If I'm mandated to have a phone then the government can reimburse me 100% for it's use!

A deduction is just that - a deduction. It's not a refund. It simply means that the expense is deducted from taxable income so you don't have to pay taxes on that amount. The federal government is not going to reimburse you for SO cell phone usage. Change your Tax Preparer....NOW!

Like the poster said above....We get the county's car to drive when ever and where ever we want to in the county.... with their $4 gas. We also have a lap top we use off duty. If u complain about having to use your own cell phone then make sure you dont drive the county car off duty or use the lap top on your own time or Lord forbid you check your personal email on it.
Perhaps you (the complainer) are one of "those" deputies that the supervisors have to keep track of at all times to insure you are working. I know my job, I do my job. My bosses know me and they dont need to look over my shoulder.
Another option for you.... Get a phone plan with free in coming or a circle of friends and put Sarge on there.
I have no problem with the S.O. using my cell to contact me. I say that for now...

I claim 100% of my cell phone bill on my taxes as a deduction every year. I get it all back. If I'm mandated to have a phone then the government can reimburse me 100% for it's use!
Brother you need to check out the tax code. A deduction is not the same as a tax credit. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the taxes you owe. a $100 credit means you pay $100 less in taxes. A deduction reduces the taxes you owe by a percent of every dollar you're allowed to deduct. You calculate the worth of your deduction by multiplying your marginal (or top) tax rate by the amount of the dleduction. If you're in the 25% tax bracket, a $100 deduction means you'll pay $25 less intaxes (0.25 times $100) A big difference than "I get it all back".

Jeeezzzz !

I'm sure glad there's some important stuff to whine about......... I would think that having a take home car saving on gas and insurance more than makes up for the cost of your "business calls" on your personal cell.

The Sheriff does more to take care us than most agencies ever thought of..... We still get good raises good equipment when lots of agencies are laying off. I think that anywhere you work you'd end up making business calls on your cell.

Old saying goes, be happy for what you have !!!!

There is also an old saying that goes, "A *****in soldier is a happy soldier"

Easy rememdy to this situation sportfans, and excuse any redundancy here, first upgrade your cell contract to free anytime calls, increase your minutes if needed, second, buy a phone small enough that you can put in your shirt pocket instead of your on your belt. My Verizon LG series phone is thin enough, has great texting capabilities with its keyboard. This way if you lose communications via agency radio, or i should say when, you have a cell backup. Placing it in your shirt pocket has less chance of it being bumped from your belt. Also if you have little cell signal, your texting may still work for emeergencies. At least mine does. Last but not least, your bill is a write off. been doing this one for years. Well worth looking into. Just on mans opinion here...