Just yesterday, I was driving along Alewife Parkway and ran into a detail. A single Verizon truck was there doing some sort work along the shoulder. The parkway was closed down to a single lane with cones. People were trying to weave through the cones to get in and out of the handful of businesses along the street without much luck. The cop was talking with the a Verizon employee at in front of the truck and did not seem to give a damn that there was any traffic on the street. For me, the issue with the police details is not that it costs so much more than a flagman but that the police on the details seem so disinterested in actually assisting the flow of traffic. We have cops being paid to stand there looking onto the hole, talking to the other workers, or sitting in their car, but not doing a damn thing to help with traffic flow. This is essentially sanctioned graft and everyone knows it.
Here's the scene at a typical work site in Boston: 3 cops standing around drinking coffee and looking over the construction managers, 3 construction managers standing around looking at a hole, 1 Mexican digging a hole getting paid $2 an hour.
I work over in Kendall Square, where there is a lot of new construction going on. A couple of months ago, there was a detail -- 2 Cambridge cops -- at one of the construction sites on Third Street. About 5 yards away from these good officers, a motorist was trying to take a left turn onto Kendall Street from the inbound side of Third, but because of all of the outbound traffic (from the square), he couldn't. Cars were backed up behind him for 3 blocks.
And did the good officers think to stop the outbound traffic so that the motorist could take the turn and relieve the mounting traffic behind him? Nope.
* Details, in most cases, are a big money waster. If we want to be realistic, I'd allow them *only* for major construction sites at *provably* busy intersections. There are some cases where a trained officer could help some of the more wacky construction sites in case of trafficage or work-caused accidents. But the rest of the time, especially when it's a single Verizone truck spooling some wire on a straight road? An excuse for overtime pay, plain and simple.
* If you want to be serious, legislature wise, about eliminating construction details, then also acknowledge that we need to pay cops fairly. Whether or not you agree with pay levels, there's no way you're going to eliminate details without somehow (publicly or privately) giving police departments a way to make up some of the lost income for their officers. That's just political reality. And probably not a bad idea, either; the vast majority of cops are doing a good job, and when was the last time *you* seriously risked your life - even once, never mind every day - for your job?
** To Bad cops (corrupt, dealing drugs, or any violent offenses): well, you can read about the very few there are in the paper; they definitely should get sent to very special hells.
** To Lazy cops (like the few mentioned here who were sippin' a cuppa on the detail): well, think of it this way: do you work in a job where you're under public surveillance on the job - one you're doing more than 40hrs a week if you're on details - constantly? If so, and you're always helpful, and always paying attention to everything around you, and no-one on the internet ever catches you being lazy for a minute - well, then I say good for you.
** To all the rest of the cops: I say thank you. I couldn't do the job you do, and I sure appreciate that you do it. Sorry, I should say "officers". 8-)
You, my friend are no coward, and your views echo mine almost exactly.
My father runs projects from some of the public contracting companies that do roadwork and work for people like NStar - mostly opening up streets to update or move underground utilities, repave and widen streets, change traffic flow etc. He and I have talked about the whole cost vs benefit of police details, and he has said by and large drivers tend to respect the uniform more than a guy waving flashlights. Now, the bottom line of course becomes cost - they pass the cost of the detail from them onto the person who is paying for the contract. My dad has had details that have been lazy, and he sends them home at the end of the shift if they are more interested in sipping a large than actually helping people out.
Like the above poster, I fault the legistration and the way cops are paid mostly. People like to consider this a hot button issue for some reason (I think that loudmouth Christy Meihos used to go on about it) but it is more of an effect of poor government and legislation than something that itself is problematic.
