Follow-up on Previous Payroll Procedures Audit, A Special Investigative Audit of the Time Reporting Practices and Related Payroll Payments of a Selected Employee of the Department of Probation. Sign up to receive updates about Empire Center research, news and events in your email. He reminded them of Jimmy McNulty, the quirky detective from the TV show The Wire.. I believe that it is illegal and its unethical, Mr. McCarthy said of the $1-a-day political assessment that was taken out of his paycheck and sent to the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. New Docs Raise Big Questions About NYs Megafab Mega-Deal, Firefighter-rights bill torches local control, Still-Unreleased Union Deal Rains Cash on State Workers, Thanks to Unions, NYCs School Reopening Deal Was Costly and Educationally Hazardous, With State Officials Freeze Through 2023, More Reason To Ice All Government Pay, De Blasios (Apparent) Good Move Dissolves Into Phony Savings. For all other offerings (Bids, RFQs, RFEIs, RFIs, Solicitation of Quotes): Please click here for access to Suffolk Countys Procurement Announcement System: https://dpw.suffolkcountyny.gov/rfp/Login.aspx, Copyright 2023, Suffolk County Government, Business Accommodations for Customers with Disabilities, https://dpw.suffolkcountyny.gov/rfp/Login.aspx. No union official has ever been charged. To be honest with you, Mr. Gaughran told me, it was very effective in generating volunteers.. Lawmakers in Albany worked up the courage to repeal 50-a, a state statute that prohibited the release of police officers personnel records. National Police Week: Event Link. May 20, 2019 | Newsday Suffolk County police officers on Monday overwhelmingly ratified a new six-year contract that will raise the pay of officers with 15 years on the job to more than $200,000 a year by 2024 when overtime and benefits such as longevity are factored in. The police run the county., Less than a year after he was appointed police chief, Mr. Burke beat up a heroin addict who had stolen a duffle bag full of sex toys out of his SUV. Yet that corrupt operation was intimately connected to the police unions that he and so many other politicians have been forced to make peace with by election time. Instead, it got a police chief, James Burke, who went to prison in 2016 for running the department like a mafia boss. In 2020, the average base salary for detective investigators who worked the full year was $134,292 and their total pay averaged $161,747, including overtime and other pay benefits, according to a budget review office report. They also approved a healthcare cost-sharing agreement with the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees (SCOPE), a consortium of all 11 county employee unions. 852-4211. A few weeks later, three members of the Suffolk County Democratic Socialists of America visited Mr. Trottas office. Nor did it surprise activists who demanded justice for Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean migrant who was stabbed to death by high school students. He was named detective of the year. For years, the feds couldnt prove it. I have a feeling its going to be like Nassau where people where people were disappointed with their grades. But momentum for change is building, as both fiscal conservatives and liberal activists take aim at the outsize political power of police unions. Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. Without that extra spending, Mr. Trotta said, We could have done the roads. The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday night, with the countys Association of Municipal Employees (AME) and Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which together represent more than half of the county workforce. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/opinion/police-suffolk-county-unions.html, Illustration by Erik Carter. No retroactive raise is included for 2019. New Yorks most populous suburban county has just ratified a trio of labor deals with its largest unionsand, in the process, showcased some of the worst aspects of collective bargaining across the state. Since the killing of George Floyd, the push to rein in the police has gained public support across the country, as liberal activists demand sweeping changes to policing and greater accountability for officers who commit crimes. Copyright 2023 Newsday. The 10-to-12-step pay scale for detectives promoted after 2013 will be reduced to nine steps. 0000000897 00000 n The revelation that officers lied shocked many on Long Island. The still-unreleased deal between the Hochul Administration and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), state governments largest group of unionized workers, would award bonuses, backpay, and guaranteed raises the next three years, documents sent to union members show. Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service, https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service, If this is your first visit be sure to check out the frequently asked questions by clicking here. just got their return.. One of New York Citys largest public-sector unions has been effectively taken over by its national parent after an audit revealed extensive financial mismanagement. They also approved a healthcare cost-sharing agreement with the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees (SCOPE), a consortium of all 11 county employee unions. After he won, they got their expressway back, along with a new contract. Legis. 31-2022 Change in Mental Health Providers, Annual Notice of Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, AEM 25-2021 EMHP - Important Changes Regarding Infusion Site of Care, AEM 23-2021 EMHP 24/7 NurseLine & Sydney Health App, AEM 05-2021 Extended Weekly Schedule for Drive-Through Rapid testing.pd, SPECIALIST CO-PAYMENTS AND OUT-OF-NETWORK DEDUCTIBLE FOR MEDICAL/SURGICAL BENEFITS, IN-NETWORK PROVIDERS UTILIZING OUT-OF-NETWORK LABS, HEALTH BENEFITS ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD October 15. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. Mr. Trotta was skeptical: What if a mentally ill person turns violent on a dime?. The officers who saw the beating were too afraid to talk. With so much money at stake, the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association doesnt leave elections to chance. Language in the SCOPE deal requires the parties to find additional savings to prevent the deal from expiring in 2023 or 2024 instead of 2025, but the countys only recourse from runaway costs will be reducing expenses through binding arbitration or moving employees to the New York State Health Insurance Plan. The legislature voted to allow Long Island University to use part of the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank for raising livestock and for agricultural education for students and the public. It has not only a PAC, but also a super PAC that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on local elections. Current Audit Reports - Released in 2019 Contact: Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller: Phone: 631-853-5040 Email: douglas.sutherland@suffolkcountyny.gov H. Lee Dennison Building 100 Veterans Memorial Highway Hauppauge, NY 11788 Douglas Sutherland Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller Finance and Taxation: Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive 0000002313 00000 n That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. It never made it out of committee. Ms. Kaufman called him. