Arbitration proceedings begin November 12th

Transcription

Saluting
BPD Heroes
Killed in the
Line of Duty
with Hero Signs
Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, Inc.
9.11 Shetland Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02119
PRST STD
U.S. POSTAGE
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WESTBORO, MA
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See pages B1 & B4
Nation’s First Police Department • Established 1854
Volume 42, Number 4 • September/October 2012
PAXCENTURION
Boston Emergency Medical Technicians
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
POLICE ORGANIZATIONS
Arbitration
proceedings begin
November 12th
By James Carnell, Pax Editor
he BPPA has been informed that arbitration proceedings will begin Nov. 12th
with an initial meeting with an arbitrator appointed by the JLMC (Joint LaborManagement Committee, in charge of resolving disputes involving police and
fire contracts).
The BPPA is now in our third year without a contract. The last contract expired
on July 1st, 2010. We have been without a raise since then, and in fact many of our
members who had acquired through their own time and expense the benefits of the
educational incentive known as the “Quinn Bill” have sustained a substantial loss
of pay due to the actions of Governor Deval Patrick. (Unfortunately, none of our
newer members, due to Governor Patrick’s disdain of police officers/ can even attain
the 50% benefit which still exists. Higher education is certainly not worth seeking or
attaining for police officers, as there is little financial incentive to do so, what with the
high cost of tuition, loss of detail or overtime income, time spent away from family,
travel to school, etc., etc.)
One issue the arbitrator will be asked to consider will be that of parity with Boston
firefighters. As it currently stands, a Boston firefighter, similarly-situated in terms of
longevity, makes about $16,000 more than a Boston Police Officer. There is no credible
excuse or explanation from City officials why this situation should exist. A firefighter’s
job is equally as dangerous as a police officer’s, although the working conditions are
far different, as we all know. Regardless, the pay differential is disgraceful, and the
BPPA bargaining committee will ask the arbitrator to seriously consider this disparity
and consider an appropriate remedy.
The membership should be aware that simply because the first meeting with the
appointed arbitrator is Nov. 12th, do not expect a resolution anytime soon. Arbitration
is a frustrating procedure that often moves along at a snail’s pace. The arbitrator will
hold meetings with the city and the union to certify the issues, and then another meeting to set the rules for arguments, and then another meeting about… well, you’ve all
been to court, so you get the picture.
It is not expected that any actual contract will be resolved until next spring (2013)
at the earliest and then of course, whatever the arbitrator’s decision, it will be submitted to the city council for approval of the funding (and that’s where the political
games begin). But after 2-1/2 years of fruitless bargaining with the City, the BPPA is
left with no choice but to proceed with arbitration. The disparity between police and
firefighters is simply too great, and grossly unfair.
We ask for your patience and understanding even at this frustrating time, consuming arbitration process plods along. Arbitration has been described as a “crap shoot”:
sometimes you can win, sometimes you can lose. Unfortunately, it is the only process
we are left with to pursue...
T
A few thoughts by the Union
Secretary concerning the
recent attack on the PAX
D
ue to the recent war of words between Union News and current events directed at
an Academic, Activist and Scientist: (Bil and to members of the Boston Police DepartLewis), and the editor of the ‘PAX CENTU- ment. In addition to bi-monthly updates by
RION’, (James Carnell), we at the BPPA the Union Leadership, we also print informaand our Newsletter, the ‘PAX CENTURION’, tion of interest to Military Veterans, State
have recently been subjected to a full-fledged House News and Updates along with some
social media attack. Bil appears to be a well- whimsical stories and or internet chatter.
liked, respected and followed individual.
In addition to those articles, some of the
It would appear that a
few of his ‘followers’, felt
The ‘PAX CENTURION’ is a Union
it necessary to attack us in
defense of him. (Personally newsletter intended to pass along
speaking, I think Bil was Union News and current events
holding his own against directed at and to members of the
Jimmy and didn’t need any
Boston Police Department. In addition
assistance, but that’s just
one man’s opinion). Some to bi-monthly information of interest
of these people consist of to Military Veterans, State House
other Activists, Bloggers News and Updates, along with some
and Twitter Fans, that have whimsical stories and internet chatter.
created a chorus of accusations including, but not
limited to: “sexist, racist, homophobic”, etc. editorial comment and stories are written by
etc. etc… in regards to the Newsletter and our editor: James Carnell, a City of Boston
some of our membership.
Police Officer of approximately thirty years.
Admittedly, there have been some ques- There is no question or doubt that Jimmy
tionable comments or what some would have is opinionated, (but aren’t we all, to some
considered jokes in poor taste, printed within extent?). However, his opinions are exactly
the pages of the ‘PAX’ over the years.
that, opinions.
However, I would like to point out to our
This publication, like most, attempts to
detractors, that the ‘PAX CENTURION’ is fill the pages. Sometimes, items can and do
(continued on page A7)
a Union Newsletter intended to pass along
The advertisers of the Pax Centurion do not
necessarily endorse the opinions of the Pax
Centurion/Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association.
The advertisers are in support of the BPPA
Scholarship Fund and every patrolmen who
risks his or her life to protect and serve the
community.
PAX
CENTURION
From the President:
Nation’s First Police Department
Unity & Strength
Boston Emergency Medical Technicians
9.11 Shetland Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02119
Phone: 617.989.BPPA (2772)
Fax: 617.989.2779
www.bppa.org
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
POLICE ORGANIZATIONS
Union Printworks
Volume 42, No. 4 • Readership 125,000 • September/October 2012
BOARD OF EDITORS
James Carnell, Managing Editor
Thomas J. Nee, President
Ronald MacGillivray, Vice President
Patrick M. Rose, Secretary
David Fitzgerald, Treasurer
Mark Bruno, Pat Rose,
Assistant Managing Editors
EMS Officers
James Orsino, President
John Bilotas, Secretary
Robert Morley, Vice President
Anthony O’Brien, Treasurer
Len Shubitowski, Chief Steward
BPPA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AREA A
AREA B
AREA C
Brian Reaney • John Bates
Jimmy Carnell • Michael Leary
William Cullinane • Bob Luongo
Richard Estrella • Matthew Carey
Patrick McDonough
David Fitzgerald • Mike Holden
Steve Parham • Vinnie Stephens
Dan MacIsaac • Joe Brown
Mark Bruno • Chuck Kelley
Robert Young • Paul Chevrette
Sean Sullivan • Jimmy LaCroix
AREA D
Robert Butler • Dennis Murphy
Greg Lynch • Tom Barrett
Christopher Broderick
Tom O’Donnell
M.O.P.
AREA E
Paul Nee • Lawrence Calderone
Gerald Rautenberg
Arthur McCarthy • Angel Figueroa
James Morrissey • Chris Morgan
Daniel Byrne
Daphney Orion
RADIO SHOP
John Kundy
AREA F
IDENT. UNIT • Michael Griffin
DRUG UNIT • Paul Quinn
YVSF • Emanuel Canuto
Robert Griffin
BUILDING SECURITY
John Conway • Curtis Carroll
Horace Kincade
E.S.U.
Otis Harewood
Larry Johnson
HARBOR
ACADEMY / RANGE
EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT
Jeff Tobin
William Shaw
Robert Colburn
Mike Murphy • John Rogers
Kevin Ford
HEADQUARTERS
PAID DETAILS
RETIRED PATROLMEN’S DIV.
Winston DeLeon
Joseph Ruka
Billy Flippin
K.9
Hector Cabrera • Francis Deary
MASTER AT ARMS
BPPA COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
AWARDS
Bob Butler • Gerald Rautenberg • Pat Rose
GRIEVANCE
Bob Butler • Jim Carnell • Brian Reaney
Mike Leary • Tom Pratt • Dave Fitzgerald
BUILDING
Tom Nee
BARGAINING
Tom Nee • Ron MacGillivray • Michael Leary
Chris Broderick • Larry Calderone
LEGISLATIVE
Jim Barry
MassPULL
Jim Barry
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Jim Barry
PAX CENTURION
Jim Carnell • Mark Bruno • Pat Rose
BYLAWS
Tom Nee
HEALTH and SAFETY / LABOR MANAGEMENT
John Kundy
ELECTIONS
James LaCroix
EDUCATION
Tom Nee
DETAILS / OVERTIME
Patrick Rose
TO ADVERTISE IN THE PAX CENTURION
Contact Director of Advertising Sponsorships Marie Richards at:
617.989.BPPA (2772) • Fax: 617.989.2779 • email: mrichards@bppa.org
Thomas J. Nee
The view from here
I
n the last edition of the Pax Centurion, I Bill compensation
reported that while in our third year without that has been lost and
a new successor Collective Bargaining Agree- in some cases terminated by the Commonment, the BPPA Bargaining Committee has wealth of Massachusetts several years ago.
I’m not a rocket scientist, but I do know
been left with no choice but to petition Commonwealth of Mass. Joint Labor Manage- that’s not going to be embraced by the memment Committee (JLMC) to bring resolution bership and is not worthy of their considerto this long-standing dispute. Unfortunately ation. We’ve seen the City’s financial books;
the ability to pay is not a good argument.
it’s the only option available to us!
Again, seeking a resolution through the
These precedings are lengthy, challenging,
sometimes political and above all else diffi- JLMC and an Interest Arbitrator wasn’t the
cult when predicting an outcome. Central in desired course of action by the Bargaining
Committee; unthe dispute is pay
fortunately it’s
parity between Prior to the petition of the
the only course
the police and
we are left to
fire public safety JLMC and in a recent session
between the City and the BPPA
pursue given the
groups.
fact pattern and
There is no Bargaining Committee, we (the
management
secret here! Prior
BPPA) attempted to discuss
attitude we’ve
to the petition of
been working
the JLMC and yet again the outstanding
with.
in a recent ses- differences between police
Over the
sion between and fire pensionable income
course of the
the City and the
summer we’ve
BPPA Bargain- the City of Boston team
gone through all
ing Committee, refused to define wage parity
the procedural
we (the BPPA) or discuss pensionable wage
and adminisattempted to distrative requirecuss yet again parity between police and fire,
ments of the
the outstanding responding only to say that
JLMC and the
differences be- they (the City) consider base
statutory protween police and
pay, details and overtime to be
cess.
fire pensionable
We are now
income the City part of a police officer’s wage
scheduled to
of Boston team compensation package.
refused to define That is not a credible excuse, nor meet with the
I n t e r e s t A rwage parity or
bitrator and
discuss pension- a reasonable explanation from
commence the
able wage parity the City of Boston or its agents.
actual interest
between police
and fire, responding only to say that they (the arbitration on November 12, 2012 and subCity) consider base pay, details and overtime sequent dates yet determined. If it follows a
to be part of a police officer’s wage compen- normal process it should take several months
to conclude.
sation package.
To our membership, as I indicated earlier,
That is not a credible excuse, nor a reasonable explanation from the City of Boston or please don’t expect this process to conclude
its agents. I personally don’t have a monopoly in anytime soon. Interest Arbitration is a very
on wisdom, but I do know that working con- lengthy, time consuming and frustrating proditions are far different and the pensionable cedure that in the end does “not” allow for a
income differences are disgraceful, morally membership vote of acceptance.
The State Law requires that it only be sent
wrong and fundamentally unfair. The ability
of our members to work supplemental hours to the Boston City Council for the approval of
in their chosen profession on behalf of the the funding. We ask for your patience and ask
City of Boston for non-pensionable income that you continue to support your Bargaining
Committee in their efforts to reconcile this
is a base wage benefit?
Their excuse is ridiculous and just doesn’t issue on behalf of the members, fairly and
justly.
add up! What the City has offered
As always, please be safe
to your Bargaining Comout there and keep each
mittee to this point, over a
other’s back, these days,
six year period doesn’t
seems that’s all we can
even reconcile the
rely on.
loss of the Quinn
EDITORIAL POLICY
1.Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association.
2.No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited material.
3.Letters or articles submitted shall be limited to 350 words and must be accompanied by the writer’s name,
but may be reprinted without name or address at writer’s request.
4.Freedom of expression is recognized within the bounds of good taste and the limits of available space.
5.The BPPA reserves the right to edit submission and/or include editor’s notes to any submitted materials.
6.The deadline for printed materials for the next issue is NOVEMBER 30, 2012.
7.Any article printed in this issue may be reprinted in future issues.
BOSTON POLICE PATROLMEN’S ASSOCIATION
Tel.: 617.989.BPPA (2772) • Fax: 617.989.2779
Office Personnel: Annie Parolin • Annmarie Daly
Page A2 • PAX CENTURION • September/October 2012
617-989-BPPA (2772)
Message from the Vice President:
Ronald MacGillivray
Preparing for the inevitable
R
ecently, the Joint Labor Management
Committee (JLMC) agreed to exercise
jurisdiction over our contract dispute. We are
entering real time with the conclusion of the
mediation process and the beginning of fact.
finding to support the demands that will be
made at interest arbitration. Past wants that
the city has appropriated for comparable
bargaining units can give strong motivation
for an arbitrator to support similarly going
forward.
Most recently, the firefighters were
extremely successful in convincing an
arbitrator to agree with their arguments
in comparing and contrasting firefighters
benefits with the patrol force. Hopefully
we will have a likeminded determiner of
the facts. The last year of the fire contract
would be a good starting point where their
contract opened up twice allowing a 5th year
firefighter to receive an additional 2% above
the city’s agreed upon base wage increase of
4% for a total of 6%. Granted it was back.
end loaded but it shows the cause and effect
of a side letter of agreement, aka the T.Cap
(Transitional Career Awards Program) over
the course of time (since 1987). The T.Cap
has averaged an additional 1 percent for a
5th year firefighter every time their contract
has opened following the resolution of a
police contract.
Specifics concerning comparable jurisdictions surrounding the City of Boston and
how settlements and arbitration decisions
are trending will play a role. But the greatest
influence or sway will come from the Firefighter’s settlement barring our Detectives
(BPDBS) or Superiors (BPSOF) entering
into an agreement or going to arbitration
before us. The fire demographics jump off
the charts in comparison with the police.
Preparing total compensation charts on
sample employees should pose interesting
comparisons regarding schedules, work load,
productivity analysis, wages, allotted annual
sick time, sick leave conversion and initial
treatment of IOD personnel. An Arbitrator has been agreed upon and a meeting is
scheduled for November 12th with all parties
to discuss dates and all relevant issues going
forward.
William O. Ash
Outstanding BPPA representative
passed away 7-14-12
By Jim Carnell, Pax Editor
OST OF OUR CURRENT MEMBERS probably did not know
retired Sgt. William O. Ash, who passed
away on July 14th, 2012. It would be wise,
however, for all of our members to understand what a truly great
man actually is, for Billy
Ash, union representative
from District 11, was one
of the best.
Bill Ash stood up to
the politically.appointed
Police Commissioners
and Superintendents
when it was truly dangerous to do so. Whether
it was Commissioner
Robert DiGrazia during the tumultuous years
of school busing or Commissioner Joe
Jordan’s reign during the 80’s, Bill Ash
stood up publicly and confronted them all.
Bill was not a physically imposing man,
in fact, he was short and slightly built.
But I remember him from my first days
as a union rep from District B.2 in the
mid.80’s. He was, in a word, fearless. For
years, management played games with
him, keeping promotional opportunities
away from him out of political spite. Billy
Ash fought them tooth and nail, filing
grievance after grievance, lawsuit after
lawsuit, until they finally couldn’t refuse
him promotion to Sergeant.
M
www.bppa.org
But Billy also fought the powers that
existed at that time in the BPPA. I remember him railing at union meetings about
extravagant legal expenses or perceived
abuses of power/authority. He wasn’t “the
most popular girl at the dance,” and many
a “go.along.to.get along”
representative shunned
him, considering him
a pariah. But to me, he
was the epitome of what
a union representative
should be.
As a Sergeant, I
didn’t see much of him,
but I know his reputation
with the younger cops
was one of being tough
but fair. He never hurt
any police officer for
reasons of vengeance, ego or feelings of
superiority, knowing what he had gone
through as a younger officer.
Ironically, Bill Ash, my union role
model, died on July 14th. July 14th is
known in France as Bastille Day, when
citizens stormed the Bastille prison and
freed prisoners. Somehow, I think that
might be fitting: Bill Ash was, literally, “a
peasant with a pitchfork for police officers
when it wasn’t popular.” (Sorry to abuse
the “P”.) And he will be sorely missed.
