Local News

Flagmen enter the fray over police OT

By Lindsay Faber
Staff Writer

December 9, 2003

On almost any given day, police officers can be found scattered from Byram to Old Greenwich, directing traffic around construction and engineering projects and patrolling high school athletic games.

Each time police officers get paid overtime, but the money does not come from their department's budget. Departments such as Public Works and the Greenwich Public Schools pay officers from their own budgets to direct traffic, patrol major school events and provide other services in a system called the "blue payroll."

Each officer earns at least $40 per hour directing traffic on the blue payroll. Thanks to a town policy giving officers first choice on traffic control, town departments shelled out more than $450,000 for the blue payroll during the last fiscal year, according to the town's financial records.

The North Mianus sewer project alone will cost $800,000 in overtime for police officers when it ends in the coming weeks, DPW Commissioner Marcos Madrid said. The sewer installation began in 2001 and will connect about 680 North Mianus homes to the public sewer system.

The blue payroll has grown so expensive that some town officials are now advocating a cheaper option -- hiring civilian flagmen who direct traffic in many other municipalities. The cost could be as little as $10 per hour.

Had flagmen been used at that rate on the North Mianus project, the town might have been able to save $500,000.

"There are certain places where we'd prefer to have police officers directing traffic because of the complexity of the area, but there are other cases where I believe flagmen could do an adequate job," Madrid said. "Whenever I have a job, I have to factor in the need for traffic control off the blue payroll. The cost has a huge impact."

DPW isn't the only town department to employ police officers. The Board of Education and the Department of Parks and Recreation do too, but much of their blue payroll is for extra patrols and security at beaches and school athletic events, officials said. Those jobs require police officers, they said.

As a result, it's only in regard to traffic direction that the issue of hiring police has become contentious.

A change to flagmen, while saving the town money, would deprive Greenwich officers of significant income. Some police officers made more than $20,000 on the blue payroll during the last fiscal year. Officers also earn overtime by working on departmental investigations and shifts, but that money comes from the police budget.

Many police object to changing town policy to allow flagmen, but they say their objection stems from a concern for public safety, not money.

"Motorists don't have to listen to flagmen. They are not required to by law," said Greenwich Lt. Mark Kordick, who acknowledged state law is vague on this issue. "Also, when police officers are out there directing traffic, they are also deterring crime."

In October, a Bridgeport-based flagmen firm sued the chiefs of seven local police departments, including Greenwich, claiming the departments interfered with the company's ability to find work for its flagmen at road and utility construction sites.

The suit was filed after a federal judge dismissed a similar $10 million federal lawsuit in August. That suit, filed against 12 municipalities and 11 police unions, alleged the groups conspired to violate federal racketeering laws. In the suit, a federal judge agreed with the defendants that municipalities cannot exhibit the malicious intent required by the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act.

The company, Interstate Flagging Inc., referred questions to its West Hartford attorney, which did not return phone calls.

Officials from some of the other towns involved in the suit say police are worth the price.

"It's not a matter of whether we cost more or they cost more for the town," Stamford Assistant Police Chief Richard Priolo said. "The police officers get more respect from the operators, and if the flagmen aren't being listened to, then the real question comes down to what is the cost of safety on the roads?"

But Darien Lt. Mike Marsalisi said flagmen provide the backup his department of 52 officers needs.

"We generally try to fill jobs with officers first, but we have a small department so we can't always do that, and that's when we tell the construction companies or other agents that it's okay for them to hire an outside flagman to direct traffic," Marsalisi said. "As far as I know, it's worked just fine. I don't think we've gotten any complaints."

Police Chief James Walters said he refused to comment on the topic because of the pending litigation.