(btw those guys in the ditch aren't mexican, they're portugese, usually from Fall River/New bedford, and depending on the city or town, they have to be union and accounted for)
I actually believe that cities and towns benefit from having detail cops out there. They don't have to pay them much for their base salary and they get free eyes and ears out there for crime. These cops are still listening to their radios and if a call comes in that is nearby they can be looking for the perp. I remember hearing about a cop that caught a bank robber after the call was made. It is hard to say how many crimes are prevented from having a cop nearby, i know that I am more apt to drive carefully/hang up the cell phone when I see a cop. If I was a cop I probably would not like being out there in the rain and snow, but if I needed the money because cops get paid shit I guess I would have to.
not seen is the detail cop sitting on my stoop drinking coffee, and another guy in his car. I would have gotten more pictures but they heard me opening my screen to get a better shot and its quite embarrassing (almost as embarrassing as getting caught not doing work, as they all moved around a bit after they saw me)
As a police officer myself I am extremely dissapointed in your looking to reduce spending at the cost of local & state Police departments. I thought one of your early campaign goals was more police on the street. This is certainly not a move in that direction. Cities & Town earn 10% for every detail hour a police officer works. That 10% if quite important to local budgets & overwhelmingly paid by private industry. It also allows us to have extra eyes & ears on the road in the event at no cost in my cases to the tax payer. If you ask, many cops will tell you some of the bigger busts & scariest moments came while on detail. It is absolutely horrible that you have made public servants who risk their lives for meager base salaries into the negative focus of front page news. I am extremely disappointed to say the least.
If we are overspending we should look toward all the free money given away to able-bodied people that choose not to work, not a police officer working the equivalent of 2 full-time jobs to provide for their families.
Perhaps Gov. Slots meant "on the street" in a figurative and not a literal sense. More police officers working, or more police officers on the force - not more police officers standing out on a road.
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Background info
Globe version, which focuses entirely on the police details.
Herald version, which also mentions that, oh, yeah, they also want to create a transportation super-agency and eventually raise gas taxes.
9%
9% of the people who voted in this poll are cops... thanks for serving and protecting.
just yesterday...
Just yesterday, I was driving along Alewife Parkway and ran into a detail. A single Verizon truck was there doing some sort work along the shoulder. The parkway was closed down to a single lane with cones. People were trying to weave through the cones to get in and out of the handful of businesses along the street without much luck. The cop was talking with the a Verizon employee at in front of the truck and did not seem to give a damn that there was any traffic on the street. For me, the issue with the police details is not that it costs so much more than a flagman but that the police on the details seem so disinterested in actually assisting the flow of traffic. We have cops being paid to stand there looking onto the hole, talking to the other workers, or sitting in their car, but not doing a damn thing to help with traffic flow. This is essentially sanctioned graft and everyone knows it.
Typical Boston Work Site
Here's the scene at a typical work site in Boston: 3 cops standing around drinking coffee and looking over the construction managers, 3 construction managers standing around looking at a hole, 1 Mexican digging a hole getting paid $2 an hour.
And one
Changing a light bulb...
LOL
I'm only laughing 'cause its so true!
1957 called
They want their bad joke back.
I work over in Kendall
I work over in Kendall Square, where there is a lot of new construction going on. A couple of months ago, there was a detail -- 2 Cambridge cops -- at one of the construction sites on Third Street. About 5 yards away from these good officers, a motorist was trying to take a left turn onto Kendall Street from the inbound side of Third, but because of all of the outbound traffic (from the square), he couldn't. Cars were backed up behind him for 3 blocks.
And did the good officers think to stop the outbound traffic so that the motorist could take the turn and relieve the mounting traffic behind him? Nope.
Eliminate 90% of details; pay cops fairly; give them a break
* Details, in most cases, are a big money waster. If we want to be realistic, I'd allow them *only* for major construction sites at *provably* busy intersections. There are some cases where a trained officer could help some of the more wacky construction sites in case of trafficage or work-caused accidents. But the rest of the time, especially when it's a single Verizone truck spooling some wire on a straight road? An excuse for overtime pay, plain and simple.
* If you want to be serious, legislature wise, about eliminating construction details, then also acknowledge that we need to pay cops fairly. Whether or not you agree with pay levels, there's no way you're going to eliminate details without somehow (publicly or privately) giving police departments a way to make up some of the lost income for their officers. That's just political reality. And probably not a bad idea, either; the vast majority of cops are doing a good job, and when was the last time *you* seriously risked your life - even once, never mind every day - for your job?