Rest in Peace, William O. Ash,
BPPA union representative...
Double Jeopardy
I
n a recent arbitration, a Motion for Summary Judgment was put forward by the BPPA
prior to the City’s opening as to whether P.O.
Undrey Sanders was disciplined twice for
the same allegations constituting “double
jeopardy”. Officer Sanders received a 3 day
suspension from his Captain for having a
difference of opinion with a contractor on a
detail. Actual events are still in question. Neither contractor nor associate were available
to testify at the arbitration. Officer Sanders
appealed the 3 day suspension. Instead of an
appeal hearing, the case proceeded to IAD
for further investigation for additional fine
tuning, a common practice with a predetermined outcome…just ask Dave Williams.
This is where the officer’s account is given
no standing with the only question being how
long will the officer’s family suffer. In this
case, the Commissioner deemed 10 times the
original discipline to be reasonable because
P.O. Sanders had taken the same position as
earlier stated in his Form 26 to the Captain
that he had not done anything wrong.
No doubt under orders from the 4th floor,
IAD gave Officer Sanders the double tap and
added a “truthfulness” charge to the original
charges. One can assume for not accepting
the 3 day Captain’s suspension another 30
days were added for good measure. The
Union argued that all facts relating to the 30
day suspension were fully present when the
grievant received the 3 days. If the employer
believed the grievant’s denial of misconduct
warranted discipline, that discipline should
have been imposed from the outset.
The Department argued “when the
grievant was initially disciplined, the
conduct for what he was later disciplined
had not yet occurred” be it the internal affairs interview. On numerous occasions the
grievant was noticed (threatened) “that additional discipline could be imposed.” The
arbitrator determined that the grievant did not
engage in any new misconduct and granted
the motion for Summary Judgment. The
Department continues to fashion its findings
and sanctions based on internal motivation
as opposed to the realities and evidence in
question.
Police Commissioner’s memo 10.007
states “Should the Department determine
that an employee has been untruthful in any
report to the Department, during any sworn
testimony or in an internal investigatory
interview including interviews at Internal
Affairs and Anti.Corruption, termination
will be the presumptive disciplinary action,
consistent with just cause principles.” With
termination as the potential backdrop there
are not many individuals who can put their
livelihood in harms way. Officer Sanders
was adamant and truthful as to the events
reported at the detail. Why an officer’s account continues to be given no standing in
vetting the facts is regrettable.
Compensatory
Time-Off Usage
S
till looking for officer’s requesting to use
earned compensatory time and being
denied based on the need to hire overtime. If
affected, please contact your Rep and submit
a “26” to the Grievance Committee detailing
all relevant information as to the denial.
Unions are only as strong
as their members
By Chris Broderick, D-4
o you know what I think the problem
with Unions is these days? The Unions.
As Union members we identify ourselves
as card carrying members of “this local” or
“that association”. We point our collective
fingers at “them” for union busting when we
see “them” on their MSNBC or Fox News
televised soapbox critizing the “Damned
Unions”. We whine and pout when the
general public whines and pouts about how
Unions screw everything up in America. Occasionally, we even pat ourselves on the back
and flip off the rest of “them” when we think
we’ve had a big win because we deserved it.
On the flip side, here is what we do not do.
We do not care unless, of course, it’s us and
even then only sometimes. We do not stand
together when need to. We do not support
other Unions when we should. We do not
always rally around our own association and
our own interests when we have to.
Unions, both public and private, make
up about 12 percent of the U.S. workforce.
So why is it people hate us. A little over a
10th of the gainfully employed, the bane
D
of modern America, or so it would seem to
the vast majority of the population, belong
to Unions. Though I personally will never
know or fully understand the reason people
hate unions, I have some thoughts as to why.
One thought is; that the 12 percent are
a very much divided 12 percent. We have
public employee unions and private sector
unions. We have those that can strike and
those that cannot. There are service employees and there are mid-level managers. Some
members fight to stay above minimum wage
and there are others who belong to certain
associations that earn millions of dollars.
Unions are made up of trade unions,
public safety associations and everything in
between. The Cops think Fire is making a
killing, Fire thinks the Cops are spoiled. The
Carpenters are fighting with the Laborers
over work and the Iron Workers… well, they
hate everybody. I say this all tongue-in-cheek
(sort of). I hope you see what I mean by this.
The 12 percent can never seem to get on the
same page. This is not new.
The NFL Referee Association is not the
PAX CENTURION • September/October 2012 • Page A3
Secretary Spread:
W
Patrick M. Rose,
BPPA Secretary
A legitimate, meaningful process to
secure a new contract is underway
ell, the legitimate, meaningful process
to secure a new contract is finally under
way. After wasting the last two and one half
years in an attempt to legitimately bargain an
agreement, we have come to what’s known
as ‘Interest Arbitration’.
The committee’s first meeting with the Arbitrator is November 12th, which will lead to
many more months of waiting for a contract.
The last couple of years we, as an association, (through the efforts of our bargaining
committee), have attempted to bargain with
the City for a contract, that’s why it’s called a
‘Collective Bargaining Agreement’.
Collectively, you know what that means;
communal, combined, cooperative, joint or
united and you’re all familiar with the word
‘Bargain’; in the different editions of English
dictionaries it is referred to as : haggling,
negotiating, dealing, coming to an accord, arrangement, pact or agreement, an understanding or a contract. A ‘Collective Bargaining
Agreement’, now wouldn’t that be nice!
The sad thing is; I can’t recall a collectively
bargained agreement in well over a decade.
Most of you reading this paper today have
never even voted on a contract and guess
what; you won’t have the opportunity on this
one either.
We are now engaged in what is termed
as ‘Interest Arbitration’. Interest arbitration
is a process whereby the issues not resolved
in bargaining between the employer and the
union may be presented to an impartial arbitrator for final resolution.
Interest arbitration, is a mechanism that
can resolve a bargaining dispute. When the
employer and union negotiate to impasse
on the mandatory subject of bargaining, the
parties hire an impartial third party arbitrator.
This arbitrator conducts formal hearings in
which the parties present their positions. The
arbitrator then reviews the testimony and
supporting evidence and decides on what the
contract language should be by issuing an
arbitration award.
After the award is issued, the only thing left
to do is for the City of Boston, City Council
to vote to accept or reject based on whether
or not the City can afford the award.
In a law enforcement investigation, one of
the many things we look for is ‘Modus Operandi’. ‘Modus Operandi’ is a Latin phrase, it
is translated as; method of operation, (if I am
sounding a bit sarcastic, that’s only because I
mean to be!). A direct quote from the dictionary: “The expression is often used by Police
when discussing a crime and addressing the
methods employed by perpetrators of crime.
It is also used in criminal profiling where it
can help in finding clues to the offender’s
psychology”. Why am I discussing this? Well,
I believe it goes directly to the psyché of the
supposed ‘Bargaining’ practices by the City
of Boston. For over a generation, the City
negotiators, (now there’s an oxymoron), have
employed a tactic of delay, delay and delay
again. I am only guessing here, but the thought
process must be, let’s starve them, until they
capitulate or at the very least get them into
‘Arbitration’ and convince the Arbitrator to
forego any back pay, better known as ‘Retroactive Monies Owed’.
I have personally experienced the latter
(4) four times since January 1975. Both in
the employ of The City of Boston; The Penal
($16,087.98 a year difference!).
The Fire Fighters DESERVE EVERY
SINGLE PENNY THEY EARN and WE
DESERVE NO LESS than what a Fire
Fighter earns! Never let these figures escape
your memory.
You will hear all type of BS from the City
and others, for that matter. Those figures are
The committee’s first meeting with the Arbitrator is
November 12th, which will lead to many more months
of waiting for a contract. The last couple of years
we, as an association, (through the efforts of our
bargaining committee), have attempted to bargain
with the City for a contract, that’s why it’s called a
‘Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
Department, (no longer exists, now Suffolk
County House of Correction), and the Boston
Police Department.
The City negotiators hold out for so long
that the Union is forced to go forward begging
for relief from the Joint Labor Management
Commission. Thus we go from ‘Collective
Bargaining’ to the current ‘Collective Begging’. Without Retroactive Monies, mathematically it is the same as taking a ZERO.
Under current pension rules, one has to
show the money in their base pay for three
years to be fully counted towards retirement.
Simple enough, if you receive retroactive
monies, it is calculated into your retirement,
if you don’t, it isn’t! Example: you could be
granted a six-year deal, (or two three-year
deals depending on wording), and awarded
5%, 5%, 5%, 5%, 5%, and 5% (which, by
the way, is NEVER gonna happen, sorry I
digress), and under our current time table,
with no retro, the first 15% would be equal to
nothing, a big fat Zero for anyone planning to
retire in the near future. As a matter of fact it
would be equal to Zero for everyone for that
first three year period and you will NEVER
make it back. This I would suggest is the ‘Modus Operandi’ of the City bargaining psyche.
Let be perfectly clear, I am not on the
Union’s bargaining committee, (I was, in the
past allowed to sit in as a non-voting neutral observer, however that invitation was revoked due
to internal politics, another article for another
day), but I am knowledgeable enough to explain
what is, what it can be and what it should be!
If you are offered ‘signing bonuses’ or
any other type of ‘bonus’, remember those
DO NOT go towards retirement or base
pay. As far as facts and figures about your
base pay, ie., what can be claimed towards
retirement, I submit the following FACT: as
of June 30, 2011; a five (5)-year Boston Fire
Fighter earns $88,874.86 per year base, a (5)
year City Police Officer earns $69,228.04
per year base, (last time I checked, that’s over
$19,000 per year difference!), a twenty (20)year Boston Fire Fighter earns $89,830.82 per
year base, with OVER twenty years a City
Police Officer Earns $73,742.84 per year base,
directly from both contracts! If you end up
disabled tomorrow, then tomorrow is the day
your retirement is calculated from, not when
you actually retire. So once again, if there
is no retro, these three years that we have
been treated ‘like red headed stepchildren’
(my apologies to red heads and step children
alike, we feel your pain), equal ZERO no
matter how it’s presented! I could go on and
on, remember, it your responsibility to keep
informed and don’t be led down some flowery
path to poverty!
Speaking of keeping yourself informed, I
have recently opened up a ‘twitter’ account for
the association. The name is simple: BPPA1.
I’m asking that you all sign up for a ‘twitter’
account and follow: BPPA1. By becoming
a ‘follower’, you receive real-time updates
from me, concerning items of interest to you
and the Union. You do not have to be active
in ‘twitter’, all it requires is a computer e-mail
address and a cell phone and I’ll be able to
send messages to each and every member. It
is similar to receiving a text, it just allows me
the flexibility, as your Secretary, to communicate instantly with you to share important
updates or general information. If you have
Carole Lund R.E.
Gail DeCoste
Real Estate Agent
some information you wish to share with the
members, you would just send me a message and I would forward it to all members
if it’s warranted. Join me in entering the 21st
century, take a couple minutes out of your
day, go to: www.twitter.com and follow the
prompts, or log into our website at www.
bppa.org and press the ‘twitter’ prompt at
the bottom of the home page. If needed there
are quite a few tutorials at www.youtube.com
for the faint at heart. Seriously, you have the
right to know what’s going on and deserve
the information in a timely fashion, sign up
for a ‘twitter’ account today, it costs nothing!
I’ll be ‘tweeting’ you.
Last but certainly not least, I would like to
thank all of the members that showed up on
October 3rd for the open meeting.
The morning session was attended by quite
a few members, unfortunately we did not
achieve a quorum. However, we still held a
healthy roundtable discussion with the members that came and I believe a lot of questions
were answered. I was absolutely thrilled to
welcome enough members for the afternoon
session that we could actually hold a meeting with a quorum. A formal meeting was
conducted and minutes have been distributed.
There were quite a few pointed questions and
some robust debates concerning many topics
that were on our member’s minds. Questions
ranged from Union Policy and politics, to the
current state of negotiations to continuing
rules and regulation changes, etc.
All in all, I personally thought it was a
great meeting with a healthy exchange of
ideas. The President has promised to call
another open meeting in March of 2013, I
will notify everyone via ‘twitter’ and leave a
message on the website once a date and time
is established by him.
As always, watch each other’s back, be
careful out there, your number one duty and
responsibility is to make it home to your
family and loved ones safe and sound. A nonpolitically correct: God Bless.
Office: (781) 769-0122
Cell: (617) 407-9217
Fax: (781) 326-3776
Gail.carolelund@gmail.com
617-989-BPPA (2772)
Treasury Notes:
Duke Fitzgerald,
BPPA Treasurer
Buyer Beware
I
n today’s business there are so many venders
out there who are trying to steal our money
legally. What I mean by this is they tell us what
we want to hear hoping or knowing that we are
not educated in the field that they are selling so
they take advantage of us while telling us that
they are looking out for us. Buyer beware.
Specifically what I am referring to is our
supplement insurance. This is an area that
I have so little education in but I am trying
to bring myself up to speed. As I have been
attempting to educate myself on the topic
one thing I am confident of is that I am over
insured. I was young and dumb when I first
got on this job and now I am learning that I
am getting older but still dumb. I had thought
that so long as I took out these policies and
paid for them that if and when I got hurt I
could and would collect on them. Now I am
learning that there is a “cap” on how much
I can collect. It is not based on how much
insurance you are paying for but on how
much money you have made. The amount
of insurance has so little to do with it.
Again, when I was first on the job you
listen to the veteran officers and what they
have to say. As you want to be one of the
boys you sign up with the local vendor and
get yourself some insurance for when and if
you get hurt. Then when you sit down with
the representative of this company they are
selling you off the job insurance, if you get
cancer insurance and so much crap they you
or I just end up signing on the dotted line.
Then in six months when someone asks you
what kind of insurance you have you end up
shrugging your shoulders and admitting that
you have no idea. I just put it that I have a lot
but I don’t know what it is for.
Over the years I have signed up and currently pay Combined, Colonial, Trustmark and
Amalgated Life. Of all of these the only one that
I am sure of my exact benefits is through Amal-
stories from the guys at work about trying to collect on these policies. Different
guys have had different experiences with
each company. Some of the people say that
Colonial is the absolute best and yet others
like Combined. I am at the point where I
no longer know if Kevin Norton is still my
representative from Colonial or if he even
works for them anymore. I know Mike who
drives that red sports car is the guy from
Combined. I am pretty confident that he has
me paying for things I will never collect on.
The point is that before you give any of
these companies any of your hard earned
money you need to look in to it. I remember
in the Academy one of my instructors, Paul
Downey, when referring to the uniform
vendors made a statement telling us that
they “are all pirates”. A truer statement could
have never been made. Well the same goes
for these and all insurance companies. They
are all pirates. They want your money and
they don’t ever want you to collect on the
policies. You cannot count on the fact that
they are going to do the right thing by you.
In the end they don’t care about you, they
only want your money. You, the buyer, have
to know just how much insurance you can
collect. Nobody but you can figure that out.
If you are like me and you have a bunch of
them begin calling for copies of your policies. I hope you will have better luck then
me and getting copies of them. If you ever
do get them sit down and review them. Talk
to some of the guys and see what they think.
We all know one or two guys who know the
“claim” business better than anyone else.
Just try and make educated decisions before
giving anyone your money.
The topic of insurance is one of the most
boring topics in existence. I believe that is
why we end up getting hustled in the end. We
find ourselves so board but know that we do
need something so we just sign to shut them
up and get out of there. They usually corner
us in the guard room and before we are out
a “sudden” call sounds better than what this
guy is selling. So we say fine and sign the
dotted line and next thing our check is ten,
twelve or maybe fifteen dollars light the
next few weeks. And our mentality seems
to be no big deal right? But over the course
of years it is a big deal. Especially if it is a
pain in the you know what to place a claim
in. Again just please try and make educated
decisions before signing. And remember,
let’s be careful out there.
tant lands to enjoy a little rest and relaxation
with or from our families. The farther we go
the better the vacation right? I am as guilty as
the next guy. My wife and I drive a Toyota
and a Honda. We have a great Panasonic
TV that I have been known to sit in front of
with a Guinness or two washed down with
a Heineken. My last family vacation was a
cruise to Bermuda and we have set our sights
on Atlantis or Aruba for the next one. Some
of this is because of perceived quality or cost.
Another reason is it is simply what is best for
us at that time. I understand that every dollar
counts and we want what we want.
