More Officers, Less Helicopters & $60 is a Pittance

Where to start????

I remember when we first merged.. I believe we were told to sacrifice until the new government was up and running. Correct?? Now 5 years later we are still sacrificing... Now they are taking money out of our pockets by any means available. The mayor has money for the arena, museum plaza.,waterfront, parks ,walking trails, granite curbs,4Th street and the list goes on and on.. Yet has your pay gone up since 2003?? Mine has not!!!! We will forever pay for gas if this comes to pass and it will increase every year, just like our health insurance if the mayor has his way. He knows that he can't do anything to our health insurance as long as we are negotiating in good faith , so what does he do?? GAS!!!! The library tax was a desperation attempt to bring in new revenue because he knew he had overspent.

In 5 years we go from having revenue to being broke???? Did'NT he preach at merger that merging both governments would be more efficient, better services, more revenue, etc. Is anybody doing their homework and asking questions of the mayor , crunching numbers, getting old video of the mayors pledges at the beginning of this mess. Why public services always work without a contract for a long period of time, why we always get far less than what we ask for?What are we going to do??? Are we brothers and sisters in this battle or do we lay down and take it?? AGAIN!!!!!

FOP leaders, The ball is in your field. You are the only hope we have to get through the remainder of King Jerry's rule. We can go without a contract if that is what it takes. We need to stand firm on opposing this or any other stab at the benefits we have earned along the way. The off duty officers are doing the community a service by being visible and detouring or responding to crime while costing the Metro nothing for the officers time. Metro Council, please stop King Jerry from completely wrecking the police department and running off officers to the good life (Retirement with 3.5% cost of living raises. ).

I got a good idea, Between the State and Metro Democratic leaders push for gambling and their stripping the community of valuable services, Lets just make a vote for gambling. I say give it to them so they will stop this dog and pony show.

Hey Guys and Girls, This is not all Jerry is trying to do to you. Jerry has his tenacles everywhere! His protege mole in the FOP Lodge - the ex-FOP president - is still trying to run the FOP from the other side of the table - even though you voted 2 to 1 to defeat him and fire him from the FOP presidency.

He monopolized about half of the Board meeting last Tuesday night, using various procedures, to try to prevent President McGuire from firing Mark Miller as Lodge Attorney. He argued fiercely to keep Mark Miller as the Lodge Attorney - and he just would not quit!! He said Mark was the G-R-E-A-T-E-S-T!! You would have thought he was talking about 'The Greatest' Mohammad Ali.

But, the Board members now are a little older and wiser than he is - the Board voted overwhelmingly to fire Mark Miller. Then he and and David James continued to nit-pic at the previous month's meeting minutes in an effort to prolong the meeting and to eventually torpedo President McGuire and his new administration. They went -on - and - on - and - on!

Beware members, Bill and his minions, along with Jerry, are obviously trying to scuttle the new FOP administration. If you want the FOP to change direction - and be successful - as you voted in November, you must help - and attend the FOP meetings -and help, figuratively, to cut off the head of this snake!!!!!!!!

Are the police not tax payers as well? I think the whole point of offduty is because there are not officers on the street to provide the safety the community needs. So private businesses hire these officers to guarantee they'll get the attention that they need. If the city's budget is in such need of more money how come the hire ups(Mayor, Deputy Mayors, Chief of Police, and Chief's Staff)are not volunteering to take pay cuts? I don't understand why life has to be made so hard on the guys/gals who make the least amount of money? And finally how can the Chief say this won't be an internal issue? Did he go around and speak to these officers and get their input? Or does he micro-manage and just do what ever he wants without regard to who it will affect? Life's always easy for the ones who never have to deal with the real issues.

The chief and the mayor keeps taking money out of the police officers pocket. first it will be $60.00, then next year it will be $80.00. I t will just keep going up, up, up. They already took away half of the uniform money. you all dont have a contract. And there will be no pay raises because he wants to take $60.00 away from you when its your money. But if something happened like 911 you all would be there hero again and tell you how great you are but still take money out of your pockets. Everyone should just park their cars at the districts and hitch hike home everyday.Give them a story to talk about. Hell they dont pay you all enough. they dont care because look at how much the chief and the mayor get. They need to leave the police department alone and save money else where. I can think of alot they can do to save money. Forget the bridges, arena, for a start. Get rid of the mayor and the chief, it time for someone who is for the POLICE, not against.

THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG PEOPLE!!!!!!!!! IF WE LAY DOWN FOR THIS WE ARE DOOMED!!!!

I too would like to see something from ur FOP President. Instead of the generic statement about we are monitoring this..blah..blah..blah.

