[TGE-mail] Proposition S

[Charles Bryson]

To All:

I appreciate Officer Re's point of view. However, here is another point of view.

Proposition S would allow the City to put more police officers on neighborhood patrol, and meet its obligations to the police and fire pension systems without damaging cuts in public safety. Proposition S would also allow the City to increase the pay of police officers and firefighters and invest in proven strategies to prevent crime.

On the other hand, if Proposition S fails, something will have to give. Either the cost of compensation will have to be reduced, or revenues that support public safety will have to be used to cover the City's obligations. More on that in a moment.

A little background is in order. The police pension fund and the firefighter pension fund are governed by active and retired police officers and firefighters. The State of Missouri sets the benefits and the City of St. Louis pays for the allocated costs.

During the 1990s, the City allocated very little money because the systems had large surpluses. That was not the City's decision. That happened because of the way the systems allocate their costs. The State also increased benefits for police officers in the 1990s because of the large surpluses.

The pension funds are well managed. But, the systems lost a lot of money in the stock market after the tech bubble burst in about 2000. Large surpluses because large deficits. When Mayor Slay took office, the system's request for City revenue went from about $7-million per year to more than $50-million per year out of a ~$400-million budget. The City in fact tripled its payments to the funds. If it had made all of the payments, the City would have had to close multiple fire houses and lay off scores of police.

As it is, the City's pension costs have tripled and its health care costs have doubled. That has made it very difficult to hire as many police officers as we need, and to provide active police officers with adequate pay raises.

It is up to the taxpayers to decide whether our police officers deserve their pensions and better pay. If the taxpayers decide against approving Proposition S, the City, its citizens and its employees groups-- including police officers-- will have to determine what to cut.

If Proposition S does pass, police officers will get the pensions they deserve, a modest pay raise without damaging cuts to public safety, and we will be able to put more officers on neighborhood patrol.

If you have questions, feel free to email me back.

Thanks,

Jeff Rainford
Chief of Staff
Mayor's Office

Charles Bryson
Director of Public Safety
City of St.Louis
>>> "Re, Donald E" <DeRe at SLMPD.ORG> 01/31/08 10:18 AM >>>
All,

 

A couple of you asked me for my opinion regarding Proposition S.  I
appreciate your interest, and thanks to those of you who've indicated
that we deserve more pay and more officers and want to help out.  I
don't think I'm supposed to give my political views while on duty, so I
have to respectfully decline too much detail.  I will say that it is
important that we have more GOOD officers on the streets.  When folks
consider moving here from out of town or from the county, generally, the
number one question I get is what is crime like in a particular area?  


If they don't feel like they will be safe, they won't come.

 

It is regrettable that St. Louis City Police Officers are paid at a
comparably lower rate than other officers in similar cities across the
country, as well as when compared to most well funded municipalities
locally.  I'm not complaining because I knew what I would be paid when I
signed up for this job, but it is frustrating that we have many of our
better young officers leaving this job once they have a spouse and kid
for better paying, less "active" police officer jobs elsewhere.  The
point is that you get what you pay for I guess.

 

I still live in the city even though I could move if I wanted to.  As a
citizen, I don't need anymore tax increases.  The city taxes my land, my
cars, my paycheck, etc. and then turns around and allots tax abatements
and incentives to individuals and companies who have nothing more than a
financial stake in the city's well being.  I would vote no on the tax
increase were I a voting member of society.  The city can keep the $40
extra dollars I would see on my paycheck and cram it somewhere else.
The city has taken its police department for granted for many years now.
Our hands are tied by judges and juries and community activists who'd
rather let repeat criminals run loose on the streets than have a police
officer have to lay a hand on a bad guy to take him to jail against his
will.  Events like Mardi Gras, the VP Fair, the Annie Malone Parade,
Cardinal, Rams, and Blues games, art fairs, parades, etc. all require
that police officers work them.  These are but a small number of events
we work so that people from all over the area can come safely enjoy
themselves in the city.  They come from all over, treat the city like
they most certainly wouldn't treat their own residence and go back to
wherever it is they live.  Our days off are cancelled and we stand in
the miserable heat and cold while everyone else has a good time.  It's
no wonder so many officers leave for the county and elsewhere where they
don't have to deal with as many of these details.

 

As far as the pension system is concerned, don't let city leaders cry
foul.  The city refused to pay its share into the system for years until
it finally ran out of court appeals and was ordered to simply fulfill
its end of a bargain by the courts.  For seven years the city neglected
the pension.  If the city somehow drops the ball and screws up the
pension system, I predict a mass exodus of experienced officers who will
leave before what they've earned is taken away.  I'd hate to see the
state of this department and the city should that happen.


These are just my opinions and absolutely do not reflect the opinion of
the St. Louis Police Department, the Police Officers Association, or
perhaps even any other officer or group affiliated with this Department.
I was asked what Don Re thought and these are some of my thoughts.

 

Sorry for the ranting, I didn't realize I was going to get myself riled
up!

 

Good luck and thanks for all of your support.

 

Police Officer Don Re

3rd District Public Affairs

3157 Sublette Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63139

444-0169

dere at slmpd.org