** To Bad cops (corrupt, dealing drugs, or any violent offenses): well, you can read about the very few there are in the paper; they definitely should get sent to very special hells.
** To Lazy cops (like the few mentioned here who were sippin' a cuppa on the detail): well, think of it this way: do you work in a job where you're under public surveillance on the job - one you're doing more than 40hrs a week if you're on details - constantly? If so, and you're always helpful, and always paying attention to everything around you, and no-one on the internet ever catches you being lazy for a minute - well, then I say good for you.
** To all the rest of the cops: I say thank you. I couldn't do the job you do, and I sure appreciate that you do it. Sorry, I should say "officers". 8-)
- Anonymous Non-public servant Coward
I applaud this person
You, my friend are no coward, and your views echo mine almost exactly.
My father runs projects from some of the public contracting companies that do roadwork and work for people like NStar - mostly opening up streets to update or move underground utilities, repave and widen streets, change traffic flow etc. He and I have talked about the whole cost vs benefit of police details, and he has said by and large drivers tend to respect the uniform more than a guy waving flashlights. Now, the bottom line of course becomes cost - they pass the cost of the detail from them onto the person who is paying for the contract. My dad has had details that have been lazy, and he sends them home at the end of the shift if they are more interested in sipping a large than actually helping people out.
Like the above poster, I fault the legistration and the way cops are paid mostly. People like to consider this a hot button issue for some reason (I think that loudmouth Christy Meihos used to go on about it) but it is more of an effect of poor government and legislation than something that itself is problematic.
(btw those guys in the ditch aren't mexican, they're portugese, usually from Fall River/New bedford, and depending on the city or town, they have to be union and accounted for)
pay cops fairly
I actually believe that cities and towns benefit from having detail cops out there. They don't have to pay them much for their base salary and they get free eyes and ears out there for crime. These cops are still listening to their radios and if a call comes in that is nearby they can be looking for the perp. I remember hearing about a cop that caught a bank robber after the call was made. It is hard to say how many crimes are prevented from having a cop nearby, i know that I am more apt to drive carefully/hang up the cell phone when I see a cop. If I was a cop I probably would not like being out there in the rain and snow, but if I needed the money because cops get paid shit I guess I would have to.
About 5 seconds after i
About 5 seconds after i finished laughing about the comments here this showed up outside my window:
lh4.google.com...ASD%20002.JPG.jpg?imgmax=576
not seen is the detail cop sitting on my stoop drinking coffee, and another guy in his car. I would have gotten more pictures but they heard me opening my screen to get a better shot and its quite embarrassing (almost as embarrassing as getting caught not doing work, as they all moved around a bit after they saw me)
Police Details
Gov Patrick,
As a police officer myself I am extremely dissapointed in your looking to reduce spending at the cost of local & state Police departments. I thought one of your early campaign goals was more police on the street. This is certainly not a move in that direction. Cities & Town earn 10% for every detail hour a police officer works. That 10% if quite important to local budgets & overwhelmingly paid by private industry. It also allows us to have extra eyes & ears on the road in the event at no cost in my cases to the tax payer. If you ask, many cops will tell you some of the bigger busts & scariest moments came while on detail. It is absolutely horrible that you have made public servants who risk their lives for meager base salaries into the negative focus of front page news. I am extremely disappointed to say the least.
If we are overspending we should look toward all the free money given away to able-bodied people that choose not to work, not a police officer working the equivalent of 2 full-time jobs to provide for their families.
Thank you for your time.
49 other states do just fine without police details
what's so special about us that we need them? I don't even see why we need flagmen, let alone police, at most construction sites.
Police should be doing real work instead.
On the street
Perhaps Gov. Slots meant "on the street" in a figurative and not a literal sense. More police officers working, or more police officers on the force - not more police officers standing out on a road.