Cop union offers alternatives to layoffs

By AARON LEO
Staff writer
ConnPost Article Launched: 10/14/2008 01:00:50 PM EDT

Cop union offers alternatives to layoffs - Topix

BRIDGEPORT -- With the approach of Oct. 24, the last day on the job for 15 police officers laid off by Mayor Bill Finch, both the police union president and several members of the Board of Police Commissioners are suggesting alternative ways to close the city budget's ballooning deficit.

"Redeployment would fill holes in certain areas of the Police Department and it would in turn lower overtime costs," said Officer Frank Cuccaro, president of the Bridgeport Police Union Local 1159.

He proposed that the mayor stop hiring of administrators paid $80,000 a year or more throughout the city, as well as stop using private lawyers to handle some of the city's litigation.

Plus, Cuccaro said, the class of 19 rookies who graduated from the Bridgeport Police Academy last Friday will save the department money, "if they're deployed properly."

The 15 police personnel are among of 31 city workers who Finch announced last month will be laid off. He also cut every municipal department's budget by 10 percent and specifically ordered then-Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood to cut department overtime by half to close the budget gap. Norwood announced last week that he is leaving his job here to become police chief in Richmond, Va.

The Police Department overran its overtime budget by about $1.3 million in the last fiscal year.

Among those people Finch laid off are Deputy Police Chiefs James Honis and Adam Radzimirski, each paid a salary of $97,258, the second and third highest on the list. Also laid off were four parks police officers, a school police officer, two captains, one lieutenant and five sergeants.

Finch said Monday that he appreciated new ideas, but had no further comment.

"All these items are under consideration and they're all part of the collective bargaining process. I'm hopeful and grateful that people are putting ideas forward," he said.

The City Council also recently took another step designed to rein in the police budget by approving the creation of a new assistant police chief position -- the non-union post will have a salary of from $92,502 to $105,069 a year -- to help the chief control overtime and conduct day-to-day operations. Now, the chief is the only non-union job in the department.

Daniel S. Roach, a member of the police board, said he would try to avoid layoffs by rearranging schedules.

"If it's a question of excessive overtime, I would be willing to work out something with the deputy chiefs on the chopping block. Keep them on, but without overtime," he said. "I'm in favor of keeping tabs on overtime as opposed to layoffs."

"I would never be in favor" of laying off patrol officers, he added.

Layoffs didn't have to be one of Finch's first steps to control spending, said David Hall, the police board's vice president.

"I admire his enthusiasm and his efforts to solve this problem, but I may not admire his management style the same way," Hall said of Finch.

Finch should let the department heads form a savings plan for their own areas. "They know what they can do without," Hall said.

Andrew Nunn, the city's chief financial officer, has insisted that department heads were involved in the cutting process, despite those who claimed they were not.

Ana Cruz, another police board member, called for compromise. Raises should be frozen and highly paid administrators should take pay cuts while the city's finances are scrutinized.

"This calls for the city to form a group to strategize and examine expenditures," she said. "We need our police officers to help protect our city."

Lower salaries "are better than not having a job, period," Cruz said.