We had an interesting discussion going on in the comment section of the post entitled City elections around the corner.
Among the comments were the following:
Anonymous January 24, 2013 at 11:33 PM
No I'm saying they don't have enough officers on the street. They (elected officials) are constantly talking about how safe Bossier is but the fact is there is more crime today and it's getting worse. They use this figure they call "crime rate" to say what they want it to say. Ask any of them how to figure the "crime rate" and I bet they can't answer that. But yet every year they crime has decreased. All I'm saying is hire enough officers. According go my sources BCPD works with only 7 or 8 officers per shift. They have had to eliminate several divisions within the department just to be able to do that.
Anonymous January 25, 2013 at 8:22 AM
The budget presented by the mayor and approved by the city council for the last two years has money for an additional 20 cops. Why does the department not hire them? That is not a City Council question. The money is approved and it is shown in publicly, monthly, in the finance report.
Anonymous January 27, 2013 at 11:15 AM
The money is there for the officers. Unfortunately, the pay is substantially lower than competing agencies, so the department usually loses out.
Anonymous January 25, 2013 at 9:49 AM
That is not true. I haven't seen anything in any budget that gives the chief of police money to hire 20 officers.
I did receive a copy of the manning report for the city. The budget is fully funded and there is money there to hire additional officers. Of course, there is a constant flux of employees, some hired, some retiring or moving somewhere else.
But the money is there for more hires (12 at this point) and I’m sure the chief does everything in his power to keep the department up to force.
Career Ops
I think this is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI thought they just layed off?
ReplyDeleteNo layoffs that I know of.
ReplyDeleteTransparency in government. HA!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there is a way to find all departmental budgets. Just to find out how true the B.S. is.
Here you go: Budget
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting Jim. And the budget has nice pretty graphs too!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it helps to have some "facts and figures" to analyze. That helps stop some of the rhetoric and bs....or just helps to start up more!
Most likely the latter if I know my crowd.
ReplyDeleteAwaiting analysis from anon at 5:01 after he/she studies the budget.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim. Very fast. Kartman, looking forward to giving color commentary in the tradition of "Dandy" Don Meredith.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell me just how the Cyber group fits in with the City Budget. The City put up 12.5mill.and the Parish put up 12.5mill and the state put up the balance. A complete tax payer funded project and no one knows just how this place operates. How are these folks getting paid and is the city/parish involved in it at all or was it a build it and they shall come project. This current mayor and city council group love to spend money for all of these projects and when they go bust just they just throw up their hands and call for more taxes to cover deficits that arise due to thier bad policies. We need a whole new city council and mayor for Bossier City. They remind me of Congress.
ReplyDeleteDo the police actively go to high schools and job fairs to recruit? Also, what does it matter what other departments pay when they are not hiring - especially 20 positions. Seems a non-hiring department pays zero.
ReplyDeleteJim, They are down 20 funded positions not 12.
ReplyDeleteOkay, thanks. I wasn't too sure of the figure I put out.
DeleteThey layed off officers a couple of years ago and now they need 20 more? I am confused. They should have kept the trained and experienced officers they had.
ReplyDeleteMore bull. One black female officer was laid off. How many are being hired with 20 funded. None!
DeleteWhy can't we get the real truth?
ReplyDeleteCrime rate is down, why hire more. Of course,realizing the fact, in our country when we hear about a new prison opening the talking head on the TV set is going to say how good the news is about JOBS,JOBS,JOBS.
ReplyDeleteCrime creates jobs, so therefor crime does pay.
Well then lets just disband the whole department
ReplyDeleteNaw, wouldn't be prudent. Just privatize like the prison systems and create even more jobs.
DeletePaging Kartman!!!
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:01, 7:50 and 6:44 here back in the house. After some non professional un-certified done on an un-smartphone calculator.
Payroll not including overtime or incentive pay breakdown.
First responders total payroll equals $15,616138 divided by 408 "authorized" positions equals $ 38,274 annual salary averaged.
Non-First Responders payroll $6,654657 divided by 159 "authorized" positions equals $41,853 salary annual.
Please take note of some of the departmental "authorized" positions and the absurd payroll amounts in ratio to the number of "authorized" positions.
My conclusion is First responders are underpaid.
~MOST~ non responders are underpaid.
Most very small departments and administration are over paid.
