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“When you look at some of the specifics of the union contracts that exist in these cities, you can tell why they’re being suffocated by the cost of these things,” Christie was quoted as saying. “The unions need to get realistic about giving concessions in order to save jobs and protect the public safety.”
This comes after a meeting last week with Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Camden Mayor Dana Redd, and Trenton Mayor Tony Mack — with whom Christie said he intends to “continue the conversation, continue to push it down the road so we can get to some long-term solutions that will help not only public safety but property taxes in New Jersey.”
Jerry DeMarco Publisher/Editor
Yet it also comes on a day when terrified loved ones and dozens upon dozens of concerned police officers converged on Hackensack University Medical Center — wishing and hoping and praying that Paramus Police Officer Rachel Morgan survived being shot several times by a petty criminal on Route 17 Sunday night.
Instead of blustering, Christie should have been at that hospital, too, representing all New Jerseyans in their concern for a brave woman who took bullets from a man she swore an oath to protect us all from.
He should have applauded Paramus Police Officer Ryan Hayo, who rushed to his colleague’s aid and, in so doing, put his own life at risk.
Nationwide, families are grieving, or are at bedsides, because of a dedication and bravery to serve the public good. And all our public servants in New Jersey get is “tough talk” from a guy who has his own personal security detail, a take-home car, free gas and who knows what else.
And speaking of courage: What words can express the bravery it took for the fiancee of Lakewood Police Officer Christopher Matlosz to go before a state Senate committee in Trenton on Monday and explain why the very thought of police layoffs makes her sick to her stomach?
Budget cuts have forced both Newark and Camden to lay off more than 160 police officers each in recent months. Local towns are slashing and burning through the rank-and-file. All told, New Jersey is looking at 2,000 givebacks — all rank-and-file jobs.
But has the Kingpin said a single word about administrative salaries and other costs associated with the brass? Has he done anything about a pension fund that essentially was raided by his predecessors?
Has he suggested that, instead of being so fast to write an easy paycheck to those claiming misconduct and abuse, that maybe the cities and towns try standing up for their officers? It’s been a proven money-saver in at least three states, reducing the number of frivolous lawsuits and complaints lodged.
The mistake that I think law enforcement makes is in believing that Christie owns this debate.
Study after study shows that most of the citizenry gets its information from TV and online. They’re not paying attention to newspapers anymore, same as newspapers aren’t paying attention to them.
Do you have any idea what kind of effect Andover Police Officer Joe Indano’s piece for CLIFFVIEW PILOT had? A week down the road, and people are STILL clicking on and reading that story for the first time. Re-postings continue to show up on web sites and Facebook pages not only across the country but abroad. (SEE: Think New Jersey police are overpaid? Try doing the job)
Did you know that legislators in Trenton are now sending out video “press” releases that they post on YouTube and/or Vimeo? Cuts out the middle man entirely. Say goodbye to broadsheet.
My advice: Do the same.
Huddle up. Use a little ingenuity. Produce a video, write a story, stage a rally — anything that shows exactly what you do, what the risks are, and how it affects each of us.
(Just be sure you’re permitted to do it. I wouldn’t want anyone being unnecessarily disciplined because of some fine print in their contracts.)
Break down the dollar figures, the number of deaths, etc. If you make a video, get a narrator with a distinctly familiar voice (no, not Whoopi Goldberg). Recruit a celebrity or two. I’m sure there are plenty out there willing to step up.
But be sure to include “true blue” representatives, too — like Mount Olive Police Sgt. Mike Pocquat, the veteran cop who took on Christie and then challenged the state labor unions to take charge (We’re still waiting for an answer from them, by the way).
And don’t forget Indano. If his simple story, on a local online site, can travel around the globe, imagine what a viral video would do.
I know from experience: These spread farther and wider than any single-day copy of a daily newspaper. And they stick around, unlike yesterday’s news. Why do you think Christie is constantly posting on YouTube? He doesn’t waste much time with newspapers — he goes directly to the public. Cuts out the middle man.
It was difficult for me to watch the Detroit squad-room shooting video, but you know what I remember most? The distinguished officer who introduces the clip. He is so sincere, so BELIEVABLE. You can see both the pain in his eyes as well as the determination that this will not deter ANYONE from doing the job.
Consider the same thing. Find someone with the tech savvy, find a script writer, recruit a few officers who’ll be good on camera — and drive the message home. It’s a tactic that’s as old as advertising itself: If you don’t like the results, CHANGE THE DEBATE.
Explain how, as Indano notes, the average life expectancy of a police officer is 53-57 years, compared to the 73 the rest of us men can reasonably expect.
Throw in the fact that post-retirement life expectancy for a police officer, no matter the age, is three years. THREE YEARS.
Cite the suicides: 18.1 per 100,000 among law enforcement — 52% higher than that of non-police officers.
Or pull the state Uniform Crime Reports, and show how nearly 15 percent of all assaults on police involve a weapon — in Morgan‘s case, a 9mm — and how nearly a third come during “disturbance” calls.
New Milford just had another assault the other night, this one on THREE police officers.
“There is a reason we wear body armor, guns, pepper spray and batons when we work,” Indano wrote. “There are people in this world who want to hurt us or kill us, simply because of who we are and what we represent. It is apples to oranges when any comparison is made between police work and private sector jobs, including salaries and benefits.”
It’s not all shoot-‘em-up, either: You have your barking dog, your domestics that turn violent in a flash, and any number of circumstances in-between. In the end, it’s a full shift of calls.
But here’s the rub: When that call comes in, the citizen on the other end isn’t calculating your overtime or pension. They just need you to come — QUICK!
“Our departments are on the job 24/7,” Indano said, “so that you can get a restful night’s sleep.”
I know no one is looking for recognition here. You‘ve made your choice based on your love of the job and dedication to me, to my neighbors, to my family and friends, and way beyond. Yet each day, as you leave the house, either you or someone you love wonders: Will some nutjob pull a gun and start shooting?
Cite all those shootings, all those deaths this year, if you feel you have no choice. But I’d sooner see you ask each and every citizen of this fine state a simple question: What would happen if you picked up the phone in an emergency and there was no one there to respond?
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