MPD Monthly Report (Feb)
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Manager
Forum Description: Discuss the city manager administration including all city departments.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1178
Printed Date: Nov 27 2024 at 2:17pm
Topic: MPD Monthly Report (Feb)
Posted By: 409
Subject: MPD Monthly Report (Feb)
Date Posted: Apr 02 2009 at 11:47pm
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From the MPD monthly Report:
The Chief recently attended a Stimulus Package meeting that included 7 requests for our department totalingover $1 million. $150,000 for a City ran impound lot $225,000 for additional officers for 3 years $750,000 for additional take home cruisers for officers that reside in the City $15,000/each for automatic license plate readers $250,000 to replace current generator with a diesel one $60,000 for automatic citation readers $100,000 for upgrades to the range $150,000 for a city run impound lot? Sounds like they are trying to run some of the towing services out of business! Oh...I forgot they are "Open for Business." Whose?
  I am not sure what automatic citation readers are.
Maybe we should all apply for a take home cruiser. I could use it and some of the gas we all help pay for. |
Replies:
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Apr 03 2009 at 6:44am
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Just a couple of Questions here:
$150,000 for a City ran impound lot.
Where is this lot to be located, who is going to man it or operate it? Where are the funds coming from for the personnel to run the lot? Is the $150k a one time amount to just buy land and setup the impound lot? Is there really a need for an impound lot, is the city impounding that many vehicles?
$225,000 for additional officers for 3 years.
Now, I am no math genius and don't have all of the figures from the City but if a starting Officer makes $50k a year and you add benefits of say $25k per year I come out with at least $675k over a three year period for those 3 Officers. $75k x 3 x 3= $675k. $225k for 3 Officers for 3 years equates to $25k a year per Officer for Salary and Benefits. Am I doing something wrong here? Or is this $225k figure a yearly amount for 3 years making it $675k? It is not clear from the Report if it is $225k a year for Officers, if so then the amount asked for should be $2 Million not over $1 Million. Then the question begs to be asked, since Middletown is supposedly heading into a very rough time financially in the next 2 to 3 years, WHO IS GOING TO PAY THESE SALARIES AND BENEFITS AT THE END OF THREE YEARS? WOULD YOU ALL LIKE A HINT? Personally I think the Public Safety levy may fail the next time around if the City does not get control of it's salaries and benefits that they pay it workers. If the Unions can't see the writing on the wall, time to hit them over the head with a hammer and wake them up, with some layoffs, not more money and benefits.
$750,000 for additional take home cruisers for officers that reside in the City.
This one is just a money waster period. Now I understand the concept of this but please explain. This request for this much money simply to take cars home makes little sense to me when our true need is additonal Officers:
1) How many Officers live in high crime areas where taking home a car makes sense?
2) If gas goes back to $4-5 per gallon who is footing the bill for this gas on these gas guzzlers?
3) This appears to be nothing more than an attempt at an unneeded perk for the Police.
4) Who is covering the insurance on these cars during this time? What if they are involved in accidents during personal use.
5) Are the cars just being driven home to sit in Drive ways or are they going to be used for personal use?
$15,000 each for automatic license plate readers.
Does Middletown have that many stolen cars that they need this device to scan plates on vehicles as they are driving up and down Roosevelt Blvd?
These are just some of the questions that jumped out at me
------------- When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson |
Posted By: scrapmonkey
Date Posted: Apr 06 2009 at 12:44pm
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What country am I living in ? That sounds like ideas from Russia ! Is the crime so bad in Middeltown that all those "police" ideas are so necessary ? Middletown isn't the size of Los Angeles. If crime is that bad here maybe I should relocate for the safety & welfare of my family !! ------------- scrapmonkey "Civilization begins with order,grows with liberty,and dies with chaos"~Will Duran |