That took fifteen minutes and one 24oz can of Budweiser to come to this conclusion and I am mostly wrong about everything according to my wife.
For what it is worth!
Think I can send a bill to the(note this departments salary and "authorized"positions ratio) overpaid purchasing department and get a payment for my most likely wrong calculations?
Is this sarcasm or truth?
You worked hard. Here is what I know without crunching numbers or having a Bud. My son is a B C police officer and is not overpaid. I agree with you about first responder's pay. Dandy Don could not analyzed the budget any better than you.
ReplyDeleteThank you buddy. Please thank your son for his service.
ReplyDeleteThat's impressive, I get a headache just looking at the thing (other than the pretty graphs).
ReplyDeleteStarting pay 39 k plus change. After one year moves to 41 k. 2 % for 25 year regardless of any city raises. Take home car with gas and maintainence. Retirement - huge- no matter how badly they screw it up. Transparency? Alll public stuff
ReplyDeleteDo they really make 39K? I was told it was closer to 31. Was I misinformed?
ReplyDeleteThe BC police website indicates the starting pay for a police officer is $2733 per month. I suppost anon at 9:53 is talking about the police pay. Not quiet 39K to start and 41K after a year.
ReplyDeleteKartman, it is all in the budget. The BS is coming up and it ain't elected officials.
ReplyDeleteThat is just base pay. There is alson state supplemental pay of $500 a month after 12 months, $100 per month for additional training, and 2% per year raise after 3 years.
ReplyDeleteWish I were young enough to become a police officer.
ReplyDeleteIf you reread and comprehend my post at 7:55 on January 30th, these are averages of ALL payroll to authorized allotted positions.
ReplyDeleteAllotted positions are not necessarily stating that there are that many positions filled.
My calculations are a ratio of payroll to position AVERAGED!!
Apparently there are a LOT OF OVER PAID POSITIONS AT THE TOP AND IN CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES!!!
The lower tier of employees are underpaid!!!!
This is not just about first responders. I am trying to emphasize the underpay of all other ESSENTIAL departments the are taken for granted.
Your sewer is backed up or your water is off you are F***ed in the daily routines.
Oh my, the first world problems we Americans face on a daily basis.
Do the police officers in other area departments complain as much as these in Bossier? I think Bossier has it good and they need to be grateful.
ReplyDeleteAre you asking if the other officers in the area who are paid a larger salary and who didn't have all their incentive pay take away from them by dumb city officials if they complain as much? Officers who have tried repeatedly to explain there are not enough police officers working the streets of Bossier. The fact is we are grateful. We as police officers are expected to follow rules. When officers break those rules there are consequences. Some severe. All we want is the elected officials to follow the rules as well. These elected officials have made so many mistakes over the last eight years and when it backfires they lie or spin the situation to suit their needs. The information from officers put on this blog has been facts. You may call it complaining or whining but at least it's the truth.
ReplyDeleteOh and by the way, those so-called complaining police officers still go out everyday and put their lives on the line and according to the stats have decreased the crime rate using less officers that that in 2002.
ReplyDeleteJim, realizing the fact that public safety IS the utmost priority and jewel of the publics eyes. Is there a way you can change focus and research on the overpayment and underpayment of some departments other than Police and Fire.
ReplyDeleteA blog would be nice. You have a talent.
Known facts Police and Fire have gotten their two percent annual pay raises and incentives per state law. Other departments have not. Till this budget has passed The rest of us underpaid finally received a two percent increase only to see it wiped out by the Federal F.I.C.A increase.
When the City council passed the wage and hiring freeze years ago the wording was simply changed from "annual" raise to "merit" raise. Reminiscent of the wording in the Louisiana state constitution on the word "Gambling". It is still illegal to "Gamble"in the state of Louisiana. The wording was to changed to "Gaming" now it's OK.
Spin.
How about a little attention to the dedicated little folks that work 24/7 365 and make the tremendous sacrifice to family life/ work balance situation.
The employees in the background that are never seen till the water, sewer, streets, etc are afoul.
Some things are taken for granted till they are gone.
The overpaid officials at the top need to take care of their best asset in the operation of this fine jewel of a small mid size town, Bossier City.
Take care of your employees. It will come back ten fold through better services to the citizens, our bosses.
More employees sometimes does not always equal better service. Some times quality over quantity will make a huge difference.
A wage study comparison would be a good start. Keep your good employees.