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. Members of the 175th Suffolk police recruit class celebrated their graduation Thursday. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Never Alone Never Afraid, Inc. Now people in the county are watching the reform process play out, to see whether thats still true. The activists found his suggestions absurd. Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), questioned how the county would pay for such expensive contracts. Mr. Trotta thought it was because they lived in communities with more crime. For one thing, its hard to know just what lawmakers were agreeing to, because the AME and PBA contracts were memorandums of agreement that modified existing deals. We strive to keep Suffolk County a safe and thriving place to live and work by aiding our members in their vocation as Suffolk County Police Officers. During the first half of the 20th century, police unions were rare, weak and lacked legal status, Aaron Bekemeyer, a Ph.D. student at Harvard who is writing his dissertation on the history of police unions, told me. The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday nightratified* new contractswith the countys Association of Municipal Employees (AME) and Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which together represent more than half of the county workforce. That super PAC is generally funded by contributions from law enforcement. Some costs might be offset throughlinking salaries for detectives hired after 2012 to police officer salaries, according to budget review. 0000002407 00000 n Since then, the average salaries of the police and firefighters have risen far faster than other government employees, and well above the rate of inflation, according to E.J. A longstanding prohibition on police officers soliciting political donations from the public remains on the books, but appears to be rarely enforced. Bellone, who is running for a third term this year, issued a news release claiming the deals together secure $40 million dollars in new health care savings and result in the lowest level of raises for Police Officers in decades. But his office produced no details to support this claim before he sent the measure to county legislators for approval. Bids and Proposals The Suffolk County Office of Central Procurement oversees the County's procurement processes. Neither bill was voted on Tuesday. Administrative Support, Human Resources. But that same logic beat back an attempt to unionize the American military. Mr. Kaiman explained that the agreement creates new copays, such as a $100 emergency room copay, and raises deductibles for those who opt for out-of-network providers. Police officers testified that they feared for their families safety or that theyd be framed for crimes if they blew the whistle on their boss. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. If a guy was known to live beyond his means, Mr. Trotta asked around about where the money came from. Even those who disdain Mr. Trotta acknowledge that he has a point when it comes to the money. We pay $30 to $40 million a year in overtime. In the state of New York, police departments have been scrambling to adopt a reform plan by April 1, the deadline set by Gov. Theres no other feeling than knowing we have the love and support from our elected officials and students. Bellone administration officials said the county ended up not needing the money. During his 2018 State of the County address, Mr. Bellone cited health insurance costs as the biggest financial issue facing the county. That scandal, which led to the conviction of the powerful district attorney, Thomas Spota, who was scheduled to be sentenced this month, and the head of his anti-corruption unit underscored how easy it can be for cops and politicians to get in bed together and turn law enforcement into a system of political favors and personal vengeance. Transcripts of the public safety meetings in that era are full of county legislators praising the chief. Backed by the union, the district attorney and the county executive, Mr. Burke seemed untouchable. Questions though; my test didn't say Spanish speaking or indicate it was different but I know when I signed up I out Spanish speaking. Some legislators joked about Mr. Trottas obsession with taking him down. The County Legislature released a single-page analysis of top-line costs for each of the three deals, without providing a cost breakdown for specific provisions. Shes a Riverhead native and 2015 graduate of Arcadia University. The Suffolk County Legislature approved a new police detectives contract Tuesday that will cost the county an additional $40 million while giving 11.25% raises over six years. Something changed last summer, after George Floyds death. Their payroll for active employees cost the county $7.4 million in 2020. Mr. Trottas crusade against police unions grew out of his personal hatred for James Burke, his former boss. This is great. On August 4, 2012, a new police contract restored responsibility for patrolling the LIE and Sunrise Highway to the SCPD. But what really stands out about Suffolk County is the compensation that police officers receive and the money their unions spend on local elections. You should say what I say: We would love to pay them $500,000 a year, but we just cant afford it, he told them. Mr. Trottas small, quixotic battle is part of a much larger struggle in the United States to wrestle power away from police unions that for too long have resisted meaningful reform. Everybody else voted for it. 2022 Times Review Media Group All Rights Reserved, Southold CSEA pressures town for higher pay during contract negotiations, Second annual Top Gun 5K will honor late Boy Scout Andrew McMorris in Calverton, LI natives will take the stage at The Suffolk Thursday as part of new original music series, Peconic Bay Medical Center clinicians reflect on recent medical mission to El Salvador, Election 2023: Stark, Kent to face off for county legislature seat, At environmental forum, officials discuss host of issues including waste management, housing needs. A fiscal conservative in a deep-red district, Mr. Trotta won handily, even though the union hated him. What scores do they usually go for? I heard a lot of people didnt finish this exam. Police commissioners come and go. Detective investigators have been without a contract since 2018. Before he was appointed chief, members of the police force wrote an anonymous letter to Mr. Bellone warning him that Mr. Burke was known to frequent prostitutes, interfered with an officer-assault investigation and used information obtained from a wiretap as leverage against a politician.