I hope a lot of people show up at the meeting to voice their opinions on the matter. Remember that everyone must stick together on this and not do what the front office and the mayor's office want and that is to have everyone roll over and take it in the shorts. There is absolutely no reason for the mayor to do this at this time. He has not sttled our contract. I would hope that the FOP goes back to the table and insists that any cost passed along to the members for using vehicles be offset in a raise in the equipment allowance or hourly rate.

Screw Jerry! He hasn't given us a raise in years and expects to keep taking money from us. He is such an A$$! We have less officers now than before merger and crime is up. He says by the end of the year we'll have more officers but it is a BIG FAT LIE. We have too many officers leaving and it takes 1 year from the time they set foot in the door until they go solo. They can't be counted until then because they cren't replacing anyone until they are solo.

Im just curious as to how the are supposed to be filling all the vacancies within the department when all of this garbage is going on? All I hear about is how there have been no raises given, take home vehicles are not in the contract, and now if I do a little side work in my uniform and partrol car Im going to have to pay some of it back. Do they just not want to hire new officers? Im seriously questioning whether to continue in the hiring process with LMPD or search for a new Department to start my career.

Do you need your Police Car when you work any game UofL or otherwise??? I seem to remember a line on the off duty form for asking for use of the car for offduty use, I am going to go back and check NO for the use of the car, because I am not using it while I am working right? Then I will drive it to the game just like every other officer that is going to the game to watch, that is not being charged to use the car. I am sure that out of the 480 officers working off duty they are in the same boat.(Games, Kroger,ETC...) If I don't ask for permission to use the car, and I am not using it while I work, they can't charge me.

Lets include take home cars in the contract negotiations. Please also remember that hundreds of Metro officers live just outside of Jefferson County and taking the cars home, even at a charge would be great.

Our contract, Our requests. Take home car program like it was before merger.

If you agree, e-mail your FOP leaders. Make your request heard insted of being upset later.

Our Contract, Our Request.

Seems the FOP is going to just take this. The lat email from the president said he was going to talk with them to be sure this was done fairly. Thanks, hopefully this is not a preview of what is to come from this new FOP administration. It''s time to step up to the plate and take a swing or two. You can only take so much abuse. Time to grow a pair FOP PREZ!

The mayor implies we are not taxpayers? The chief states he doesn't think this is going to be a problem at all? How do these guys talk without lightning striking? Everyone needs to agree to put in for overtime ANY time you do anything outside your normal work hours. Any law enforcement should be put on an overtime slip since we are expected to be police 24 hours a day. Why can't we get anyone in the FOP, the council, or the news media to start raising heck about our lack of raises for so long?

I am standing by like everyone else to see if the new FOP admin is going to do anything about anything. Anyone know if it is true that McGuire is trying to get his girlfriend as one of our new lawyers?

I wish that instead of finding out this on the news, our own department would let us know before them. This is becomming to common about finding things out. I LUV the communication.

13 of the 26 council members are up for re-election. You need to call you council member and voice your opinion. How about the FOP sets up a website showing the public how many officers are working at any given time of day. I am sure that people in the eighth would like to know that they had a grand total of 4 working last week on one shift.

WHAT A WEAK FOP. YOU TOOK THAT FROM THE MAYOR WITH NO ARGUEMENT WITH THE CAMERA IN YOUR FACE. PITIFUL. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY TESTICLES OR HAS THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF BEING POLITE AND DON'T ROCK THE BOAT PLAGUED THIS FOP PRESIDENT. WARM AND FUZZY. HELL LETS JUST VOTE HILARY IN.

REST AT EASE KIDDIES. THE COUNCIL IS ALL OVER IT. APPARENTLY THEY CORNERED JANE DRICOLL OVER ABRAMSON'S OUTLANDISH 9 MILLION DOLLAR FIGURE ( SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE THE LIBRARY TAX MONEY HE PLANNED ON SPENDING) AND DEMANDED TO KNOW WHERE AND HOW SHE CAME UP WITH THOSE FIGURES. SHE COULDN'T ANSWER THEM. THEY TOLD HER IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT THE POLICE WILL NOT BE PAYING FOR CARS...PERIOD I BELIEVE IT WAS DOWNARD WHO SAID HE DIDN'T CARE WHERE THEY DROVE THEIR CARS THAT THEY COULD LEAVE THEM RUNNING ALL NIGHT LONG IN THEIR DRIVEWAYS FOR ALL HE CARES!

On a side note I ofer my most sincere compliments to the artist who came up with the picture of King Jerry and his Fool Robert White! KUDOS for a picture truly does say a thousand words!

I will GLADLY pay $705.00 a year for my take home car even $1000.00 a year. I will gladly pay 80/20 on my health insurance benefit. IF YOU WOULD PAY ME LIKE A REAL POLICE DEPT PAYS THEIR OFFICERS!