Things will not change overnight. Not for
myself and my family. Not for the BPPA.
Not for American Unions. Certainly not
regarding the perception some people have
of the 12 percent of the workforce. But like
the old adage “One Day at a Time” maybe
we can slowly turn this around.
When I have to replace one of my cars
maybe I will look at Ford and Chevy a little
harder. When I decide to add a few inches
to my living room television and send that
Panasonic down to the playroom I will check
to see if they have started making TVs in
America again. I am pretty sure I won’t be
able to convince my wife to go camping in
the Grand Canyon over some Caribbean
beach but you can’t win them all. Maybe if
every Union member gave a little more consideration to “American Made” and “Union
Made”, just a little, we can make ourselves
just slightly more relevant. If we are more
relevant maybe people will remember what
Union workers have done and continue to do
for this country. Maybe people will realize
we are not lazy, greedy obstructionists but
we are hard working, mostly middle class
Americans trying to keep this country great
so our children’s children can enjoy it.
Maybe in the future when we drive by
those carpenters holding signs for fairer
wages and benefits or Verizon workers on the
line to protect what they have been promised
we’ll beep our horns. When our children ask
us why we honked we can tell them a little
about the history of Union in America and
what good things they have done for our
families, our city, our Country. Maybe the
next time there is a righteous labor dispute,
Union Members will pick up the phone or
hit the computer to let the management side
know how we feel. It’s only 5 minutes out
of our lives but may be part of providing a
better life for our Union brothers’ or sisters’
families. I know it’s not at all likely that every
member of that 12 percent would call but I
wonder what kind of attention 18 million
plus calls would get. I bet 180,000 would get
quite a bit, and that is barely over 1 percent
of the Union workforce.
I can only promise you this, when I do
get that new TV, no matter where it is made,
even if I pick it up in a brand new Nissan, the
first thing I will do is crack a Coors Light and
watch an American Football Game.
I am learning that there is a “cap” on how much I can
collect. It is not based on how much insurance you are
paying for but on how much money you have made.
The amount of insurance has so little to do with it.
gated Life and that is only because I assisted in
bringing them on board. Now that being stated,
they are only for life insurance and not the real
subject of this piece.
In an effort to try and steer the ship I am
on, making an effort to get copies of my
policies has been a whole different task. I
get the feeling that these companies know
they are stealing my money and now don’t
want me to figure it out. I feel like they are
hoping I will get bored and tired of trying
and eventually stop asking for copies. That
is something I will not stop doing.
Then of course you start to hear horror
Unions are only as strong as their members…
(continued from page A3)
first group to call a call a strike with little
or no support. I do wonder what the NFL
would have done if, during Week 1 of the
season, Union plumbers, electricians, carpenters, or heavy equipment operators, or
cops, nurses or firemen decided to skip the
game and watch Sunday Baseball in each of
our respective cities. I bet the 200 and 300
sections would have been pretty barren and
Nike and Bud would not have been happy
with the ratings. I read somewhere that the
NFL Commissioners’ Office received over
70,000 phone calls after the Green Bay/
Carolina game. Two days later, the deal was
done, a collectively bargained deal. The NFL
Players’ Association should have and could
“At the core of liberalism is the
spoiled child – miserable, as all
spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding,
ill-disciplined,
despotic and
useless.
Liberalism is a
philosophy of
sniveling brats.”
– PJ O’Rourke
www.bppa.org
have done more.
In 1981, The Air Traffic Controllers
were on strike. President Reagan, after
a warning, fired them. Not because they
wanted to collectively bargain a contract,
but because a government employee strike
was deemed illegal. Do you know how the
other Unions reacted, particularly those
in the airline industry? Let’s just say the
word “UNITY” does not come to mind.
I can only wonder what kind of pressure
PanAm or American would have applied if
the pilots, stewardesses, baggage handlers,
and mechanics decided they couldn’t cross
their brothers’ and sisters’ lines. As another
example let us never forget a certain strike
in our own fair city that began at evening
roll call on September 9, 1919. I was not
there and some of you may have been but
history tells us that other than a handful of
1919 Metropolitan Police Officers refusing to be “scabs” and some fiscal support
from the Carmen’s Union, the support our
predecessors received was stagnant at best.
This all being said, if we cannot support
and respect each other why would we think
anyone else should or even would?
Another thought I had was that we’ve
stopped being a “Made in America” kind of
country. I know it’s because we look for the
best deal when shopping for a new television.
We look at the most reliable history reports
and favorable reviews when we are looking
for a new car. We plan our trips abroad to dis-
Representing and providing counsel to members of the Boston
Police Patrolmen’s Association since 1993 regarding critical
incidents, criminal and departmental investigations, and civil
rights matters.
Many members have also sought our guidance and
representation in a wide variety of matters, particularly
personal injury claims on behalf of injured officers and/or their
family and friends. We also provide representation in criminal
and civil litigation, real estate and estate planning. We invite
you to learn more about Byrne & Drechsler, LLP by visiting our
website – ByrneDrechsler.com
JAMES E. BYRNE THOMAS DRECHSLER
KENNETH H. ANDERSON • RICHARD P. MAZZOCCA • ERIC S. GOLDMAN
JONATHAN E. TOBIN • JOSEPH A. MERLINO
50 Redfield Street, Boston, MA 02122
(617) 265.3900 • Fax (617) 265.3627
617-989-BPPA (2772)
A few thoughts by the Union Secretary concerning the recent attack on the PAX…
slip by that may be considered offensive or
in poor taste.
The corporations, companies and individuals that advertise in the ‘PAX CENTURION’ do so, to support a ‘Family Scholarship Program’ for the EMT’s and Boston
Police Patrol Officers, who are members of
the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association,
Inc. In exchange for their generous donations
we run advertising to support their respective
products. The advertisers do not endorse
the writings of any of our writers including
our editor.
The point I’m getting at is simply this,
the ‘PAX CENTURION’ will continue to
be published with or without financial support from outside vendors. Attacking the
source of our ‘Family Scholarship Fund’
or our ‘Charity Fund’, by threatening an
individual or business that advertises in
the ‘PAX’ will not stop the publication
and only cause more financial hardship
on an already financially overburdened
Patrolman or EMT and their family, not to
mention the recipients of our donations. As
an activist, a blogger or a Twitter Fan, if your
object is to change the editorial comment
within the PAX, I welcome all comments
and am more than willing to consider and
even print any point of view. As a member
of the Union leadership, I take everyone’s
comments and constructive criticism seriously. If the object of the TWEETS, Message Boards and BLOGS, etc…, were to
somehow vent against the Police or punish
Police Families then by all means continue
with your rants and raves. But, you and I
know that only makes you out to be what
you accuse others of.
There has been quite a few suggestions or
outright allegations made by certain media
outlets and bloggers questioning the ‘PAX’
revenue stream. Furthermore, some actually
question our commitment to our community.
For the record, I would like to point out to
those that question the ‘PAX’ revenue stream
the following facts: Like many businesses,
we at the BPPA had previously subcontracted the business of soliciting donations and or
advertisement for the ‘PAX Centurion’.
Approximately two years ago, members of
the BPPA leadership were made aware of
activities by our then contracted advertising
agency: Commonwealth Productions. Based
on information received, we investigated
and became aware that Commonwealth was
in violation of their contract with us. After
consultation with our Law Firm, we made
the decision to terminate our contract with
Commonwealth Productions and severed
ties with them and their employees. In our
ongoing effort to professionalize the newsletter and recognizing that we are a Police Association, we immediately set out to search
for a company or individual that we would
allow to properly represent this organization,
in regards to advertisement in the ‘PAX’ and
or fundraising. It was ultimately decided to
hire an individual, with what we considered,
impeccable credentials who happened to be
a long-time employee of the Boston Globe
Advertising Section. This woman, who we
www.bppa.org
believe to be a consummate professional,
was hired and is employed by us as our
‘Director of Advertising’.
Please understand that this organization
is not in the habit of ‘going public’ with our
achievements, accomplishments, involvements or donations. However, based on the
scurrilous accusations by certain individuals
and one media outlet in particular, I feel
compelled to share some information con-
All for One Basketball, Autism Society
of Boston, Boy Scouts of America, Boston Bulldogs Basketball Program, Boston
Sharks Basketball, Boston Latin Girls Crew,
BPD Women’s Fund, Boston Showstoppers
Basketball Program, Boston Latin Cheer
Leading Program, BPD Victims of Homicide
Family Fund, Cops For Kids With Cancer,
Cedar Grove Baseball, Christmas in the
South End, Christmas in Charlestown, the
The point I’m getting at is simply this, the “PAX CENTURION”
will continue to be published with or without financial
support from outside vendors. Attacking the source of
our ‘Family Scholarship Fund’ or our ‘Charity Fund,” by
threatening an individual or business that advertises in the
“PAX” will not stop the publication and only cause more
financial hardship on an already financially overburdened
Patrolman or EMT and their family, not to mention the
recipients of our donations.
cerning our donations to organizations and
families alike. Let me state publically, that
this organization has documented donations
of hundreds of thousands of dollars!
When it was realized that the ‘War on Terror’ would require a protracted involvement
by Reservist and National Guardsmen and
Women, this organization stepped up and
made a commitment to assist those Men and
Women, along with their affected families,
by committing to assist them financially.
Without fanfare, public advertisement or
seeking to reap societal approval, we at the
BPPA established a fund that has, to date;
donated $288,850.00 to those families, who
happen to come from every neighborhood
within our City.
Children’s Dance Group, Community Resources for Justice, Camp Fatima, Dorchester Youth Hockey, Dorchester Youth Street
Hockey, Dorchester Lacrosse, Dorchester
Youth Soccer under 14 Program, Dorchester
Bandits Football, Dorchester POP Warner,
Dorchester Boxing, East Coast School of
Martial Arts - Mattapan, East Boston Hockey, East Boston Basketball, Emerald Society,
FOG (Friends Of children with Genetic
disorders), Girl Scouts of America, Gentlemen’s Gym Boxing Club, Go Kids Boston,
Grove Hall Main Streets, Fallen Heroes
Fund, Hyde Park Youth Baseball, Hyde Park
Youth Hockey, Italian American Club, Irish
Heritage Foundation, Junior Bruins Organization, Jamaica Plain Melvia Wright Pat-
The corporations, companies and individuals that
advertise in the ‘PAX CENTURION’ do so, to support a
‘Family Scholarship Program’ for the EMT’s and Boston
Police Patrol Officers, who are members of the Boston
Police Patrolmen’s Association, Inc. in exchange for their
generous donations we run advertising to support their
respective products. The advertisers do not endorse the
writings of any of our writers, including our editor.
Insofar as involvement; our members are
the coaches and mentors to the children of
every neighborhood within this City. Recognizing the need for stabilization within
children’s lives and youth at risk, our members step up to the plate on a daily basis. In
addition to our off duty involvement, we have
answered the call for financial support from
every neighborhood within our City. Again,
without fanfare or public advertisement, in
the past 18 months alone, we have donated
over $103,755.00 to Community Groups,
Youth Sports, Schools and various organized
events in each and every neighborhood of
our City. Below is an abbreviated list of
such groups and organizations, just so you
get the picture:
terson Scholarship Fund, Jamaica Plain Tree
of Life Fund, Junior Police Academy, Leahy
Education Fund of Dorchester, Lewenburg/
Lena Park Double Dutch Club, Local Heroes, Mattapan Mildred Ave. Swim Team,
Mass. Hispanic LEA, National League of
Families - Boston Chapter, Parkway Little
League, Parkway Youth Baseball - West
Roxbury, Parkway Youth Baseball - Hyde
Park, Parkway Football, Parkway Club Hyde Park, Pop Warner in every neighborhood in Boston, Roxbury Boys & Girls Club,
ROW Boston, South Boston Boys & Girls
Club, South Boston Football, South Boston
Hockey, St. Ann’s Color Guard, CYO &
Parent’s Groups, Soul Sister Foundation,
etc., etc., etc. … The ‘tip’ of the iceberg, a
small sampling in alphabetical order, But I
can assure you that the list goes on and on.
Virtually every neighborhood within our
City benefits financially from the BPPA
membership and the revenues generated by
the ‘PAX Centurion’.
In addition to the aforementioned donations that we give annually, we are
corporate sponsors to The Museum of
Science, The Children’s Museum, The
Aquarium and The Franklin Park Zoo, to
name a few. Those sponsorships are used
to provide tickets to individuals and group
access, (gratis), amount to approximately
$40,000.00 annually. Those tickets are
handed out by our membership to families
across our City.
We are also involved in donating to various charities and fund raising events across
our City; such as road races, scholarships,
at risk groups, medical research groups, and
both public and private schools, (again to
name a few).
Needless to say, we as an organization
and individual members are VERY involved
with every neighborhood community within
our City and we would challenge any organization, group, or corporation for that
matter to be as equally involved. If they
were, it would definitely make for a better world. Our members come from every
neighborhood within our City and many of
us continue to live here with our children
and grandchildren. Writing this is somewhat
embarrassing, however I would not be representing our members very well if I allowed
an unanswered attack upon our publishing’s
and our members. I felt it necessary to point
out to all, just a little bit of whom we really
are and what we really represent and that is
Community!
With the aforesaid, does that excuse what
was in the past? No, but until recently I don’t
believe many of us considered our newsletter an opinion-making, shaping or changing
publication. We are now very conscious of
the fact that our newsletter is read by many
others. With that in mind, please believe that
I, along with the other members of the Union
Leadership have taken a very serious look at
all that has been said of the ‘PAX CENTURION’ and will address any and all issues
that we feel are just. Be assured that we, at
the BPPA, take our responsibilities seriously
and I can promise that going forward, we
will ensure proper oversight of our Union
publications.
Fraternally,
Patrick M. Rose
Secretary, BPPA
Legal Notes:Kenneth H. Anderson, Esq.
Byrne & Drechsler, L.L.P., Counsel to Members of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association
Car stops, exit orders, and your safety
D
ictionary.com defines a Monday morning quarterback as “a person who
criticizes the actions or decisions of others after the fact, using hindsight to assess
situations and specify alternative solutions.”
With football season upon us, we all must
acknowledge that we are routinely guilty of
such actions. It is easy for us to complain that
a quarterback scrambling for his life with 300
pound defensive linemen charging at him
should have seen the open receiver to his left
when, instead, he threw the ball to his right to
the receiver who was closely covered. When
we make such criticisms, we are in no danger
ourselves of being decapitated by the very
real 300 pound linemen who were breathing
down the quarterback’s neck. We are not at
risk of being injured or maimed when we
criticize the actions of the quarterback. Without trying to be critical of our court system,
this analogy is not far from the truth when it
comes to judges deciding -- without having
been there -- whether split-second decisions
you make while working in very dangerous
places with and dealing with very dangerous
people are legal. The judge second-guessing
your actions did not experience the same
adrenaline rush you did after pursuing a car
or running after a suspect, and thus they truly
are Monday morning quarterbacks.
On August 16, 2012, the Massachusetts
Appeals Court rendered a decision in the
case of Commonwealth v. Jeromie Johnson,
82 Mass. App. Ct. 336 (2012). As framed in
the first sentence of the decision, “the issue
presented is whether a protective sweep of
an automobile for weapons was justified in
the instant case.” The case centered around
a stop made by two Boston police officers
and a state trooper in Roxbury in April of
2009. The stop and subsequent frisk of the
vehicle resulted in the driver of the vehicle
being charged with, and convicted of, third
offense possession of a firearm. A judge in
the Superior Court ruled that the officers’
frisk of the vehicle was appropriate. The
sole issue on appeal was whether or not
the protective sweep of the vehicle was
based on reasonable fears for the safety of
the officers or others. Disagreeing with the
Superior Court judge, the Massachusetts
Appeals Court found it was not. A factor or
two could have been added to the equation
that would have swayed the court to affirm
the conviction, although saying so would
be Monday morning quarterbacking on
my part. Your job is not easy and I do not
pretend that I could do it. From my office
chair behind a desk, all I can do is give
support and advice.
The facts of the stop were straight forward: Officers saw a car fail to stop for a red
light and then make an illegal turn without
signaling. Through their cruiser computer,
they learned a female with a valid license and
registration owned the vehicle. They stopped
the car solely based on the traffic violations.
The court noted that the stop occurred “in a
high-crime area of the Roxbury section of
Boston.” The decision does not state what
time of day the stop took place or if it was
light or dark outside.
