Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers.   For information that MPA has released to the public, please contact a board member.

SALARY

In order to protect your current take home pay, MPA’s allies [Arizona Police Association (AZpolice.org), Arizona Highway Patrolman’s Association, and Phoenix Law Enforcement Association], began meeting with and working with members of the appropriations committee (…and Russell Pearce) to exclude the 1.93% increase to Police pensions from the budget. The news so far is positive. Stay tuned for details as they occur.

EDUCATION BASED DISCIPLINE

After meeting with and speaking with LASD’s Sheriff Leroy Baca at the Harvard Police Executive seminar, MPA was provided all the materials necessary to implement such a program in any police department.  We asked the Sheriff to talk to our Chief and upon our return asked the Chief to speak to the Sheriff about the subject.

At the exclusive request of the Mesa Police Association, the Chief is examining the implementation of an education based discipline component to Mesa’s new discipline protocols. MPA believes this is a police best practice that will go a long way towards a more professional and respectful manner of handling discipline matters.

We hope the chief will implement as much of this program as possible. This really is a better way to handle most discipline matters. For more information about education based discipline.     

MPA wants to reassure our members that we do not conduct business like other organizations by giving out your private information.  We feel this violates your trust in our organization and can even put your safety in jeopordy.

Here are some examples:

PAC- We do not list our officer’s addresses or names.  We continuously work to protect your identities, not invite the last person you arrested to your home.

Legal Successes: We have won countless legal victories, however, we honor the privacy of our members.  MPA prides themselves on confidential matters that should not be made public.  We do not need to stay competitive with any other organization and feel these aimless attempts breaches trust and respect.

T-shrits, Stickers, etc: Most professional organization only use acronyms, like MPA, so that people or members can use them with pride without getting public attention.  The only “police” organization we market to the public is the “Officer Assistance Fund”.

If you need further information or have questions, please feel free to contact a board member.

HELP MPA HELP YOU.

MESA POLICE PAY

Your take home pay is under attack from all sides. Restoring our pay is our priority. MPA recently spent an hour with our Mayor reviewing the MPA’s response to the City Manager’s report to council concerning our meet and discuss proposal. MPA spent countless hours talking to council members and the City Manager about the same thing. 

We explained your priority was restoring pay (2%) and merits and explaining how it so important for Mesa to not lose its competitive edge. MPA reminded them of the salary study the city of Mesa conducted early last year showing the need for a 13% pay increase to police salaries. The Mayor, Council, and police administration are all supportive of the restoration of pay and merits WHEN THE BUDGET ALLOWS.

At a recent council session, the MPA had no comment to media inquiries regarding the pay issues. It is NOT WISE to push for pay issues when the public is losing jobs, getting laid off, and receiving much higher cuts to their pay. Working the issue behind the scenes with Council and the Mayor is the best way to proceed. YOU DO NOT take it to the public so there can be a backlash of anti-police pay sentiment, where the public can start calling the council to pressure them to not give the police anything.

THE FOP IS COSTING YOU BIG TIME!

The FOP went to the media and gave statements. Now news stories and blogs are stating exactly what the MPA predicted. MPA hopes it will not rise to the level of anti- police pay calls to the council.  

Equity pay for Mesa Officers IS ROOTED IN THE BUDGET. The Mayor informed MPA that the Arizona Senate lead by RUSSELL PEARCE just voted to eliminate Mesa’s share of vehicle license tax shared revenue.  That is 8.2 MILLION DOLLARS from our budget that Mesa has no idea where they will make up for that loss.

RUSSELL PEARCE IS ENDORSED BY THE FOP AND WAS PAID FOP PAC MONEY TO BE ELECTED. The MPA opposed Russell Pearce and endorse Kevin Gibbons in the primary. Pearce is also leading the charge to increase Officer’s contribution amount to the state police pension fund by 1.93%.  To a topped out Mesa Officer, that’s about an additional $53.00 a pay check increase ($1367.00 yearly) coming out of your take home pay!

This is the same Russell Pearce that DID NOT support the recently passed secondary property tax by Mesa voters for police and fire public safety projects. MPA invested over $16,000 to get this proposal passed because it meant tens of millions to the PD.

Russell Pearce told the MPA he wants to eliminate DROP and make Police work for 25 years before being elgible to retire. Unbeleivably, he still got the FOP endorsement and FOP PAC money! FOP helped Pearce take money away from Mesa Police Families and the amazing part is he told us he was going to do this, and they still endorsed him.

So, at the same time FOP is costing money to the city budget and front line officers, the FOP is also pounding its fist on the table and demanding more money and making statements to the media and an unsympathetic public, that risks us losing more money.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The FOP shouldn’t be costing the hardworking Mesa Officers we represent anything. Please, help us to help you:

1) Spread the word.

