DEL.ICIO.USAtlanta police deal with 10 percent pay cut
Every other week, they must take a day off without pay
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, December 29, 2008
Atlanta police officers don’t like what they got for Christmas this year from the city: a 10 percent pay cut, effective the day after Christmas.
A budget crisis has forced the Police Department, like all other city departments, to cut four hours out of police officers’ schedules each week. Police officials say they’ve tinkered with schedules to best handle the loss of police resources, while the department’s police union says the furloughs have dropped morale to a dangerous low.
“Clearly, with the 10 percent reduction in our resources, we will have some shortages,” Atlanta police Deputy Chief George Turner said. “We’ll be doing everything we can to fill those gaps.”
Rather than have officers work four hours less per week, the department is requiring them to take an extra day off every other week, Turner said.
“I can’t imagine the troops feel very positive about the fact that their pay is being reduced by 10 percent,” Turner said. “It’s a very tough time for all of us. I’m thankful to have a job at this point.”
It’s unclear how much the furloughs will impact public safety, Turner said.
Officers in all the police units and divisions already work staggered shifts and have different off days, but police supervisors will be careful not to let too many officers take the same day off, Turner said.
If a police zone is short some patrol officers, other sworn personnel who work in specialty units will likely be tapped to fill in the gaps, Turner said.
The president of the Atlanta police union, Sgt. Scott Kreher, said the furloughs will not only result in spotty police coverage, but more officers will leave the department for better jobs elsewhere.
“Morale is probably the lowest I’ve ever seen it in my 16 years,” Kreher said. “Obviously, when you take a 10 percent pay cut, this is going to have a significant impact on their ability to support themselves.”
He also believes that many of the officers who stay will put in less effort on the job.
“What’s going to happen is the officer is going to start feeling abandoned by the city,” Kreher said. “You’re going to see more and more resentment from the officers.”
To make up for the pay cuts, more officers will be competing with each other for the limited supply of off-duty jobs — typically security or police work for private businesses — offered to officers, Kreher said.
Another result of the cuts: The Police Department’s headquarters on Ponce de Leon Avenue is now closed on Fridays to members of the public in search of documents like police reports or permits and licenses.
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Comments
By Mario
Jan 29, 2009 11:29 AM | Link to this
I think the entire city government needs to be audited. Shirley Franklin, with the amount that each citizen pays in taxes in this town you are going to tell me that there is a shortfall??? Are you kidding me??? My mother alone pays over $3000 in taxes annually for her 1960's southwest Atlanta brick ranch. We need to hang these crooks upside down and see how much money falls out of their pockets. I am sure it would be more that enough to beef up our police force, re-open closed firehouses, and mend these pothole filled streets!!!
We have emergency personnel who are being told they will lose a day of work but are not allowed to take another job. Shirley Franklin is a crook and I for one am ashamed that I voted for her.
By Longgone
Jan 13, 2009 12:44 PM | Link to this
To my fellow APD officers. I left the police dept. going on 9years now after serving 11yrs with them. I never had a problem with Johnny Perpertrator because I knew he was out to get me. So I survived him however it was with Johnny Administrator who was slowly killing me. I got fed up with the city constantly raping my pay check, taking pay raises that I had always earned. Atlanta is still doing what it does best and that is g over its best employees and training them to police elsewhere. Keep your heads up and move on if you can. Not to boist but I work less with guaranteed weekends and holidays off and I have double my salary with another local police dept. since leaving 8yrs ago. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.
By Jacgh
Jan 13, 2009 2:26 AM | Link to this
I have never read such disgusting comments in all my life. I am certainly not saying all police officers are perfect. There is no profession where everyone is perfect. But the majority of the people I have worked with In Atlanta Police Department, have been dedicated, brave, honest and out there every day because they care for the people of a city who obviously hate them. It is easy to say we are lazy when you are safe and warm in your beds at night. Do you get a lunch break at work? We don't. I have yet to be able to sit through a whole meal at work without getting a call and rushing. So if you see us eating---we are human. If you see us on our cell phones--we miss our families, we have kids, wives, husbands, parents. I guarantee if you see us slacking off for 5 minutes, we worked our butts off the other 7 hours and 55 minutes.So don't judge and hate based on the speeding ticket that you got last year. When you run into a fire when everyone else is running out, or chase a armed man 3 times your size into the woods alone at night, I will respect your opinions. How many times have your loved ones faces flashed into your mind, and you thought this is it, I will never see them again. Then we get off work and go to our extra jobs because we cant afford to live on our salary. And the reason a lot of us live in the suburbs is because we can't afford a home in the city. You are right we are not the brightest people,,,we protect and care about people like you, who don't care about us and make ignorant comments.
By billy
Dec 30, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this
Hopefully this means I'll get less chicken S tickets on my way to work.