The male operator was visibly nervous
upon the officer’s approach. His hands were
shaking. He fumbled with his wallet as he
retrieved his license. The driver did not
make eye contact with the officer, although
he kept his hands in sight and did not make
any gestures. The female passenger turned
out to be the owner of the vehicle. She too
was nervous, did not maintain eye contact
with the officers, and “breathed heavily and
shallowly.” She claimed to be the operator’s
cousin, stating that she ran a hair salon and
that her cousin had been in possession of her
vehicle all day.
One of the officers ran the operator for
warrants and learned he had an outstanding
warrant for speeding and unauthorized use of
a motor vehicle. He was asked to step out of
the car based on the warrant. He claimed to
have a recall slip on his person. He did have
other recall papers, but not for the warrant
in question. Although he was nervous and
upset, the operator did not yell at or threaten
the officers.
As noted above, this was at least the
operator’s third time being arrested for possession of a firearm (although the firearm in
this case had not yet been discovered). An
important factor the court noted was that the
driver’s warrant was not for a crime of violence, stating that the “police officers had no
reason to believe that either occupant had a
history of weapons possession or dangerous
crimes.” Here, had the operator’s criminal
record been run before he was removed from
the car, the polices’ knowledge that he had
twice been convicted of carrying a firearm
may well have tipped the scale in favor of
the prosecution. From the court’s ruling, it
appears that this information was not known
at the time. If it was, no one testified about
his prior convictions.
The female passenger was nervous and
looked back and forth between the police and
her cousin. Based upon her statement that her
cousin had possessed the vehicle all day, and
based upon her nervousness, an officer testified that he “didn’t feel right about the whole
situation, and . . . thought it was better to . . .
have her step out of the vehicle.” Searching
the “lunge areas” of the vehicle, the officers
found a towel in the middle of the back seat
with a hard, heavy object inside. As you can
guess, this turned out to be a firearm stuffed
inside of a sock.
In ruling that the search of the vehicle was
illegal, the court noted that mere nervousness by a defendant is not enough to justify
a search of a vehicle. A protective sweep or
“pat frisk” of a car must be based upon an officer’s reasonable belief that his own safety or
that of others is in danger. This belief must be
based on “specific and articulable facts” and
not simply a hunch. Here, the court conceded
that the reasonableness of the search was a
“close question.”
Holding that the search was unlawful, the
court relied upon the fact that the occupants
kept their hands in sight, did not make any
gestures suggesting they were reaching for
or hiding weapons, and that the police outnumbered the suspects. The court further
noted that when the car was searched, the
defendant was outside of the car by the trunk
area. Most notable, however, was the court’s
statement that the arrest here -- based only
upon the outstanding warrant -- was for a
non-violent motor vehicle offense and that
“the police officers had no reason to believe
that either occupant
had a history of weapons possession or
dangerous crimes.” In stressing this point,
the court cited to several other cases where
officers knew of a suspect’s history of past
violent offenses, had received witness reports
that the passenger had a weapon, or had
a description of an operator matching a
suspect in recent violent attacks. In fact,
the appeals court noted in a footnote that
“[a]lthough the defendant’s convictions as
a subsequent offender indicates he did in
fact have such a history [of violence], there
was no evidence that the officers knew this
when they decided to search the car.” This
significant fact almost certainly tipped the
scale against the police and the prosecution for the Monday morning quarterbacks
wearing their black robes. It was easy for
them to draw this distinction as they were
not in this Roxbury neighborhood dealing
with this very dangerous person when the
gun was recovered. They probably could
not find Roxbury without a map. The officers’ instincts were one hundred percent
accurate in this situation, yet gut instincts
alone do not satisfy Monday morning quarterbacks.
Your job is surely not easy. Trust your gut
instincts, and use every tool at your disposal
to try to justify your actions. Knowing if a
person has a history of violence may keep
you safe, and it may also justify a frisk or a
search. The vast majority of stops officers are
involved in may, like this case, be a “close
question” regarding their reasonableness.
Do not make going home safely at the end
of your shift be a close call. Gather as much
information as you reasonably can before
you act, trust your instincts and your training,
and make sure you go home safely.
HEARD ON THE HILL
By James Barry, BPPA Legislative Agent
What is going on with the State
Drug Lab and what has it to do
with Governor Patrick?
overnor Deval Patrick has, for the last five years gutted the State not only looking at “Dookhan Dominos” but cases totally unrelated
G
Drug Lab’s budget. There were never any increases, just cuts. to her testing. For instance the majority of the first 19 cases set to
The batching of samples and skipping of protocols by chemist Annie appear before a special court on October 6th are not even related to
Dookhan can’t be explained away by this fact. But the facts behind
the running of this lab are for the past five years are true. These cuts
to the lab’s budget lead to ten of thousands of samples backlogged,
awaiting testing and certification for court. But the only thing the
lab saw from this administration were more cuts never a lifeline or
outside help. A problem if not paid any attention to...might just go
away. No budget for overtime, no hiring of new chemists and one
could conclude, little oversight. This problem wasn’t new, it had been
festering in front of the PatrickAdministration for years. But drugs crimes
were and still are not a big priority for Governor Patrick. Patrick’s priority
still is sentencing reform and overhauling CORI. He actually spoke to
the press about his soon after the Dookhan news broke.
The “special courts” now set-up to deal with this nightmare are
“rogue chemist” Annie Dookhan. Defense attorney Tracy Dudevoir
contended otherwise, “I think they should all be released,” said Dudevoir, before court started. The Supreme Judicial Court told reporters
on October 5th that a special court in the Boston Municipal Court
would hear 19 “drug lab” cases. If that’s the case then why these
cases were in court if they were not related to Dookhan.
The costs for this efforts of, new courts, special prosecutors, public
defenders or state paid private attorneys are being predicted to be
$30-50 million dollars.
Local policing priority has never been a strong suit of this administration little to no increases to local aid. When you look at the
cuts we suffered over Governor Patrick’s past term. Patrick’s dirty
617-989-BPPA (2772)
www.bppa.org
Editorial
“Doublespeak”: Orwell was right!
“Free speech is the right to tell people that two plus two equals four.”
or some strange reason, whenever engaging in literary battle with a liberal, two
scenes from Monty Python’s famous movie
“Search for the Holy Grail” pop into my
head. The first scene is from the beginning of
the movie, where people are working in the
field and a pontificating rabble-rouser starts
spouting communist dogma and making
revolutionary speeches. (Everyone working
ignores him.) The second scene involves the
“Knights who say Ni”: when Sir Gallahad
begins saying the word “it”, the knights cover
their ears and begin shrieking and wailing,
unable to bear simple words and normal
conversation.
I mention this as I think back over the last
few months since the last issue of the Pax
Centurion. As many of you know, I ended
up in a public battle with the remnants of
Occupy Boston and their allies in the media.
Unfortunately, these individuals have friends
in many high places, including our Mayor
and our Commissioner, both of whom sided
with the occupiers and called for my resignation as Pax editor. (I may be fired, but I won’t
resign – that’s for damn sure.)
Most of us, if we’ve ever read the Boston
Globe or the New York Times or the Boston
Phoenix, know that virtually all of their “reporting” is tinged with a decided left-wing
slant. It is basically liberal editorializing
masquerading as journalism. And unless
we actually get upset enough to send an opposing “letter to the editor” (which probably
won’t be printed, so why bother?), most of
us who are conservatives simply throw the
newspaper away and shake our heads at how
rational people could think that way. But not
liberals, and certainly not the remnants of the
“Occupy” movement.
F
That’s just my
opinion
By Mark A. Bruno
would like to start this article by saying I
support Jimmy Carnell and all my fellow
writers on the PAX. The recent unwarranted
attacks against the PAX and BPPA have left
me scratching my head. Since when did
expressing one’s thoughts or opinions in this
country become so scrutinized? We respect
our freedom of speech rights. Some of us
write to the left, while others write to the
right and the rest stay on the fence. Regardless, every one of us is entitled to our own
opinion. We may not like what someone has
to say, but we should respect their right to say
it. It is one of the basic foundations on which
this great nation was built on.
Ideology and political indifference has
gone on since the beginning of time. Just
because I like Italian food does not mean
everyone else has to. But really, who doesn’t
like Italian? I would like to think the writ-
I
No, these people are straight out of George
Orwell’s famous novel “1984”. In that novel,
Orwell described a future (a future that’s here
now) totalitarian society in which the ruling
elites employed a language called “newspeak”
to control the populace. Essentially, whatever
they said was the opposite of what they meant:
up meant down, left meant right, freedom
meant slavery, war meant peace, etc. By
controlling the language, the thought police
repressed the people and made them mindless, incapable of thinking critically. And so
it is with today’s liberal media. By what they
report – and don’t report – they lull people into
unconsciousness. Pay no attention to that man
behind the curtain! The economy is getting
better, despite what you know yourselves to be
true! But if a liberal disagrees with a conservative opinion, they don’t just forget it and move
on like we do. No, they try to repress whatever
they don’t agree with. They use code words
like “racist, sexist, homophobic, hate-speech,”
etc., etc., to label anything they don’t like,
thereby demonizing anyone with opinions
different than their own. They employ their
friends in the compliant press, exploit social
media, twitter, facebook, or hack computers
to assault anyone who dares to oppose their
liberal dogma.
But as you know, the Pax is not their
newspaper, it is our newspaper. Our target
audience consists solely of police officers,
our families and our supporters. We make
no bones about being biased; we are 100%
biased in favor of the street cops. (If only the
Globe and the Phoenix would admit they are
left-leaning and liberal; how refreshing that
would be!) The nature of our job requires
that we are often stifled in expressing our
opinions, even though we see the ravages
of liberalism and failed government policies
all around us every day. The Pax exists as an
outlet for our repressed opinions and observations. “Cop humor” is different than what
other people may or may not understand;
we are often cynical and flippant, as we see
and experience things every day that many
people will not experience in a lifetime.
Unfortunately, liberals cannot countenance opposing opinions. They refuse to
employ logic, reason and rational thought as
they are consumed by emotions and feelings.
They talk a good game about “tolerance” and
“inclusion,” but in fact, they are the most
intolerant and exclusive people I have ever
dealt with. If you desire to discover what
these individuals are allegedly upset about,
go to a website they established, called
“CleanupBPPA.org”. Read what they consider “offensive material”. It is nothing more
than our writer’s opinions and cop jokes that
many of us find humorous or innocuous. But
because these people have no lives, they feel
compelled to stifle other people’s right to
free speech.
Of the many quotations of George Orwell, one of my favorites was “We sleep safe
in our beds at night because rough men stand
ready to visit violence upon those who would
do us harm”. Orwell, of course, was talking
about us, the police, and most of us would
agree with that sentiment. In fact, it’s printed
on the back of a BPPA T-shirt that we’ve
sold here at the office. But in the mind of
the liberal, that quotation expresses a “police
brutality” sentiment. Perhaps the next time
they’re being mugged or their home is being
broken into, they should call a fellow liberal.
I AM A TEST!
So why is the BPD going to waste $2.5 million
making me fairer than I already am?
AM A TEST. I am many pages of paper containing numerous
questions regarding police supervision. I am stapled together and
organized. Unfortunately, a lot of people who pick me up are not.
I do not know – nor care – whether those who take me into
their hands are white, black, Hispanic, Asian, straight, gay, or
anything else. That is immaterial to me. All that those who take
me need know is the answers to the questions I pose. The way to
know the answers is simple: study hard. The editor of this article
did not study hard, and therefore, he did not receive a mark high
enough to allow for promotional opportunities. That is his fault,
and he admits it.
The editor who writes about me did not claim racism, sexism,
homophobia or favoritism of any kind because he did not receive
a mark high enough to qualify for promotion. Unfortunately, some
others do. That is because they seek to blame their own personal
shortcomings on nefarious, perceived or imagined causes. It
could not be because they did not study hard enough, now could
it?! It must be because somebody, somewhere “has it in for
me”, right? Or maybe it’s because they didn’t receive a “quality
education” like others did? Yeah, it’s presumed that some of us
had the “luxury” of attending private or parochial schools that
our parents sacrificed thousands of dollars to pay for our tuition,
while others languished in the Boston Public Schools. Funny,
isn’t it? Many who complain most loudly about “the unfair test”
attended outstanding private or public schools in the suburbs . I
know you. I know where you went to school. And I know that you
are phonies who are pushing your own personal, political agenda.
Unfortunately, many in our police department , as soon as
they are accused of specious, false and contrived allegations of
any form of bias, will cave in to those making the false allegations and cower under their desks. They have agreed to succumb
to pressure from special interest groups with political agendas
and are prepared to spend $2.5 million to transform me into an
I
abortion of an exam which is designed to do the exact opposite
of what they pretend to want: fairness. I, the written test, will
be downplayed and/or ignored, in favor of a subjective verbal
interview conducted by persons who have already been given
their marching orders from politically-correct headquarters. If
you did well on the written test, but are not the preferred person,
you will not do well on the subjective verbal interview (surprise,
surprise!). If you did not do well on the written test, and happen
to be a preferred person, then you will find yourself acing the
subjective portion of the verbal interview. (It happened before
on the so-called “Mickey-points” (former PC Mickey Roache)
test.) That much has already been pre-determined, no matter how
much the department will deny it.
Liberals despise me because I offer equality of opportunity,
while they demand equality of results. Again, I’m a test, made of
paper and questions printed in black and white. I don’t see color, I
simply need you to select the correct answers from the questions
I pose and then you, too, will qualify for promotion, if that’s what
you want. Many of all races and ethnicities and backgrounds have
already taken me and passed me, successfully and without complaint. When I see a former Deputy Superintendent – (quoted in
the Boston Globe 4/2/12, author Matt Rocheleau) – who is “retired
after 24 years of service” whining about alleged discrimination
when she led a charmed existence during her grueling 24 years,
I get a little discouraged. Some cops work the streets for 35 or 40
years and upon retirement, might get a coffee cup and a T-shirt
from the Commissioner, if they’re lucky (NOTE from Editor: keep
it Commish, don’t want or need it…). Others sit behind a desk
pushing papers bedecked with gold stars they never earned and
titles the department manufactured for them and then retire after
24 years complaining about victimhood. It gets a little tiresome…
But then again, $2.5 million is, to most of us, a lot of money
to spread around. Imagine how many people we can “influence”
with that kind of dough…
617-989-BPPA (2772)
Labor Notes:Jun X. Lim, BPPA Labor Counsel
Sandulli Grace, P.C., Counsel to Members of
the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association
Judge strikes
parts of Wisconsin
Collective Bargaining Law
A
circuit court judge in Wisconsin
struck down parts of the controversial law curbing collective bargaining
rights on September 14, 2012. The law
spurred controversy since its inception.
All of Wisconsin’s Democratic senators
boycotted a vote on the bill by fleeing the
state. After the bill was passed, protests
erupted in Wisconsin and around the
country and several other lawsuits have
been filed concerning other portions of
the legislation. In June 2012, Governor
Scott Walker survived a recall election, an
initiative backed by labor unions.
The law, Wisconsin Acts 10 and 32,
which was passed by the Legislature in
March 2011, limited collective bargaining
to wages only and further imposed a restriction that collectively bargained wage
increases could not exceed the inflation
rate. Furthermore, the law prohibited collective “fair share” agreements in which
all bargaining unit members pay a proportionate share toward collective bargaining; and imposed stringent certification
requirements, among other restrictions.
In Madison Teachers Inc., et al. v. Scott
Walker, et al., Dane County Circuit Court
Judge Juan Colas held that the law violates
both the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.
The case posits that although the law
does not outright restrict the freedom of
speech or association, two constitutionally
protected rights, the law burdens the exercise of those rights. For example, since
the employees who choose to become
members of the union are restricted from
bargaining wages and further limited to
how much they can seek, and those who
do not join unions are not restricted, the
law effectively burdens exercise of those
constitutional protections by rewarding
those who give up their free speech and
freedom of association rights. As such, the
law also infringes upon the constitution’s
equal protection clause by creating two
classes of similarly situated employees
(members and non-members of the union)
who are treated differently and unequally.