2) Make sure all MPA members on your squad have signed up to get our emails. Click here to go to the sign up page.  

3) Vote MPA in the upcoming city representation election.

Meet and Discuss Proposals

Mesa Police Association Response

May 20, 2009

READ below to find the PDF of what has been discussed during Meet and Discuss sessions:

2009 MPA Meet and Discuss

Highlights:

Officer pay still not keeping up with market

Sgts at bottom of pay scale in Maricopa County

Suspension times

Reps speaking on behalf of members during IA

Discipline appeals

Off-Duty Mesa Officers for city work

DUI policy for officers

MPA guarantees the other organization doesn’t stack up to these!

MEET AND CONFER IS COMING! 

Act Now

The Mesa Police Association (MPA) is calling upon all members to help put a stop to the erosion of our salaries and pension/retirements. You must call or email our Arizona Senators on the Appropriations Committee, who will be meeting tomorrow, May 20, 2009, at 1100 hours. Mesa Officers have already suffered a 2% pay reduction to their salaries. The below proposals are being considered TOMORROW and will have a direct, negative impact on law enforcement and your wallets:

·         Increase the amount paid by of Police Officers &  Firefighter to pension (PSPRS) by 1.93%

·         Stop Overtime pay from counting towards your pension

·         Remove dispatchers from COBRA (25 year retirement) and place them in Arizona State Retirement system (typically 30-35 years depending on age)

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

The Chairman of the committee is Russell Pearce – one that MPA DID NOT support due to meetings where he acknowledged that he was going to negatively alter our retirement.  The same Russell Pearce that the FOP has continuously endorsed and used political action committee funds (PAC) to support his campaigns.  Endorsing a candidate like this increases obstacles frontline officers have to deal with politically.  This is a prime example how MPA has been on top of candidates that support frontline officers – not endorsing the candidate with the popular vote.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

Contact the following legislators on the Senate Appropriations Committee and let them know they are taking more money and benefits from an occupation that is incalculably beneficially to the community – past, present and in the future.  Let them know it is not a good idea to take food from the mouths of your family particularly after Mesa’s pay cuts.

PAULA ABOUD: paboud@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5262

AMANDA AGUIRRE: aaguirre@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4139

SYLVIA ALLEN: sallen@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5219

PAMELA GORMAN: pgorman@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5284

RON GOULD: rgould@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4138

ALBERT HALE: ahale@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4323

JACK HARPER: jharper@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4178

AL MELVIN: amelvin@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4326

RUSSELL PEARCE: rpearce@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5760

STEVE PIERCE: spierce@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5584

REBECCA RIOS: rrios@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5685

Thanks for your interest in becoming a member of the Mesa Police Association.  Call the REP line 24-Hours a day at (480) 216-4MPA.

MPA Membership Form- Sworn and Detention

MPA Membership Form -Civilian Police

Forms can be turned into any MPA board member or the MPA Office.

Welcome to the Big Leagues!

Members-the 9th circuit is hearing our case June 1st in Las Vegas.  If you are interested in going, please contact a board member.
*LAPD Officers to be Paid for Dressing Time*
Updated: May 8th, 2009 01:34 PM EDT
JOEL RUBIN
Los Angeles Times
Who knew the badge, the holster and the iconic dark blue threads worn by Los Angeles police officers could make punching the clock so complicated?

A federal judge ruled this week that Los Angeles Police Department officers should be paid for the time it takes them to put on and take off their uniforms and safety equipment, a decision that could cost the city millions of dollars in back pay and higher salaries.

In a 39-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess found that the several minutes it takes an officer to dress for duty is a vital part of the job because “police uniforms convey and legitimize officers’ authority, increase officer safety, and help deter crime.”

The dress time, which is generally thought to be between five and 15 minutes on each end of a shift, Feess decided, falls under the compensation rules of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, a long-standing law that requires employers to pay their employees for all hours worked.

The decision, which applies to three similar cases that had been brought by LAPD officers, drew a sharp rebuke from Police Chief William J. Bratton, who lashed out at the officers and the city’s Police Protective League, the rank-and-file officers’ union that has filed a separate lawsuit on the issue.

“I think that it’s outrageous that they are even seeking” the additional pay, he said. “We have enough costs to bear without paying officers to take their clothes on and off.”

Paul M. Weber, president of the union, fired back, calling the ruling “a huge deal.” It is unfair, Weber argued, that officers must don their uniforms, holsters, bullet-proof vests and other equipment as part of the job, but can also be disciplined by supervisors for failing to be ready for duty at the start of a shift. “It’s the law,” Weber said. “All we’ve been saying is that we want the city and the department to comply with it.”

Greg Petersen, the lawyer who sued the city on behalf of the officers, said that preparation time involves more than putting on a uniform. Strapping on Sam Browne equipment belts, which can weigh more than 30 pounds, and required body armor, as well as preparing weapons and other equipment for duty, takes time and effort, he said.