*******BASEPAYS********

10 year Louisville Officer makes $44,212

3 year Memphis Officer makes $49,083.15

5 year Minneapolis Officer makes $52,962

7 year Oklahoma Officer makes $53,139

8 Year Dallas Officer makes $59,837 with $10,000 signing bonus

5 Year Phoenix Officer makes $60,881

8 Year Kansas City Officer make $62,000

4 year Denver Officer makes $66,252

7 year Seattle Officer makes $67,045 Signing bonus

GIVE ME A BREAK on the cost of living crap. The cost of Living is not that much higher than Louisville KY. There are Hundreds and Hundreds of cities that have takehome cars. Including Dallas TX(3000 cars), Lexington, Nashville, Charlotte, Tacoma Washington, Indianapolis, and Albuquerque NM just to name a few off the top of my head.

Louisville is one of the HIGHEST taxed cities in AMERICA! feel free to fo to CNN.com read article on this. Many of these places listed below don't have either a occupational tax or State sales tax.

I also agreed to PAY MORE FOR MY POLICE CAR AND 80/20 ON HEALTH INSURANCE like many of the police departments I mentioned!!!! I'll gladly pay $3500 more out of my check a year if I were making $10,000-$23000 more a year. I would still get a HUGE raise that all of us on LMPD deserve.

$44000 a year in Louisville KY is equivalent to

$43,313.90 in Charlotte

$43,564.33 in Cincinnati

$44,157.16 in Kansas City

$44,534.97 in Indianapolis

$44,231.84 Memphis

$44,308.15 in Dallas

$47,025.00 in Phoenix

$47,131.91 in Denver

$47,186.58 in Albuquerque

$51,517.69 Las Vegas

$54,012.88 in Seattle

10 year Louisville Officer makes $44,212

3 year Memphis Officer makes $49,083.15

5 year Minneapolis Officer makes $52,962

7 year Oklahoma CIty Officer makes $53,139

8 Year Dallas Officer makes $59,837 with $10,000 signing bonus

5 Year Phoenix Officer makes $60,881

8 Year Kansas City Officer make $62,000

4 year Denver Officer makes $66,252

7 year Seattle Officer makes $67,045 Signing bonus

The officers of LMPD and the FOP need to tell the pubic what is really going on. Let them know the TRUTH that jerry does'nt tell them. Let them know there are LESS officers on the street. Tell them about vacant beats. Let them know about runs stacking up. When they complain, tell them what the house cats won't. There are too few riding a beat. And too many riding a desk being paper police.

The Atlanta Police Department is looking to Hire 200 new officers. Start pay $34,700. Job fairs started today 2/9/08. Come on down to Georgia!!!

Guys, tone down the name calling - it makes you look less than professional. Remember, you don't know who is reading this stuff.

first of all, we wouldn't need any of the cutbacks if the mayor used money more wisely. Why do we need to spend money we don't have on granite curbs for downtown when the Police Department still doesn't have a unified radio system they can use. Also, I didn't think this "hiring freeze" was supposed to affect public safety, but when you have to put the recruit class on "hold" it affects public safety quite a bit. And, since I am a Metro officer I will say that in fact, in the short time that both helicopters where up and running we used both of them quite a bit and now with only one, we (the officers) find ourselves without the support of the air unit more often than not because of the down time that has to be alloted for both maintenance and refueling.

With the issue on the $60 if using a car for off-duty purposes. I don't agree with this, but it could be worse. However, another way this department and the Mayor could have saved money in my opinion, would have been by continuing to let the officers and TRU keep making the reports the way they always have been. Just like the statement Chief White made about one helicopter being sufficient could also be true for patrol officers taking reports like always. It would reducing paying extra positions, paying for extra cars for the report takers to use, and did I mention the money that would be saved alone in the training of these report takers. Given the fact that they only work from 9AM to 5PM in our division doesn't really do much for the shift that actually takes the brunt of the report calls anyway.

Police officers and their spouses are tax payers too. So in essence they are really paying themselves therefore they are already paying for gas. If King Jerry wants to have our heroes pay for their own gas then let the officers work tax free!

Yep, that one in Detroit got convicted.

The "taxpayers" pay for the TARC buses but metro employees get to ride for free. How about cutting that program or making them pay some amount? They may not get to take a vehicle home but they are not paying for gas, except through their taxes just like we are.

I hope everyone knows that the city has a contract with Thorntons and buys the gas at a fixed rate. So just because the price of gas goes up doesn't mean the city is paying that price. Mayor Jerry always forgets to include these little details.

I like that Chief. Can we hire him?