The decision also invalidates the portion
of the law that prohibits the City of Milwaukee from paying employees’ share of
contributions to the City of Milwaukee
Employee Retirement System.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs are a teachers’
union and municipal employees’ unions as
well as members of those unions; the defendants are Governor Scott Walker, who
spearheaded the law six weeks after he
took office, and the three members of the
Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. Since the decision was issued,
public-sector unions have been trying to
bargain new contracts in case the decision
gets overturned. The case is now pending
before the Wisconsin appeals court.
That’s just my opinion…
ers on the PAX have always shown fairness
and tolerance toward those who have found
indifference toward some of the opinions expressed. I have never heard of anyone being
turned down in regards to writing a rebuttal.
Our articles are not always about politics
or police matters. They may be about family, sports or other off-beat subjects. Some
are tongue-in-cheek and geared towards
our profession. It is called cop humor, and
sometimes we need a good laugh.
What has me reeling is the content of
most of these articles in question may be
less abrasive than those in the Globe or the
Herald editorial sections. God knows they’ve
printed few of the rebuttals that our writers
have sent in. What upset me was the fact that
some of our vendors withdrew their support
without verifying some of the unfounded
accusations made against our writers. First
and foremost the BPPA over the years has
given to more charities than I could mention
in this article. Between cancer, autism, and
local sports in our fair city, I would say we
have given almost a half-million dollars or
more. Some of this support is a direct result
of the support we get from these vendors.
www.bppa.org
I believe this alone should have kept these
vendors on board. I promised I would not
get negative toward the decision of these
vendors, but hope in time they will see that
the PAX is really not as bad as what these few
individuals have portrayed us as.
I have always been proud to say I am a
member of the BPPA. I have always been
grateful to be able to contribute my articles
to the PAX. Right, wrong, or indifferent, my
opinions and views have been respected by
fellow colleagues. I would never turn a deaf
ear towards anyone who thought differently
than me. When the time comes and I walk
away from this job, I will do so proudly with
my head held high, knowing my articles
were appreciated by most of those who read
them. With that being said, I will leave you
with an excerpt from former world welterweight champion Tony DeMarco: In my opinion, discussions about religion or politics just lead to confrontation.
People with differing points of view are not
right or wrong. They are just different, and
I respect this.
(Nardo, by Tony DeMarco, Marquis
Printing 2011, page 49)
When did I become a dinosaur?
You know you’re a dinosaur if…
You carried a .38 cal. revolver as a service weapon
You have a four-digit ID number
You wore a badge that read, “Patrolman”
You wore a leather uniform jacket
You wore a Summer Blouse (that was sharp…bring it back)
You wore a light blue uniform shirt
Your uniform had only one shoulder patch (If that shoulder patch had a sailboat
on it, you’re a fossil…time to move on and give a young guy a chance)
You bought any part of your uniform from “Super Jew” or “Harry the Greek”
Your hat badge had a color picture of City Hall on it
You carried mace, a 12” baton, a 24” wooden baton and sometimes a sap stick
You learned to use that baton under the “Lamb Method”
You attended the Police Academy at any location other than 85 Williams Ave.
You were once laid off
You drove a white cruiser with a single blue stripe down the side
You drove a cruiser that was a Chevy Malibu, Chevy Nova or a Ford Fairmont
You worked “Firsts and Lasts”
You worked “Short Days,” “Long Days,” and 5:30 Shifts
You reported for duty at 18:00 after attending court on your short day
You attended Roll Call at 08:30, 17:00 or 00:45
You had to sign out a portable radio
You answered radio calls under the “Nova” or “Sierra” call signs (Who’s bright
idea was that?!)
You answered radio calls on Area C under the “Charlie” call sign
You remember when “Nova Base” was “Harry Base”
You remember when Districts 7, 3, 6, 14, 18, 13 were substations and that “new”
District 13 started out as the Drug Depository
You know the locations of “Old District 1,” “Old District 15,” “Old District 3” (before it became a trailer on its current site), “Old District 11,” “Old District 6” (which
later housed the Warrant Unit and Homicide), “Old District 13,” “Old District 9”
(before it became the new District 2, which is now the old District 2) and that District
18 used to be District 5 before it was MOP Base and that the original District 5 was
a converted gas station on Centre St. in West Roxbury
You transported prisoners to the ID Unit at “Old District 4” for processing
You know exactly where 154 Berkeley St. is
You transported female prisoners to “The Tombs,” or to Nashua St.
You transported juvenile prisoners to the top floor at District 1
You picked up paper warrants at the Warrant Unit before booking the prisoner at
the station
You traveled to Provincetown or Pittsfield (or further) to pick up a prisoner on a
Boston warrant
You kept evidence in your locker
You waited 6-8 weeks (or longer) to be paid for a detail
You sometimes got 5 checks in one payday
You worked a cash detail
You got a 3-hour minimum for a court appearance
You dialed 247-4590 to bang in sick (without having to dial the Area Code)
You picked up prisoner meals at Victoria Diner
You remember the TPF, Team Police, City-wide anti-crime unit, General Investigations Unit
You have some old CA/T detail cards hanging around
You still have 635-2323 programmed into your speed dial
You remember when a simple A&B Domestic was not an arrestable offense
You remember when Larceny or Destruction of Property over $100 was a felony
You know who “Val” is
You know who “Slappy” is
You know (and still don’t like) the names Goodman and Seymour
You enjoyed listening to J.J. Brown’s all-out broadcast on Christmas Eve
You know the meaning of the following expressions:
“The other side of the house”
“It’s on the Mets”
“Who’s your dime?”
“Cashie”
“I need a BCH”
“The Turrett”
“Rubber gun squad”
“Send the card up”
“Officer McGillicuddy to channel 7”
One more thought: The sheet of paper that is used to read Roll Call is called
the BAT. I was once asked by a Grand Jury member what BAT stands for. I had to
explain that it is short for “Batting Order,” an obvious baseball reference. He then
asked why it is called the “Batting Order” and I could only speculate that some old
time Duty Supervisor stood at the podium one night and said, “Here’s tonight’s Batting Order”…and it stuck.
The first Law Offices of Donald E. Green was opened in Boston’s waterfront in 1982
and the second office in Dudley Square/Roxbury in 1988. The Firm also has satellite
locations in Braintree, which is convenient for South Shore residents and downtown
Boston, both locations are by appointment only.
“We are proud of our investment in the community and the trust our clients
have instilled in us to handle and resolve their legal matters over the past
30 years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for
their support and patronage!”
The Law Offices of Donald E. Green is a multi.ethnic. multi.lingual law firm, concentrating
in personal injury matters as well as medical malpractice, dental malpractice, wrongful
death, worker’s compensation, slip and fall, criminal defense, civil rights, immigration,
family/probate, bankruptcy, real estate and sexual harassment claims.
We would like to say “thank you” by inviting you to stop by our Roxbury
office, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. to pick up a
free Cell Phone Dashboard Pad in an effort to promote your safety (hands.
free talking) on our roadways! (Limited to one per person, while supplies last)
Don Green served in the United States Marine Corps from 1957 to 1961 before being
honorably discharged. In 1968, he joined the Boston Police Department and retired
in 1990 after serving the city for nearly 22 years, the last 15 years as a Sergeant in the
Roxbury district. He is married to Annette Hill Green, a native of Dorchester, who is also
an attorney and his law partner.
To learn more about the Firm, call Don or Annette at (617) 442.0050 or via
e.mail at dgreen@donaldegreen.com.
Feel free to visit our website at www.donaldegreen.com or in person at
2235 Washington Street in Roxbury (Dudley Square).
Evening and Weekend Appointments Available • Home and Hospital Appointments Available
Don Green
Annette Hill Green
Don Green
A reduced legal fee is continuously offered to police officers and has been for more than thirty (30) years. Our office has
successfully represented countless law enforcement officers in their personal injury claims (on or off duty) and other legal matters.
617-989-BPPA (2772)
RANTS and RAVES
Fifty shades of Jay…
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an
authoritarian regime.”
– Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
F
By Jay Moccia
irst and foremost, I’d like to welcome my new
readers, may I suggest the following, don’t
bother looking for an apology, you won’t find
one! If you don’t like my politics, please use these
substitutions, Obama=Bush, Patrick=Romney,
ACLU=NRA,Arabs=Rednecks, Obama Tax for
medicinal purposes only=Romney care, you get
the picture, and above all: a sense of humor is a
MUST. So plant your tongue firmly in cheek and
read on if you dare...
HHHHH
With all the hullabaloo over the last issue
of the PAX, I’d like to acknowledge some of
your wonderful posts, Universal Hub, Metro,
Herald, BBJ, Jezebel: I read all I could find and
laughed myself to sleep on my big fluffy pillow
all weekend.
ANON/ thanks for getting me in trouble with
my wife by saying I make $200k!
ANON/ suggests no personal responsibility,
character or integrity.
EEKA/...lack of judgment, self control, rational thinking... (same can be said of the Occupy
Movement)
ANON/ informing all of a 50% discount at a
local ice cream shop (Wow, good one I LOVE
ice cream – Thanks!)
By the way – ANON? At least I have the
courage of conviction to attach my name to my
“musings” Truth to power.baby!
And finally to Russell W who posted in the
Boston Business Journal (see I told you I read
them all) in typical Liberal fashion you suggest I
be “taken out back for a chat” by my coworkers...
man up Russ, and do it yourself if you truly think
I need it... but that would get your hands dirty (as
well as your backside after you end up on it). I
will not be bullied or threatened!
HHHHH
Ronnie of Jersey Shore fame is featured in
a musical Public Service Announcement that
encourages drunken revelers to seek safe transportation home rather than drive drunk. It’s aptly
titled “How the F We Getting’ Home?” Geez, I
thought Snooki was the one hammered all the
time? Those Jersey Shore dopes telling you not
to Drink and Drive.watching that crap will drive
you to drink!
HHHHH
One of the more interesting names I was called
in the press was “misogynist” I didn’t know what
that was, so I asked my wife – she didn’t know
either, so I unchained her from the stove, gave
her back her shoes and sent her off to the library
to look it up – just kidding folks – I didn’t give
her back her shoes. [printed to the laughter of the
lovely MRS. MOCCIA]
HHHHH
I hope Spike Lee doesn’t Tweet my address...
HHHHH
Time Magazine featured a L.A. (where else)
mom breastfeeding her 4 year old toddler. It
caused quite an uproar with half the country upset
and the other half on the teat already.
HHHHH
Middleboro, Massachusetts has instituted a
$20 fine for foul language in public. I probably
couldn’t afford to live there.
HHHHH
Liberal Anti.Smoking advocates want cigarette manufacturers to to display shocking photos
www.bppa.org
including diseased lungs on their product, in order
to inform the public of the dangers of smoking,
BUT these same Libs want protesters displaying pics of abortions kept outside a protective
buffer zone.
HHHHH
Ever notice there’s always a guy smoking
outside a Chinese Restaurant? (NOTE: the man’s
race is not relevant to this item.)
HHHHH
Why does everyone have an accent, but the
Irish have a brogue?
HHHHH
A Fenway apartment building overrun by
rats has been targeted by the City’s Inspectional
Services Dept. Even the Mayor has weighed
in – claiming this rodent infestation will not be
tolerated. Now if we can only get that kind of
attention on the two-legged version...
HHHHH
Meanwhile at the Massachusetts Democratic
Convention, it was politics as usual when a bid
to keep potential Liz Warren primary opponent
Marisa DeFranco off the ballot in Springfield
was engineered by Party Officials. All the while
claiming a fair process, they went so far as suggesting delegates would need to show an ID in
order to vote. How Republican of them!
HHHHH
An 8-year-old Arizona girl was awarded the
“Catastrophe Award” for having the most excuses
for not doing her homework. Her mother was
extremely upset, claiming her daughter was humiliated. The mother’s nasty letter to the principal
was eaten by the dog.
HHHHH
If the body is a temple, mine is surely a
Cathedral!
HHHHH
Texas Border Sheriffs are asking the US
military for surplus vehicles and weapons in order
to tighten security along our Mexican boundary,
claiming they are out gunned. Maybe Attorney
General Eric Holder can hook them up.
HHHHH
While we’re on this topic, the AG was held
in contempt of Congress after failing to turn over
papers relating to the botched “Fast and Furious”
gun.running scheme, which resulted in the death
of Border Patrol Officer Brian Terry. The DOJ
has refused to prosecute, so Congress is proceeding with a civil contempt charge. To show how
seriously he views the matter, Holder flew off to
Disney. When you run a Mickey Mouse operation, you’re allowed to be Goofy.
HHHHH
At NYC’s PS 90 Principal Greta Hawkins
has come under fire after dumping “God Bless
the USA” in favor of Justin Bieber’s “Baby”
for the Kindergarten graduation ceremony.
She deemed it inappropriate claiming it could
potentially offend other cultures. C’mon even
the Taliban believes in God! Parents came to the
rescue of the hard working kids, and gathered in
front of the school on Graduation Day, where they
waved flags and joined their kids as they belted
out the patriotic tune. With typical New York
rudeness (Oh God, I’ve offended more people)
hecklers – rumored to be school staffers taunted
the tots during their performance. As those cute
little scholars exercised their First Amendment
Rights, it would have been nice to see a parent or
two disperse the troublemakers with some “Fist
Amendment” Baby, Baby, Baby, UGH!
HHHHH
In my perfect America, we’re a pot luck
supper, where everyone brings something to the
table, and everyone else gets a taste. We put what
we like on our plates, and let others enjoy what
they want at that table. What we’re getting now
is a food court where everyone goes to their own
ethnic cafe and keeps to themselves, not sharing,
telling you what to eat, and sticking the other
diners with the tab.
HHHHH
Looks like Political Correctness has won
another one after the NCAA placed them on a
list of offensive team names, the North Dakota
Fighting Sioux have been permanently placed
on the Reservation. Voters dumped the University’s mascot even though the Sioux themselves
wanted to keep it and were not offended. They
claimed the logo depicted an accurate likeness of
a Sioux warrior, and the school’s sportsmanship
and scholarship represented tribal values. So if
its not offensive to those it’s supposed to offend,
how can it be offensive to anyone else?
HHHHH
I don’t like using pens with chewed ends, I
KNOW where they’ve been!
HHHHH
During the late June/early July heat waves I
did several details. As the sweat stung my eyes
and ran down my body to pool in my shoes,
the one adjective not describing my plight was
“lucrative”...
HHHHH
Has anyone else noticed our new narrow
band frequency is constantly disrupted by static,
feedback, background noise and dead zones? Is
this being done to justify GPS?
HHHHH
Speaking of GPS, in all my time with the
BPD, I can truthfully NEVER recall us losing a
cop on our twisted cow paths...
HHHHH
As long as I am not referred to as “embattled”
or “beleaguered” I will be allowed to write for
the PAX.
HHHHH
Have you ever noticed only older guys with
pony tails or beards ride recumbent bicycles?
HHHHH
In Palm Beach, Florida police are searching
for a guy who’s been robbing fast food joints
wearing an Obama mask. Considering what a
food-Nazi Michelle is, if the guy’s grabbing Big
Macs too, that might not be a mask... Da da da
da daa, I’m lovin’ it!
HHHHH
Ford’s new Taurus-based Police Interceptor
boasts a 35% more fuel efficient engine than the
Crown Vic it’s replacing. Officials at the automaker estimate a $153K savings in fuel per 100
vehicles, per year. The BPD fields approximately
600 cruisers and unmarked, as well as Code 19’s,
Safe Street Teams, with replacement yielding
about $900K in funds. With that kind of money,
we could support the Quinn Bill AND bring back
the Mounted Unit!
HHHHH
Concerning some of my previous Elizabeth
Warren comments, maybe the use of the word
“squaw” was inaccurate and inappropriate, since
she’s not even a Native American. I believe what
she did was dishonest at worse and disingenuous
at best. It’s a matter of honesty and character,
which in my opinion she lacks. The Prof. claims
she only checked the box in order to find more
people like herself, if you wanted to be around
Native Americans, why would you leave Oklahoma, the state with the highest Native American
population? More likely, she did get her wish of
being around people just like herself at Harvard
– rich, white, liberal snobs. My Godmother (a
genuine 50% Mohawk Indian) is quite fond of
me, so watch out you poser!
HHHHH
In Georgia, jobless are losing their benefits
after failing a drug test. The state is not compelling this, companies are providing the info after
an applicant “tests hot.” Talk about you Public/
Private Partnerships!
HHHHH
If we’re the tip of the spear I hope we come
up against nothing tougher than butter...