I will do that. I have talked about it in the past, non classified city workers (mainly at the lower levels) need a raise.
DeleteDavid Jones tried a year or so ago but was shot down. This will be a good question for all the candidates.
Thanks, Jim. You are appreciated.
Deletehttp://www.bossiercity.org/Human-Resources/
ReplyDeleteA lot of openings for a hiring freeze. City council please stop the B.S.
Hiring freeze above budgeted dollars genius. I hope you are not a city worker because that's just plain stupid!
DeleteWhat is so stupid about it. There are many openings and the council has to pass an ordinance for every hire. There is hiring and wage increases happening. Isn't that more stupid, Stupid.
ReplyDeleteIf people are so unhappy, why don't they go work somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteCircumstance and age. Not much else out there while trying to keep what you worked your life's goals to achieve. Then only to seem to get continually to be stepped on from local politicians all the way to the bankers and national elected officials in both Parties.
DeleteOf course realizing the fact it is in most lower tier positions most places in these United States. It is extremely hard to be able to advance any more unless an individual is in "The Click" or handed down by being lucky enough to have a family business passed on or a trust fund..
Hard work does not get an individual ahead any more. Those days are over.
Bossier will end up the police department it deserves.
ReplyDelete2:10,
ReplyDeleteThat's what they are doing. If you'd been listening, plenty of people have been trying to inform you that several veteran police officers have quit and are now working someplace else. When I was hired people left other agencies to come work for Bossier. Now. Just the opposite. That means there is a problem. But if you don't mind trained veteran police officers leaving and young inexperienced officers taking their place then that's your opinion. All I can say is don't believe you won't be a victim of a crime just because you live in Bossier. You can listen to the current politicians if you want.
I regret calling 7:20 stupid after he/she implied that my statement was stupid and hoped that I was not a cit worker. I am just somewhat tired from working two jobs, one for the city and another to make ends meet while my family lives within our means and just trying to keep what we have.
DeleteA formal apology to the reply at Anon @ 7:20 on February, 03 2013 Anno Domini in the year of our Lord. Sir or Madame.
One more thing, Good on ya, Anon Feb,1 @ 9:56 and 9:43 P.M.
ReplyDeleteThe chief told the City Council about six months ago that he had plenty of officers. I was watching it on TV when he said it. David Jones asked him if he need more due to retirements or people leaving and he said he was fine.
ReplyDeleteThe chief is told what he can say to the council. Why do you think he is chief?
ReplyDeleteHe is CHIEF because he is the best man for the job. He beat out several other applicants for it. He is doing a great job.
DeleteHe is doing an excellent job given what he has to work with. He would be able to do a fabulous job if he had a city council and mayor that gave him what he needs to be successful
Deleteya ok.
DeleteI agree. I have personally been to those city council meetings where you can tell the questions he was asked already had a predetermined answer. There are meetings before the meeting. Just to prove my point, remember when the "budget crisis" first hit in 2009? When the citizens all showed and began making statements and asking questions? Remember how none of them could answer the questions very well? Hell the mayor couldn't and didn't answer the first question. They all struggle when they get off script.
ReplyDeleteUn classified employees took the brunt of the layoff for PD. The Super in charge of Bldg maint stood up for his employees to council and was later fired. Not 100% convinced that is why he was fired, BUT indications ,,,are.
ReplyDeleteYep they might have the budget and the need for more police officers, but it is clear that the leadership within the police department eat their young. It is sad when a superior officer responds to call, observes and see the officer did everything correctly and appaulds their actions. Then a more senior superior officer advises the first supervisor to write the young officer up only because they are afraid of a local organization getting involved. Piss Poor leadership from some of the supervisors within the BCPD. Support the Officers and the job they do. They are undermanned and it will eventually get an officer or citizen hurt due to lack of manning or response time.
ReplyDeleteplease explain.
DeleteGod bless the officers in the Los Angeles area. I personally hope Dorner suffered tremendously before he died.
ReplyDeleteis this blog ever updated?
ReplyDeleteSome days it just isn't worth gnawing through the leather straps. But yes, I'm about to update this weekend on everyone who has qualified for office and zero in on the races that are up for grabs.
DeleteMaybe some other interesting stuff, who knows?
I wish they would weed out some of the trash, before they bring in any new ones to be trained by the trash.
ReplyDelete