JEFFERSONTOWN POLICE, (2 year Officer makes a minimum of $58,000 a year), city pays 100% medical insurance, can take take home car outside county, comp time for court appearances or collect $52.00 court pay, all platoons work 10 hour shifts, new cars new equipment (MDT's internet), AR-15's in vehicles, 45min lunch break's, workout in the gym on duty, etc....APPLY TO J-TOWN.....

Some Lt. in the first has been bringing his 15 year old son to work during the weekends. Son is wearing a vest, flashlight, and handcuffs. He is searching people and placing them in handcuffs. You might think I'm kidding but I promise you I am not. Freakiest thing I have ever seen. Finally heard that something is being done about it. Just hope that they move this Lt. to another division or just get rid of him. Makes me ashamed to work anywhere near this. Watching this Dad put his sons life in danger and as well all the other offs that are backing them up.

Got to be a former county police. He should be charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and the kid should be charged with impersonating a stupid police officer.

I sure would love to know which LT did that. I DON'T want anyone to post it on a public site, so I guess I'll have to ask around....

Alas, so I feel a flu bug coming on....I really do not mean the kind of thing where we leave the city in jeopardy, I just mean the kind of environment, that we only feel well enough to respond to emergencies and keep all families safe. Attended a Comp-Stat and watche the Chief ridicule officers regarding tickets, etceteras. I feel a chill coming on, I may be getting sick...

 Jerry wants you all to pay up now for your take-home car use while working off duty sell one of your helicopters.  Now on the other hand he is giving out money to the family of Michael Newby!  It's on the news that city settled with them in their suit against McKenzie Mattingly!  They are getting a ton of money from the city!  Let's lessen the paperwork.  All of you officers make your checks payable to Angela Bougges, mother of Michael Newby and ambulance chasing attorney T. Clay.   Have a great day!

Sell all the helicopters and use the money to finish the wonderful ring of parks. I am looking so forward to riding my bike around the city while our glorious Major peddles beside me...I like rainbows!

I think we need to start picketing the Mayor and Metro Govt. Start sounding off about all the dirt that seems to be coming to the surface. The arena was in the news yesterday about a demolition conatct of buildings. A million dollars more in the bid. It seems like to me someone is being paid off or a kick back is coming. The mayor and the chief ******** about doing more for less. I here the chief and HR got a raise before we had a 9 million short fall.

DIDN'T THE OVERPAID MAJORS JUST GET A 3.5% RAISE. FUNNY HOW MONEY CAN BE FOUND FOR SOME BUT CUT FOR OTHERS!!!!!!!!!

Wake Up Louisville, with his cuts go your safety, security and quality of life.

What I don't understand is that when they purchased the second helicopter the powers that be had to go infront of Metro Goverment and the mayor to get approval. This consisted of telling them how much we needed it and how we could't do without it. Now they say we don't need it. Which time are they lying to get it exactly how they want it? They can't have it both ways.....

In 37 days there will be no more Air Unit,Air 10 is being auctioned as i write this on the louisvillle.gov website with 5 bids already,last I heard Air 20 was still in pieces with little hope of ever getting rebuilt,my guess is the criminals in city gov willl soon put it on the auction block as not being worth fixing

The only flyable helicopter being sold,right before all the derby events................ BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear the Chief and the Mayor talk about the $60.00 a month fee for my car so that I can help relieve some of the cost to the city for fuel while I work off duty. Do they honestly believe that I want to work off duty? I would gladly stop working off duty and spend more time with my kids at home doing my job as a parent, but I cannot. I have to work off duty because the cost of living (inflation) in this country far exceeds the 2% yearly raise the Mayor, and other numbskull's on this department who voted yes, thinks is fair.

I sit around the roll call table and listen to people complain about this and complain about that. I hear great ideas and awful ideas. I see the passion displayed by some officers and the complete disregard by others. We will not get a Fair deal from this department or city, until we grow some ***** as a group instead as individuals. The news channels should be invited to show up at 2030 on the third Tuesday of every month to hear a briefing from our FOP reps outside of the hall which should include a list of concerns that officers have at that time. I hear all the time from people in the city that they think we should be paid more and that they support us. I believe they would if they knew what was going on. It should be the mission of the FOP to inform them every month without fail.

It is my humble opinion that we give our FOP reps a limited ammount of time to display results, say 1 year for example. If they fail to do so then a special meeting should be held by the members and a vote casted to determine if we allow them more time or if they should be removed from their postitions and a special election be held within 14 days. If you give someone unchecked power to do as they wish, you usually end up getting screwed in the long run. Long ago should be the days when you talk a bunch of crap, get elected to the FOP, and make side deals with the city against the members to obtain a cushy new job right after you leave your position.

C.D.