HHHHH
On the Cape, a black bear caused quite a
commotion just by hanging around. Other than
raiding a bird feeder or two, and knocking over
some trash barrels, he proved harmless. BUT it
was nightly news, and teams were mobilized to
dart, tag, and transport the ursine interloper out
of the area, to the western part of the state. The
homeless in Copley Square cause much more
damage and I can’t even get them relocated to
Area “A”!
HHHHH
The U.S. spent $81 Billion on Food Stamps
last year. I wonder how much was actually spent
on food?
HHHHH
If the public only knew – some judges don’t
sweat letting a perp go after 1st call or removing
a warrant without penalty when the guy strolls
in at 2 in the afternoon, but if the cop or victim is
not present at 8:59 – case dismissed.
HHHHH
Oh that crazy NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I’m an equal opportunity basher – he’s
been a Democrat, Republican and Independent)
is at it again, with another ridiculous policy that
would ban sugary drinks over 16 oz., milk shakes,
popcorn and other foods and beverages deemed
unhealthy (but tasty) by the NYC Department of
Health. Look for this control at a town near you
soon – wait, we already have it in City buildings,
and Cambridge is looking to impose a total ban
on soda and sugary beverages in bars and restaurants – Rum and Cokes are gonna SUCK! This is
one potential aspect of Obama tax for medicinal
purposes only that really scares the crap out of
me. In the interest of Public Health any number
of items may be banned or regulated into extinction for driving up the cost of health care. This
could include booze, cigarettes, firearms, meat,
all the things that make life worth living! And
just to show you how serious this is – I golfed at
the George Wright, and when the beverage cart
came by I grabbed Gatorade for my foursome.
To my surprise, they only offered G2 (sugar.free)
varieties, or diet tonic. A selection of “lite” beer,
was on hand, but for now full carb/calorie Miller
and Budweiser was still stocked.
HHHHH
The Washington Report
News from the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)
Sequester’s impact on law enforcement programs
O
n January 2, 2013, the vast majority of federal nondefense discretionary (NDD) programs
will face deep, across-the board cuts. Sequestration would reduce the nation’s gross domestic
product by $215 billion, decrease personal earnings of the workforce by $109.4 billion and cost
the economy 2.14 million jobs.
The sequestration was meant as a last resort. Members of both political parties in both
chambers were to come together and find a solution to our nation’s growing deficit problems
by November 23, 2011. When Congress reached an impasse they were ordered by the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act to begin
spending cuts to both discretionary and non-discretionary
appropriations; unless a joint committee bill achieving
an amount greater than $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions
can be enacted.
Sequestration will be enacted unless Congress acts
to change the law and the cuts will be 8.2 percent/year
across the board. Cuts will continue at this rate until
2021. Please note, these cuts are in addition to a 43 percent cut over FY11 and FY12 that Justice
Programs have already experienced.
In July, Congress passed H.R. 5872, the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012, which
required the President to submit to Congress a detailed report on the implementation of discretionary reductions and non-exempt direct spending reductions in the sequestration. The White
House delayed the release of the report by a week.
The OMB Report notes that the Administration strongly believes that sequestration is a bad
policy. Congress can and should take action to avoid it by passing a comprehensive and balanced
deficit reduction package. The report also notes that sequestration would be deeply destructive
to national security, domestic investments and core government functions.
There isn’t much time for members of Congress to act on this issue. The legislative calendar
has Congress in recess until after the November elections and there will be few work days through
the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This time constraint makes it even more important
for members of Congress to take this matter seriously.
NAPO attended a Town Hall Meeting on Sequestration Implementation with speakers Robert
Gordon (Executive Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget) and Jon Carson
(Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.) They emphasized that the President
does not have discretion on how cuts are administered.
The issue of sequestration does not lend itself to a simple solution. Cuts will need to be made
to Congressional spending. It isn’t beneficial for any organization to seek an exemption from
sequestration. The best path forward is to advocate for a balanced approach to deficit reduction,
one that does not include additional cuts to discretionary programs.
NAPO supports the Veterans Jobs Corps Act
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), along with Senate Democrats, has made numerous
MTheajority
attempts to advance legislation that would provide jobs for American workers.
first bill, supported by President Barack Obama, is popularly known as The American
Jobs Act of 2011 (S. 1549). Initially generating much attention, S. 1549 was never considered
and remains on the Senate Legislative Calendar.
Following this effort, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced The Teachers and First
Responders Back to Work Act (S. 1723) in October of 2011. This bill failed to reach cloture by
ten votes. Recently, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced the Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012,
(S. 3457) which the Senate voted for cloture on the motion to proceed with the legislation 95-1
with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) voting in the negative. Later in the week the Senate again voted
on the motion to proceed on the substitute amendment of the Veterans Job Corps legislation 84-8.
The Senate is scheduled to resume debate before they break for recess for November elections.
All of these bills have one thing in common: funding for the COPS Hiring Grants.
The Veterans Jobs Corps bill is a $1 billion investment in our veterans. It will enhance their
capacity to strengthen America over the next five years. The VA will transfer up to 10% of the
appropriated funds ($100 million) to the Department of Justice for the hiring of veterans as
law enforcement officers and first responders through COPS grants. NAPO strongly supports
this legislation due to its inclusion of a provision that will award grants to hire veterans as law
enforcement officers.
NAPO supports The American Jobs Bill and The Teachers and First Responders Back to
Work Act. The importance for funding of the COPS Hiring Grant Program cannot be overemphasized; law enforcement has experienced deep funding cuts and continues to do more with
less resources. COPS Hiring grants go directly to state and local police departments and are an
effective use of taxpayer dollars.
NAPO victory: House passes Byrne JAG reauthorization
he House passed a five-year renewal of the Byrne JAG grant program by voice vote. The
T
program will authorize up to $4 billion through FY17. The Senate has already passed its
version of Byrne JAG reauthorization, S. 250 sponsored by Patrick Leahy (D-VT). There has
been an effort in the Senate to pass the House bill via unanimous consent. However, there are a
few concerns raised by Republicans, and it has yet to be determined if they can be resolved in
order for the bill to pass.
The Byrne JAG grant program is a legislative priority for NAPO, and was approved as a
resolution for 2012 at this year’s 34th Annual Convention. NAPO continues to work with our
colleagues within the justice community and with members on Capitol Hill to reauthorize this
important grant program.
Executive Director’s Report
NAPO remembers 9/11 and applauds the expansion of 9/11
health program
eptember marks the anniversary of 9/11. NAPO joins the entire nation in remembering those
SNAPO
who gave their lives on that day.
has worked to secure passage of legislation to improve the lives of those who serve and
are survivors of the attacks. After enactment of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, NAPO urged the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
(NIOSH) to expand the list of cancers to be covered under the 2010 law.
NAPO specifically requested that treatment for first responders be expanded to cover melanoma, thyroid and prostate cancers and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With the exception of prostate
cancer, all of NAPO’s recommendations were included. A total of twenty-three cancers were
added to the WTC-Related Health Conditions eligible for coverage.
We would like to give special recognition and thanks to the members and survivors of The
New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, The NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association, The NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association, The NYPD Captains Endowment
Association, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Benevolent Association, The
Port Authority Police Detectives Endowment Association, The Port Authority Police Sergeants
Benevolent Association, and The Port Authority Police Lieutenants Benevolent Association.
NAPO submits comments on IRS normal retirement age and
FCC interoperability issues
n April 18, 2012, Treasury released updated guidance making modifications to the 2007
O
regulations covering retirement age. They also requested comments on the guidance under
consideration.
Although the proposed regulations improve retirement conditions for many public safety
participants, they still do not address the situation when “normal retirement” occurs after a set
term of service, not based on age. NAPO urges the IRS to consider that the plans for public
safety officers shall be deemed fully compliant, so long as the plan does not allow in-service
distributions before age 40 and the attainment of the set number of years in a plan. Additionally,
the IRS should adopt requirements that are not solely dependent on the age of the employees.
Please note that for the immediate future, the enactment date for the IRS Normal Retirement
Age has once again been postponed. The new date of enactment has been moved to January 1,
2015. The IRS also fixed the “safe harbor” provision that allows public safety officers to qualify
for “early unreduced retirement” and clarifies in-service distributions for public safety. For more
information on how the IRS Normal Retirement Age affects you, please contact NAPO’s Director
of Government Affairs, Rachel Hedge.
NAPO also submitted comments in reference to the Federal Communications Commission
notice of proposed rulemaking on the promotion of interoperability for the First Responder
Communications Network (D Block).
As the FCC considers how to implement a public safety interoperable network NAPO continues to advocate for interoperability across the 700 MHz spectrum specifically in the lower
bands. It is important to note that NAPO’s remarks were quoted in a CommDaily cover story on
interoperability. NAPO was the only rank-and-file group to submit information on the subject.
House passes Continuing Resolution
he Senate is scheduled to recess until after the November elections. This increases the
T
likelihood that the signature legislative accomplishment of this work-period will be passage
of the Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded from October 1 (start of
st
FY13) through March 27th. Although there were many exceptions included in the CR to address
critical needs, the funding resolution is still considered a clean CR. In exchange for a clean CR,
Republicans agreed to a higher spending level of $1.047 trillion (less than 1 percent over the
FY12 levels.)
The House has passed the CR 329-91 and the Senate is expected to clear the measure before
breaking for recess. NAPO successfully lobbied to increase the spending allocated to priority
funding programs such as Byrne JAG and COPS Hiring Grants. It is unclear if members of the
113th Congress will continue funding the remainder of FY13 with appropriations bills or another
CR. NAPO will keep you informed of these and other legislative developments as they occur.
NAPO endorses Obama-Biden ticket
he National Organization of Police Organizations (NAPO) endorsed President Barack
T
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden from the floor of their 34 annual convention in Palm
Beach County, Florida. Vice President Joe Biden also spoke to the convention.
th
“NAPO is proud to endorse the Obama-Biden ticket today,” said NAPO President Thomas
J. Nee. “This Administration’s unwavering support for law enforcement has meant that men
and women in uniform across the country have the resources they need to do their jobs safely
and efficiently, protecting the communities and citizens they serve. There are simply no better
friends of law enforcement - and no stronger choice to lead this nation for another term - than
President Obama and Vice President Biden.
“The President and I are honored to accept the endorsement of the National Association of
Police Organizations,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “Over the past week, we again saw the
incredible sacrifices of our nation’s police officers and first responders. Every day these brave
men and women put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe - running into harm’s
way when everyone else is running out. The President and I will continue to do everything we
can to keep police officers across the country on the beat and fight back against cuts that would
put our public safety at risk, and make an already tough job even tougher.”
617-989-BPPA (2772)
Veterans’ Corner: Patrick
N
M. Rose, C-11
This November is more important than most…
ovember is just days away and this
November is more important than most.
Every four years this society, a Democracy,
heads to the voting polls to cast their ballot
and elects a leader. A leader of our Country;
a person to represent our views, opinions,
politics and morals to the rest of the civilized
world. A singular person that represents
the majority of our, American, population,
(regardless of your race, creed, color, political affiliation, national origin or religion, if
you’re a citizen, then you’re an American).
This is what a Democracy is all about, representing the majority through a peaceful
transfer of power. This 236-year experiment
has withstood the test of time.
Yes, invariably, there have been some
bumps in the road, (the Civil War kinda
jumps right out at you along with the race
riots of the 60’s, and there are a few other
examples). We have fallen at times, but we
manage to pick ourselves up, brush ourselves
off and hopefully learn from our mistakes of
the past, looking forward to a brighter future.
However, when all is said and done, our
country has done pretty well representing
Democracy to the rest of the world. One of
the cornerstones of our Democracy is the
absolute Right to Vote! One of the first things
we learn in school is not only our right to
vote, but I can remember teachers and family
drilling it into our little heads that we have a
moral obligation to vote as well. In history
class, at every level of school, I remember
reading about the millions of people from
around the world, over the centuries, that
lost their lives in attempts to set up voting
democracies. As children in grammar school
we all involved ourselves in mock debates
and elections, etc., etc. With that being said,
I am befuddled as to why, (in this electronic
age of instant communication), it is so hard
to provide our service members with ballots
in a timely manner so that their votes count?
This election promises to be a repeat, (in some
States), as far as absentee ballots for military
personnel. According to the (MVPP) ‘Military
Voting’s Protection Project’, there are 15 states
that make an exceptional effort to enfranchise
military voters.
However, there are a few states in particular: California, Illinois, New York, Virginia
and Wisconsin that do a very poor job of getting ballots out in time to the soldiers, sailors,
Marines and airmen to make a difference,
(coincidently, they all voted Democrat in the
last presidential election). They consistently
send the ballots out too late to be counted.
All states are required, by law, to send ballots to military personnel in a timely enough
manner, so the ballots can be returned and
counted in time to effect the election. It actually took an act of Congress to ensure that a
law was passed to protect our veteran’s voting rights; the 2009 Military and Overseas
Voter Empowerment Act. Our Military personnel are willing to sacrifice everything to
protect this Democracy, our Country and we
as a Nation can’t even guarantee them a Vote.
Even after passing a Federal Law, in 2010
www.bppa.org
only 4.6% of our Military Voters were able
to cast ballots that were even counted. What’s
really disgraceful is that the percentage is
actually lower after the Law was enacted. In
2008 approximately 20% of eligible military
voters received and were able to return their
ballots in time to count, when the National
average was over 63%, the highest turnout
in history. (There are three different counts
and percentages given for National Elections, even if one was to believe the other
counts, the National percentage for turnout
for the last National election would have
been the second highest percentage turnout
ever). But our States couldn’t get ballots out
and into the hands of those that protect this
Democracy.
Regardless of your political affiliation,
that is absolutely DIGRACEFUL and
there is NO excuse! There have been many
articles, blogs and comments written over the
past few months speaking to this problem.
The majority, as expected, are authored by
either Veterans, Active Duty personnel or
family members with access to social media
and alike, that are trying to get the word out.
The majority of these authors feel that
their message is being actively blocked
by some ‘Left Wing’ activist that believe,
percentage-wise, Military Personnel and or
Veteran’s are more ‘Right Leaning’ in their
political views and voting patterns than the
general public. There may be some truth to
those allegations.
It is a fact, based on exit polling and
written questionnaires, the Military Veterans
voted overwhelmingly for the Republican
Candidate in the last two Presidential elections; in 2004, 57% voted Republican to 41%
that voted Democratic and in 2008, 54%
Voted for the Republican and 44% for the
Democrat. Veterans alone, currently make up
13% of the population and historically have
made their opinions known through casting
a ballot. In 2008, Veterans alone, made up
15% of the voting public, (That is a VERY
large bloc of voters).
A recent ‘Gallup Poll’ states “In a general
population that is split in its preference for
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney for President, veterans stand out for their 24 point
preference for Romney”.
Mr. Frank Newport, Gallup’s Editor in
Chief goes on to state: “About a fourth of the
men are veterans and it is their strong skew
towards Romney that essentially creates the
GOP candidate’s leading position among
men today. Among non-veteran men, Obama
and Romney are tied”.
With this in mind it is easy to see that a
voting group consisting of Military Veterans,
Active Duty Personnel, Military Retirees,
Department of Defense Workers and their
respective Families could actually determine
the outcome of the 2012 Presidential Election. So I would venture to guess, that the
authors of these allegations about a concerted
effort to keep our troops from casting a vote,
might actually be on to something.
Once again let me state that it is abso-
lutely DISGRACEFUL and there is NO
excuse for such behavior! Regardless of
pollsters, political pundits, political hucksters, activists or any other group or person
that comes up with deviant ways to influence
democratic elections, there is NO excuse
as to why our active duty personnel do not
receive ballots in time to be counted for election and let me remind you, it is criminal.
With all of that being said, let us not forget
that Veteran’s Day will be upon us before we
know it. Just a reminder, of what this day is:
Veteran’s day, where did it come from, how
did it start? Amazingly enough, it wasn’t
supposed to be a day that honored veterans.
The day was originally put aside as a day
to mark peace, to note the armistice. It started
at the end of World War I. The ‘war to end
all wars, the Great War’.
World War I ended with the implementation of an armistice, (a temporary cessation
of hostilities until the final peace treaty was
signed, the infamous Treaty of Versailles.
The armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the
eleventh day of November, 1918.