Throughout the country, paying officers to dress for duty is a highly contentious and litigated matter. Though not widely embraced, some law enforcement agencies, such as the *California Highway Patrol*\l “”, do compensate officers for the time it takes them to suit up for duty, Petersen said.

The effect of Feess’ ruling on LAPD salaries remains to be seen. Union and department officials shied away from making estimates of how much it would cost to compensate the roughly 9,800 officers, most of whom typically serve either three 12-hour shifts or four 10-hour shifts each week.

But, with annual salaries starting at about $55,000 and the union arguing that the compensation should be retroactive and applied to overtime payments and pensions, the implications are potentially large. Officers who makes $75,000 a year, for example, would be eligible for roughly $2,000 more in salary each year if they were compensated for 10 minutes on both ends of each shift.

Early next month, the U.S. 9th Circuit *Court of Appeals*\l “” is scheduled to hear arguments in two cases that address the same issue, attorneys said.
The city of Los Angeles must decide whether to wait and see whether that higher court rules in favor of police departments and sets a legal precedent, to appeal Feess’ ruling right away, or to concede defeat and start hammering out a pay agreement with its officers.

Regardless, the ruling is not welcome news for the city as it struggles to close a budget gap estimated at more than $500 million.

Feess rejected several arguments made by attorneys for the city, including the contention that the time it takes an officer to get ready is so short as to be trivial.

At the heart of the ruling was the ambiguous question of what defines work for a police officer — a conundrum that the U.S. Supreme Court has wrestled with several times in other types of workplaces, generally siding with workers over management. In 2005, for example, the high court upheld rulings that workers at meatpacking and poultry processing plants should be paid for the time it takes to put on mandatory safety equipment.

It has been reported by some news sources that President Obama has proposed a cut to the death benefits for peace officers killed in the line of duty.

That is simply NOT true!

Congress created the Public Safety Officers Benefit and ONLY CONGRESS can change it.  The fact is nothing has changed.

The Public Safety Officers Benefit or PSOB provides significant benefits to the survivors of officers killed in the line of duty.  (See NOTE below.)

What Happened?

Who knows why some new sources wrongly reported cuts. When I heard it on the news I was shocked.  But I also knew it did not ring true.

Here is what happened:

* Everyone has to make a budget.  Budgets are based on estimated costs for the coming year.
* Last year 133 officers were killed in the line of duty, that’s down from 182 in 2007 when line of duty deaths unexpectedly spiked. (Source NLEOMF.)
* President Obama’s PROPOSED BUDGET for FY 2010 estimates that the amount needed for the Public Safety Officers Benefit could be reduced from $100 million a year to $60 million a year.  The budget not the benefit.
Reducing a budget item and reducing a benefit are two very different things.

If the budget estimate proves to be wrong and tragically more officers are killed in the line of duty than expected, the surviving families will still receive the Peace Officer Safety Benefit.

Pause to Reflect
Talking about in-the-line of duty deaths is very sensitive for all of us and therefore it is difficult to discuss matters of money.  But to a surviving family as time passes the sting of death gives way to the cruel realities of life and money must be talked about.
Unfortunately some news sources incorrectly reported that the POSB benefit was being cut.  Their mistake, their factual error and untrue statements caused great concern for both active duty and retired peace officers.  We will always protect the loving memories of our colleagues who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

We also continue to protect and care for their families.  That is why we were so concerned by the undue stress on the surviving families who heard the news reports which turned out to be misleading and completely untrue.

Summary

1. The Peace Officers Safety Benefit HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED by the Obama Administration, the Department of Justice or Congress.

2. The budget estimate for Peace Officers Safety Benefit, the amount of money the Obama Administration believes it should set aside for the benefit, was reduced.  The benefit was NOT reduced.
___

Our source for this clarification is the National Association of Police Organizations.

NOTE:   As of October 1, 2008 the PSOB amount is $315,746.00; it is expected to go up in October 2009 because it is indexed to inflation.  That means if inflation goes up so will the amount of the PSOB.  It will go up in the same amount as inflation.  PSOB also provides significant benefits to officers who suffer a catastrophic injury in the line of duty.

DR. TED HUNT, Principal
TED HUNT & Associates
Helping transform police organizations to a higher level

The MPA has met with the Sheriff of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and asked that he speak to our police chief about adopting an education based discipline process. The Sheriff said he was willing to meet with our Chief, so the MPA is in the process of setting this up. If Mesa PD could adopt this type of discipline model, the performance, morale and productivity of Mesa Police would increase dramatically!

For more and education based discipline, view a recent article in American Police Beat magazine    http://www.apbweb.com/policy-updates-news-menu-25/1093-education-not-punishment-creates-a-better-system.html