By Uncle Tom
Dec 30, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this
It's so funny. Seems to me like people start disliking an elected official toward the END of their term...
By Uncle Tom
Dec 30, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
Let's see, I'm already granted two days off without pay from my employer: Saturday and Sunday. If I was granted a day off every other week (I'm doubtful it would last forever) then hey, why not? Well sure, my pay would be reduced but that means I would need to re-do my budget. But the best part is I would be given an extra day off (since the weekends tend to fly by soooo quick) to do whatever!
By They all suck!!!
Dec 30, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this
It's a darn shame how employees are treated that work for the City of Atlanta! I thought it was a good place to work! Boy oh boy was I wrong! The ONLY people who get raises are the sorry behind mayor and city council! Everyone else don't! It's been well over 6 years since anyone that works for the city of atlanta actually even got a raise! There are a lot of ignorant people posting stuff on here...Firemen and Policemen are risking their lives every single day for you morons that live in the city of atlanta and all you can do is complain and say it's a good thing that their pay is cut by 10%!!!! You sorry people that are saying that stupid stuff are the VERY main people that will have a fit once you need either a fireman or a policeman! So when you can't breath or one of your loved ones is in desperate need of a fireman or policeman don't cry and say ' boo whoo the fireman and policeman did not help us at all!!!' Why? because your sorry behind crooked mayor and city council stole money and stuck it in their pockets and now you are in a bind!
TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT THE CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA ARE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE!!! THE CRIME RATE IS ALREADY OUT THE ROOF AND WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL UNFORTUNATELY LOOSE THEIR LIVES!!! BECAUSE THE SORRY BEHIND MAYOR AND HER CITY COUNCIL CREW ARE STEALING MONEY FROM THE CITY AND TREATING THEIR EMPLOYEES BADLY FOR THEIR CRIMES!!! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL ALL OF THOSE CROOKS GO STRAIGHT TO PRISON FOR THEFT!!!
By They all suck!
Dec 30, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this
It's a darn shame how employees are treated that work for the City of Atlanta! I thought it was a good place to work! Boy oh boy was I wrong! The ONLY people who get raises are the sorry behind mayor and city council! Everyone else don't! It's been well over 6 years since anyone that works for the city of atlanta actually even got a raise! There are a lot of ignorant people posting stuff on here...Firemen and Policemen are risking their lives every single day for you morons that live in the city of atlanta and all you can do is complain and say it's a good thing that their pay is cut by 10%!!!! You sorry people that are saying that stupid stuff are the VERY main people that will have a fit once you need either a fireman or a policeman! So when you can't breath or one of your loved ones is in desperate need of a fireman or policeman don't cry and say ' boo whoo the fireman and policeman did not help us at all!!!' Why? because your sorry behind crooked mayor and city council stole money and stuck it in their pockets and now you are in a bind!
TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT THE CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA ARE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE!!! THE CRIME RATE IS ALREADY OUT THE ROOF AND WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL UNFORTUNATELY LOOSE THEIR LIVES!!! BECAUSE THE SORRY BEHIND MAYOR AND HER CITY COUNCIL CREW ARE STEALING MONEY FROM THE CITY AND TREATING THEIR EMPLOYEES BADLY FOR THEIR CRIMES!!! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL ALL OF THOSE CROOKS GO STRAIGHT TO PRISON FOR THEFT!!!
By Enough is enough
Dec 30, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Seriously?!? Some of these posts are ignorant. Thank you to those who do support the Police Dept. and Fire Dept.
I have been an officer coming up on 9 years. I am college educated and I don't eat donuts in uniform. My cell phone is for speaking with the D.A., my family, or the informants that call while I am in the office... my patrol car. I am not saying that every officer is the same, but until you ride along and see what an 8 hour day is for us you really don't have a valid point as to why we deserve a 10% pay cut.
Do you realize that it is one officer per car? That officer has to serve as a first responder, detective and sometimes babysitter to an area that has thousands of people in it?
Up to this point I have never complained about my pay because I enjoy my job. However, I pay taxes too therefore my own darn salary. I get paid under $24.00 (prior to a 10% cut) an hour to get shot at, and yes I have been shot at a few times. So to tell us to "stop crying and get a real job." Try loving my job with what little equipment we have, a shortage of people, and the support that we receive. I have caught hundreds of dope dealers, burglars, robbers and murders. Guess how they get out to do it again with in just days. Your problem is with the court system.
I have a great job and I love what I do. I am good at what I do. We have some amazing officers at the department that deserve your support and the support of the City. There are many of us that do our job with pride, professionalism and and very little money. Please don't forget about us like the City has.
By Mechanicsville
Dec 30, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
Though, I've always questioned laws and the people that uphold them..
I want to commend the police and firefighters that give their lives every day to protect us. The force is a reflection of any business. You'll have some that are honest and you'll have some that are crooked.
Thank You for your dedication and hard work.
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