On November 11, 1919, President Wilson
proclaims the first Armistice Day with the
following words: “To us in America, the
reflections of Armistice Day will be filled
with solemn pride in the heroism of those
who died in the country’s service and with
gratitude for the victory, both because of the
thing from which it has freed us and because
of the opportunity it has given America to
show her sympathy with peace and justice
in the councils of the nations…”
The original concept for the celebration
was for the suspension of business for a two
minute period beginning at 11:00 am, with
the day also marked by parades and public
meetings. On the second anniversary of
the armistice, 1920, France and the United
Kingdom hold ceremonies honoring their
unknown dead from the war.
In 1921, Congress passes legislation
approving the establishment of a Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National
Cemetery. November 11th is chosen for the
date of the ceremony. Congress then declares
November 11, 1921 a legal Federal holiday
to honor all of those who served in the war.
In 1926, Congress adopts a resolution directing the President to issue a proclamation
calling on the observance of Armistice Day,
throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s most states
establish November 11th as a legal holiday.
In 1938, Congress passes legislation making
November 11th a legal federal holiday. The
practice in most states is to follow the Federal
lead. 1941 through 1945 the world proves
that there is no war to end all wars and we
create millions of additional Veterans. 19501953 the Korean War, we apparently didn’t
have enough veterans. In 1954, President
Eisenhower signs legislation changing the
name of the legal holiday from Armistice
Day to Veteran’s Day.
In 1968 the Congress passes the Monday
Holiday Law, (so they can enjoy those long
weekends). This law now establishes the
fourth Monday in October as the new date
for observance of Veteran’s Day. The law is
to take effect in 1971. Initially all states follow suit, with the exception of Mississippi
and South Dakota. From 1972 through 1975,
forty-six states revert their observance back
to November 11th.
Due to the overwhelming popular support, the Federal Government was forced to
pass legislation returning the observance of
Veteran’s Day to November 11th. This legislation took effect on November 11th 1978
and to this day Veteran’s Day is celebrated
on that day.
Veteran’s Day, a day to reflect, a day to
remember those who served. Not only the
ones we know, but the millions we don’t.
Heard on the Hill…
deal with the laborers union for flagmen.
The Quinn bill gutting of $50 million dollars
and the major expansion of the state police. Families are now bracing for the expected
release of hundreds of violent criminals back
into their neighborhoods. Governor Patrick
no longer has the worry of these drug dealers
shooting up his neighborhoods. He is driven
around by his palace guard. But in the cities
and towns it is the local police departments
that shouldered through all these crunches
and it will be the local police again fighting
these criminals that are going to be turned
out of prison.
With his seats on corporate boards and
mansions in Milton and western Mass., he
has no clue on what working families in
the cities and towns are facing. Governor
Patrick is an elitist. I know that’s not breaking news for any of us. He can talk a good
game about growing up on the rough and
tumble streets of Chicago. But that was 50
years ago. He can’t relate to folks in tough
neighborhoods anymore. Good folks trying
their best to make it. They have been under
attack for so long and it is about to get a
whole lot worse. Machine gun-toting drug dealers that
are putting their guns back into play before
a judge to ask for release because the drugs
“may” have been botched in testing. What
comes first, drugs or guns?... These are some
of Governor Patrick’s judges.
Governor Patrick owns this mess. It is
because of his cuts to the State Drug Lab,
that is causing tens of millions of dollars to
be spent re-trying these cases and eventually
the release of dangerous criminals back on
our streets. Hold on folks because it’s about to get
a whole lot more dangerous out there. Stay
safe please.
They Served With
Dignity and Honor
We Shall Not Forget Them
Police Lieutenant
Robert G. Hudson
June 9, 2012
Police Officer
Joseph P. Pritchard
Police Detective
Emmett F. McNamara
Police Sergeant
Edward T. Leahy
Police Detective
John N. Underwood
June 10, 2012
June 12, 2012
June 17, 2012
June 24, 2012
Police Detective
Edward J. Berg
June 26, 2012
Police Sergeant
William O. Ash
July 14, 2012
Police Detective
Lloyd H. Wyzard
Active . July 31, 2012
Police Officer
Paul Harvey
July 27, 2012
Police Officer
Laurence J. Stanford
July 6, 2012
Police Sergeant
Detective
Russell P. Childers
August 2, 2012
We apologize for any errors or omissions.
617-989-BPPA (2772)
They Served With
Dignity and Honor
We Shall Not Forget Them
Police Sergeant
Detective
Donald X. Locke
Police Detective
Joseph F. Magee
Police Officer
James E. Higgins
Police Officer
Warren R. Bradley
Police Sergeant
Robert E. Hughes
August 27, 2012
August 29, 2012
September 3, 2012
September 7, 2012
Police Officer
Arthur W. Lamb
Police Officer
Francis E. Gavin
Police Detective
Joseph E. Caggiano
September 17, 2012
September 20, 2012
September 20, 2012
August 16, 2012
Police Lieutenant
Police Detective
Detective
Charles A. McManus
September 24, 2012
George L. Sheridan
Police Officer
John L. Wells
September 28, 2012
September 20, 2012
We apologize for any errors or omissions.
www.bppa.org
RANTS and RAVES
Fifty shades of Jay…
I will not deny being secretly flattered when
the Phoenix referred to me as the Pax’s resident
funnyman...
HHHHH
In August I started my 30th year with the
Boston Police Department, I’m not a dinosaur,
I’m a fossil!
HHHHH
What’s the purpose of wearing a helmet when
you skydive? If something goes wrong, a diaper
would be more useful.
HHHHH
I was behind a Subaru (what else?) with a
bumper sticker that said “I swam the Charles”.
He forgot to put on the “And I now have Hep C”
sticker that came with it.
HHHHH
We’ve all put sour milk back in the fridge just
to see the reaction on the next victim. Warning
to Occupiers: doesn’t work as well when you
live alone!
HHHHH
The supermarket I shop at (it will remain
nameless to avoid boycotts) offers Preferred
Parking for fuel efficient vehicles. It’s located
at the farthest end of the lot away from the store
entrance. I guess they think if you drive a Prius
you “prefer” to walk.
HHHHH
I saw ads from a psychic placed on cars in a
three block stretch. If you were a good psychic
wouldn’t you know what cars to put them on
whose owners would go to you?
HHHHH
Amazing – you can use EBT to buy lottery
tickets, but not your debit card, at least the state’s
getting the money back.
HHHHH
How many Occupiers does it take to change
a light bulb? 100, 1 to do the work, and 99 to
protest.
HHHHH
Why is it Liberals want to be recognized for
doing what everyone else does on a daily basis?
Elizabeth Warren was certainly not the first or
last pregnant woman to ever ride the subway. Are
they that insecure?
HHHHH
I find it insulting that I have been referred to
as a “bigot” or “hater” by anonymous commentators, who see themselves as heroes of social
justice. Considering how hard they stretched the
truth to smear me and the PAX, reaching around to
pat themselves on the back must be pretty easy...
HHHHH
It’s only illegal to be illegal in Massachusetts
if you try to live legally.
HHHHH
I happened to be home on a recent Saturday
night, and tuned in to Saturday Night Live, with
Sofia Vergara during one skit, she played a guest
on the Manuel Ortiz Show. The men all sported
cheesy mustaches, and garish clothes, the women
dressed in cleavage-bearing dresses. Every break
featured the guests dancing to salsa music. In
another skit Vergara and an actress portraying Penelope Cruz.endorsed shampoo with their thick
Spanish accents. If one turned a critical eye, there
were blatant stereotypes, sexism, ethnocentrism,
and a host of other politically incorrect transgressions. BUT it was funny as hell! Just goes to
show, if you look for something you will find it.
HHHHH
With Tim Thomas taking the year off, I’m in
need of a new hero, and I think I found him. He’s
a 71 year old Floridian named Samuel Williams,
and while at an Internet Café in Ocala, he proved
to be more of a man and a better shot, than the
two young punks who came into the place, with
larceny on their minds. The masked youths armed
with a gun and a bat attempted to rob the place and
the patrons, pointing the gun at several customers.
That’s when Mr. Williams, a licensed gunowner,
drew his weapon and fired several shots at the
thugs, striking them both. Police located them at
a nearby hospital where they were arrested. Mr.
Williams will not be charged. It’s must see TV!
http://youtu.be/Jpv6dJZhg0U
HHHHH
I know a guy who’s so dumb, he won’t eat pot
roast, because he’s afraid he’ll flunk his drug test.
HHHHH
If Yankee Candle came out with a sausage,
pepper and onion scented jar Italians would buy
them by the gross – it is arguably one the finest
smells in the world!
HHHHH
One of the most refreshing things on a hot day
is dressing in front of a fan after your shower – just
don’t stand too close!
HHHHH
I get a kick out of the old adage “the girls
looked the same when we were that age,” if it’s
true, they didn’t talk to me then either.
HHHHH
You know why Swiss Cheese has holes? They
all own GUNS!
HHHHH
Why are stupid people so easily offended?
Case in point, we’ve all done details where you
secure a work area with cones and caution tape,
only to watch some cretin walk right through the
barriers. THEN they have the nerve to get mad
when you cast aspersions on their intelligence
– they must have been running late for their
MENSA meeting.
HHHHH
Not content with prohibiting soda, etc, NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is now encouraging women to breast.feed more but he has been
attacked on his expertise in this area – HOW
DARE THEY! He is surely the biggest BOOB
in New York.
HHHHH
I saw a guy with a snowflake tattoo on his
arm, he got soooo mad when I told him I had the
EXACT same one...
HHHHH
While in traffic on Storrow Drive, I saw a
lifeguard at the kiddie pool (not much more than a
glorified sprinkler). While I understand the theory
of safety, it’s an ankle-deep puddle, did she really
need the large red “Baywatch” float???
HHHHH
The problem with all our assistance plans
lies in the name – entitlement programs. When
will the hard-working folks be “entitled” to stop
underwriting these lazy SOB’S?
HHHHH
I saw a sign at a construction site that said
permitted vehicles only, and thought if you give
a person a permit to park in the permitted area are
you permitting or permitting him to park there?
HHHHH
If Mitt Romney doesn’t do it for you, then
Barack Obama will surely do it TO you!
HHHHH
Funny how all these idiots with cell phones
manage to capture “Police brutality” when cops
have to go hands on to subdue a suspect, BUT
none of them EVER catch a criminal’s dirty
deeds.
HHHHH
When people ask me how I deal with all the
problems caused by the homeless in Copley
Square, I tell them: “Business is bumming”…
HHHHH
My idea of watching what I eat usually involves making sure it doesn’t fall off my fork!
HHHHH
A tourist was attacked and bitten by a shark off
the beach at Truro, on the Cape. After an extensive
investigation it was determined the culprit was
a Great White Shark. I heard a Mako snitched.
HHHHH
I cannot believe there is a tax on Gold Medals
from the Olympics. Not to be outdone by NYC,
San Francisco has implemented a ban on goldfish.
HHHHH
Suing a Plastic Surgeon or Tattoo Artist is
futile. You may win but you’re still going to look
stupid!
HHHHH
A woman I know asked why I own so many
guns, when I can only shoot one at a time. The
conversation ended when I asked her how many
pairs of shoes she owned.
HHHHH
The phrase “How can you eat at a time like
this” cannot be translated into Italian.
HHHHH
I don’t particularly care for rap/hip-hop music.
Primarily because I like to sing along, and if you
have ever heard some of those lyrics, well let’s
just say I’d probably have a dozen guys chasing
me down the street.
HHHHH
It used to be at a party you would spike the
punch with booze, now you spike it with sugar.
HHHHH
I picked up a DIY/Handyman magazine, and
the rear cover ad featured a painter with 25 years
experience in the business extolling the virtues
of XYZ Paint. So how is it that I am a cop with
over 25 years experience and NO ONE listens
to me???
HHHHH
Liberalism is not about freedom, it’s about
control. Don’t believe me? When was the last
time a conservative told you what to eat?
HHHHH
More proof the Mainstream media leans to
the left: VP Joe Biden puts on a southern drawl
and states the Republicans want to “put y’all back
in chains” while addressing an audience, and it’s
OK, YET Republicans are considered racist if
they mention the words “Chicago” or “Golf”.
HHHHH
Is too much too soon the opposite of too little
too late?
HHHHH
Reports that Obama skips a lot of his Intelligence meetings are not true. He holds them every
morning in a three way mirror!
HHHHH
I won’t say the Red Sox suck, but during a
recent rain delay the scalpers made more money
selling umbrellas than tickets...
HHHHH
Money can’t buy happiness, but it does cover
a hell of a down payment.
HHHHH
I took my summer vacation in the Granite
State. I love the whole “Live Free or Die” concept, but there were problems, the cable in my
condo only had MSNBC, and CNN for “news”
and the local coffee shop only sold the Globe. It
was as if Liberals were trying to ruin my vaca-
tion! One story in the Globe actually printed an
outright LIE (and Libs attacked the PAX?). The
item covered gun sales in Massachusetts, and included info claiming no record checks were done
on sales. Last gun I bought, I picked up on my
way home from work. I was in full uniform. The
thumbprint machine was down, and I had to call
for my PIN in order to begin the purchase. The
entire transaction took about 45 minutes, because
I had to wait for a RECORD CHECK! Now if
I get “carded” for a purchase, I can’t imagine a
citizen coming in off the street not getting the
same treatment.
HHHHH
Why does the guy selling flowers at the red
light approach me when I’m alone in my car, I’m
not that narcissistic...
HHHHH
A tale of two (Federal) Courts... In Florida, a
judge in Miami rejected a sentence as too lenient.
In Boston, a judge authorized a sex change at
taxpayers’ expense...
HHHHH
The “Wheels for Wishes” jingle needs an
appointment with Dr. Kevorkian.
HHHHH
I notice that when I smoke a cigar outside,
even cigarette smokers make a face when they
walk by. HYPOCRITES!
HHHHH
Why do people go to tanning booths in the
summer?
HHHHH
When I do a detail, I ALWAYS become concerned when I see the laborers in hazmat suits.
When that occurs it should be authorized to sit
in your car....
HHHHH
Stephen Driscoll, a top fundraiser for Prof.
Warren, runs a porn website. NOW all those
ads where she repeats the word “hammered”
make sense.
HHHHH
Calzone is pizza with a roof.
HHHHH
I saw a car with a bumper sticker that read:
“Do you follow Jesus this close.” I hope he gets
hit by a priest.
HHHHH
I know pro golf is a stressful game, but why
does Tiger Woods always scowl like the guy in
front of him passed gas?
HHHHH
CVS is advertising flu shots using a needle
that’s 90% smaller than the competition. It’s
probably the first time anyone bragged about a
smaller pr!@&…
HHHHH
I was in Brookline recently and saw a sign that
said “Best in Boston.” I think as a Boston resident
I should be allowed to rip it down.
HHHHH
If you bury your head in the sand, the rest of
you won’t be far behind...
HHHHHHHHHHHH
And there you have it, for those of you who
didn’t get at least one giggle, move out of mom’s
cellar and get a life! Before you criticize me,
remember, not one of you have to strap on a gun
and a bulletproof vest to go to work (if you have
a job!). The men and women of the Boston Police
Department (best damn law enforcement agency
in the world) still show up and provide exceptional service to the citizens of Boston despite
what you may think about us.
617-989-BPPA (2772)
BPPA
Retired Patrolmen’s Division News
Supplements labels are
often illegal, U.S. says
By Garance Burke
ozens of weight loss and immune system
supplements on the market are illegally
labeled and lack the recommended scientific
evidence to back up their purported health
claims, government investigators warn in a new
review of the $20 billion supplement industry.
The report, released on October 3rd by the
Department of Health and Human Services’
inspector general, found that 20 percent of
the 127 weight loss and immune-boosting
supplements investigators purchased online
and in retail stores across the country carried labels that made illegal claims to cure
or treat disease.
Some products went so far as to state
that the supplements could cure or prevent
diabetes or cancer, or that they could help
people with HIV or AIDS, which is strictly
prohibited under federal law.
Consumers may not just be wasting their
money on pills or tablets, but they could be
endangering their health if they take a supplement in place of a drug thinking it will have
the same effect, the report concluded.
‘‘Consumers rely on a supplement’s
claims to determine whether the product
will provide a desired effect, such as weight
loss or immune support,’’ the report said.
‘‘Supplements that make disease claims
could mislead consumers into using them
as replacements for prescription drugs or
other treatments for medical conditions, with
potentially dangerous results.’’
The market for dietary supplements –
which can include anything from Vitamin
C tablets to capsules of Echinacea – is a
huge one with hundreds of products. The
inspector general’s investigation focused on
one segment that officials said is booming.
D
Federal regulations do not require the
Food & Drug Administration to review
supplement companies’ scientific evidence
for most of their products’ purported health
benefits before they hit the market.
The Office of Inspector General found
that in numerous cases, when companies
did submit evidence to back up their health
claims, it fell far short of government recommendations.
One company submitted a 30-year-old
handwritten college term paper to substantiate its claim, while others included news
releases, advertisements and links to Wikipedia or an online dictionary, according to
the report.
Overall, the review raises questions about
whether the system is allowing companies
to mislead consumers, investigators said,
and recommended that FDA ramp up its
oversight. The report did not name individual
brands or products, and also did not estimate
the total number of dietary supplements on
the market.
In response, the food safety agency said
it would consider asking Congress for more
oversight powers to review supplement
companies’ evidence proving their products’
purported health benefits. FDA agreed that
the agency should expand surveillance of the
market to detect spurious claims that supplements can cure or treat specific diseases.
Investigators also found that 7 percent
of the weight loss and immune support
supplements they surveyed lacked the required disclaimer stating that FDA had not
reviewed whether the statement on the label
was truthful.
(Reprinted from the Boston Globe, October 3, 2012.)
The next meeting of the
Retired Patrolmen’s Division of the
Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association
will be on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 1:00 pm
at the BPPA Office, 9-11 Shetland Street, Boston
BPPA RETIRED PATROLMEN’S DIVISION
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Date:_____________________________
Name:_______________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:________________________________________________
Home Phone:_____________________ Cell Phone: ________________
Date of Appointment:___________ Date of Retirement: ___________
Email:________________________________________________________
Annual Dues are $24.00. The year runs from March to March.
Please mail this application and $24.00 annual dues to the:
BPPA Retired Patrolmen’s Division
9.11 Shetland Street, Boston, MA 02119
www.bppa.org
617-989-BPPA (2772)
PAXCENTURION Section B
Saluting our fallen heroes
The latest nine Hero Signs are unveiled
Patrolman Walter A Schroeder
Killed in the line of duty: September 24, 1970
Location of Hero sign is on
Western Avenue and Everett Street
in Brighton
Detective John D. Schroeder
Killed in the line of duty: November 30, 1973
Location of Hero Sign is
1904 Washington Street in Roxbury,
in front of old pawn shop
Patrolman Donald A. Brown
Killed in the line of duty: May 24, 1974
Location of Hero Sign is American Legion Highway,
in front of the Shopping Center in Roslindale,
near the old Purity Supreme supermarket
Patrolman William R. Beckman
Killed in the line of duty: September 1, 1976
Location of Hero Sign is on Boylston Street in
the Back Bay, near the Prudential Center
Patrolman Frank J. Comeau
Killed in the line of duty: October 7, 1927
Location of Hero Sign is at Dickens and Adams
Streets in Dorchester, near the old Station 11
Patrolman James B. Roche
Killed in the line of duty: March 21, 1936
Location of Hero Sign is on
Faneuil and Harriet Streets in Brighton
Patrolman James G. McCann Jr.
Killed in the line of duty: June 16, 1937
Location of Hero Sign In Front of
District 14 in Brighton
Patrolman James Brickley
Location of Hero Sign is
Beach and Washington Street in Roslindale
Patrolman Charles A. McNabb
Location of Hero sign is in front of
1202 Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay
See the full list of Hero Signs and locations on page B4.
www.bppa.org
PAX CENTURION • September/October 2012 • Page B1
EMS Division
Unity & Strength
An Open Letter of Appreciation to USCG District Boston,
Boston EMS and the Head of the Base Exchange
By Lt. Eric McDevitt
wanted to express in an open letter the
appreciation for “actions well above and
beyond the call of duty” to members of the
USCG District Boston, Boston EMS as well
as to the head of the Base Exchange.
On 5/20/12, crews from Boston EMS,
BPD and BFD responded to a report of a
young child struck by a motor vehicle. This
young child suffered life threatening injuries
to which the crews of Boston EMS A10 and
P3 treated and transported to the Boston
Medical Center. The child eventually was
transferred to one of the ICU’s where the
battle to save his life continued.
During the night tour of 5/21, it was
somehow relayed to EMT James Sullivan
that this child had a fascination with helicopters. The goal of fulfilling the request was
on. Below is the email sent from Lt. Beers
assigned to the Turret that shift to Dr. Dyer
I
and those involved in attempting to fulfill
this request. (Parts have been edited but the
substance remains the same.)
HHHHH
Good Morning Dr. Dyer,
Following up on our conversation
about the personnel of the USCG Base
Group Boston.
Upon hearing from EMT James Sullivan of A13N about his goal of fulfilling
the request to find a toy helicopter for the
5 y/o child at BMCM, I made a call to
both Boston Med Flight and the USCG
Base Group Boston. Med Flight said that
their administrative staff would be in at
approximately 0800 and they would see
Looking at Skin Cancer Awareness
By Lt. Eric McDevitt
s we approach the summertime we all
want to spend as much time outdoors
as we can. After all, even though the winter
of 2012 was fairly tame by New England
standards, we all want to get out and soak up
the beautiful weather as it’s a short season.
But a few things to keep in mind. Do you
realize that:
1 out of 5 people will develop some form
of Skin Cancer in their lifetime.
And that 1 person dies every hour from
Melanoma (The worst type of Skin Cancer).
That you can develop sun damage all
year long.
It’s a scary fact that left un-treated, skin
cancers can change every aspect of a persons
life. How many of us have had a sunburn?
How about a blistering sunburn? Did this
occur early in your life? Because of this
you could be at a potentially higher risk to
develop skin cancer than those that have not.
Q: So what causes skin cancer?
A: Well even though research continues,
we know this about skin cancer so far. When
the cells of the skin are damaged by ultraviolet radiation (UV), it can cause the cells
to mutate and multiply rapidly, possibly
causing tumors to develop. These tumors can
spread to the surrounding tissue and in some
cases to other organs of the body.
Q: So if I use a Tanning Bed, I am safe
right?
A: Wrong! According to the CDC and
multiple other agencies, Tanning beds use
a process in which UV light is focused on
the body. This can cause the same type of
damage as the sun.
A
So what are the different types of Skin
cancers and what should I look for?
The following information is taken from
various publications including the CDC and
the Skin Cancer Foundation.
AK or Actinic Keratosis
Description: This is the most common
form of Pre-Cancer. They are usually described as scaly or crusty growths. They
are typically elevated, rough in
texture and can
appear anywhere
but are common
on the face, scalp,
lips and the back
of the hands. Left
untreated, these
Courtesy of SkinCancerFoundation
pre-cancers can
advance to “squamous cell carcinomas”.
SCC or
Squamous Cell
Carcinoma
Description:
This is the 2nd most
common form of
skin cancer. These
will also resemble
scaly red patches,
open sores and or
warts. They may
even crust over
and bleed when
Courtesy of SkinCancerFoundation
bumped. They can
typically have a raised border. They can present anywhere on the body but are very common on the areas that are exposed to the sun;
The ears, lips, legs etc.
Page B2 • PAX CENTURION • September/October 2012
BCC or
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Description: BCC’s resemble open sores,
red patches, shiny bumps. Left Untreated,
these can become extremely disfiguring.
Dysplastic Nevi or
Atypical Moles
Description:
These are typically
benign moles that resemble Melanoma.
However it should be
noted that according
to the research, individuals that have more
than 10 of these are at
a much greater risk at Courtesy of SkinCancerFoundation
developing melanoma in their lifetime than
the general population.
Melanoma
Where all cancers (in this article we are
focusing on skin cancer) of the skin are
dangerous, this is and can be the most deadly
form of skin cancer. The key to all cancer is
early detection and treatment. In skin cancer
if detected early, Melanoma is curable. Left
untreated, it can mutate and invade other
organs of the body.
Description: Melanomas can often be
described as “moles and brown spots”. So
how do I know or when should I be concerned?
ABCDE
A=Asymetrical borders of a mole. The
(continued on page B3)
what they could do.
When I called USCG Group Boston, I
talked to Mister Brian Flemming. He said
that he was sure that the base exchange
had various toy helicopters but was
closed. He said he would ask around to
the 4 or-so people that were awake in the
area to see what they may be able to find
and if not, that as soon as the base exchange opened, he would check there. He
told me he would call back in 15 minutes.
Before Mr. Flemming had a chance to
return the call, Lt. Gretchen Fox let me
know that she had found a toy helicopter
at Walgreen’s. It did not occur to me to
call Mr. Flemming back right away. When
he called me, I was quite surprised. He
told me that he had come up with a $400
remote control helicopter and some used
toys. He said that since they had only
found used toys and the R/C Helo, he
had called the person that managed the
base exchange. She was on the way in to
open the store and that he would let me
know as soon as he had the toys in hand.
I was speechless. I contacted Lt. Fox and
told her the situation. As soon as Mr.
Flemming called (in very short order)
Gretchen went to the Base and delivered
not one but 3 of the models to BMCM.
Although I am certain that you are
aware, I would like to reiterate the fact
that along with our people, the crew at
Group Boston went over and above. I
doubt I could put into words the feeling I
could hear in the voice of Mr. Flemming.
He did not say this but I could hear it in
his voice… There was no way he was
going to let this child down. I asked him
how much money was needed to cover the
cost and he made it clear that he and his
crew were going to “pass the hat” and
they would not take any money.
When you write the letter to Group
Boston, I would like to express my praise
for the efforts of Mr. Flemming, the person
that manages the base exchange (I did not
get her name but I think maybe Gretchen
did), along with the rest of the crew at
Group Boston.
Good job to everyone from BMCM,
BEMS, USCG and anyone else involved
in making this happen.
My thoughts and prayers to the child
and his family.
– Lt. Scott Beers
HHHHH
Now it should be noted that all of this oc
curred in the early morning hours. The head
of the base exchanged came in on her own
time at 0330 at the request of the personnel
at USCG District Boston.
The following personnel at USCG Dis(continued on page B10)
617-989-BPPA (2772)
Damn, I’m glad we’re in this spare
By Ed McCarthy
here are a number of things you don’t
hear people say around Boston EMS.
“Oh, boy! I hope we get a late trip.” Or
“Wow, that homeless man was really
nice to us.” Or “Damn, I’m glad we’re in
this spare truck.” I said that last one the
other day.
My regular truck, a GMC 4500 is
in for routine maintenance, and we are
assigned a spare truck, another slightly
older GMC. I groaned when I saw it in the
bay. Everyone knows what I mean. It’s a
wheezy, tired old spare. It rattles like an
old shopping cart full of empty cans, and
belches clouds of black smoke as we go
along. Every bump we hit causes a catastrophic clanking noise from somewhere
under the frame. It has a funny smell too,
a combination of diesel smoke, rubbing
alcohol, and old pizza.
Anyways, right after that shift I took
overtime in another district, one that
has a brand new “International Terra
Star SFA” ambulance assigned. Having
never driven one, I was in for a treat, or
so I thought.
Just getting into this ambulance was a
chore. The seats have a rubber coating on
them that grabs your uniform and pulls it
out of place. I looked for an adjustment
lever to move it to a more accessible
height, but there ISN’T ONE, only a pull
tab that lets compressed air out to lower
T
it. At least I can bounce up and down now.
The huge steering wheel, more at home
on a roulette table in Vegas than in the
cab of an ambulance, is cantered away
from the driver, forcing you to reach far
out away from you, knuckles brushing
the windshield as you drive. Adjusting it
brings it down onto your lap, which further squishes you in the seat. You have to
crank on that steering wheel a lot too. If
there is a way to fix this, I wish someone
would tell me. The thing doesn’t corner
well at all, and I found myself making
numerous eight-point-turns to get out of
narrow places, and parking spaces. Driving them on straight roads is no picnic
either. The ambulance handles like an oil
tanker, and although no speed demon, I
found myself going slower for fear of not
being able to navigate traffic.
The side view mirrors act like horse
blinders as you drive. The blind spots
these mirrors create are huge! I found myself wondering if Professional Standards
keeps track of which kind of ambulance
was in use when MVA’s are reported. I’d
be willing to bet these new trucks are more
prevalently hit while on the road.
At the end of our first call, I pulled
into the hospital, and was suddenly assaulted by ‘beeps,’ ‘whistles,’ ‘dings,’ and
‘chimes’ from various parts of the dash,
starting up for no apparent reason. I actually looked around, startled, wondering
what I had done to this truck to cause all
of this electronic ire. No adjustment of
the key, turning off of lights, or any other
action would silence the numerous alarms.
I don’t hear this many electronic beeps in
the arcade my kids go to! I jumped out, to
EMS
Division
Unity & Strength
get away from all the noise, and surprise,
surprise, these new rigs are keyed differently. Now I’m locked out. Wonderful.
I decided after a few transports, that
the best thing about these new trucks is
getting out of them. My dislike for operating this truck was so intense, I asked my
partner to drive for the rest of the shift. She
agreed. We soon left the hospital, with me
secure in the knowledge that I was safely
in the passenger seat. It was a false sense
of security.
When my partner stopped short for
a car that was crossing against us, I got
a taste of the dangers of the tech’s side.
With sudden braking, momentum threw
me forward, and I instinctively grabbed
for the handlebar that exists in the cab of
the 4500. The Terra Star, not having one,
led me to place my hand against what I
Looking at Skin Cancer Awareness…
(continued from page B2)
halves of a mole do not match up.
B=Borders are uneven, or even knotched.
C=When you look at a mole, if it has
different shades, colors etc. you should be
concerned.
D=Typically, Melanomas will develop
into a diameter area that is larger than a
pencil eraser.
E=If it “evolves” or changes color, consistency etc. GET CHECKED OUT.
So what do I do now?
The key is getting to know your body.
This starts with a self exam.
So how do you do a self-exam? Typically this can be done by yourself with the
use of a large floor to ceiling mirror and/or
a handheld mirror but if you can enlist your
partner, family member etc. this is even better. There is even an App for smart phones
that can chart your body and allow you to
“possibly” see any changes.
Personally, I would recommend that individuals go to a board certified dermatologist
once a year. Health Insurance only works if
you use it.
The Self-Exam Process
Take your time in this self exam.
The American Cancer Society recommends the following. Facing a mirror check
your face,ears,neck and scalp, followed by
the chest and belly. Women will have to lift
www.bppa.org
their breasts to check the skin underneath.
Check under your arms, both the front
and back of your arms and hands as well as
between your fingers and nail beds (yes, that
is not a typo).
Now it is time to sit down and continue
the exam.
Exam your thighs, shins, the top of your feet,
in between your toes and under your nail beds.
Using a handheld mirror, check the soles
of your feet, the back of your calves and then
the back of your thighs one leg at a time.
Once this is completed, you will need to
check the buttock, genital and then the back
of your neck with a handheld mirror.
You will need to comb thru your hair
checking for anything abnormal. Skin cancers even with a full head of hair can develop
in this area. This is easier done with a partner.
The key is to take your time in this self
exam. If you see something, say something.
Prevention
Obviously most of us do not live in a
cave. So the key is in trying to limit the
damage done to your body. Here are a few
simple things recommended by the CDC,
SkinCancerFoundation and American Cancer Society.
Use a broad Spectrum (UVA and UVB)
sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher every
single day. Reapply every 2hrs or whenever excessive sweating or swimming are
involved.*(The rules for sunscreen/sunblock
will be changing later this year).
When possible, cover up including a wide
brim hat and UV blocking sunglasses.
DO NOT BURN!
Try to limit your exposure between the
hours of 10 am-4 pm.
Now obviously, these are guidelines that
in reality in the world of working outdoors
can be hard to follow. The key is awareness
and regular self checks.
More information can be found on a host
of websites on skin cancer, skin care, detection and prevention.
Skin cancer is one of the most treatable
cancers – if caught early.
Now this information was put together
from a variety of websites. I invite those that
need more information to go to American
Cancer Society, The Skin Cancer Foundation
and even the Center for Disease Control.
There is a lot of good information out there
on the web but I would go to these for the
most accurate and up to date information.
Currently, there is a lot of debate on Tanning
Beds and the levels of sunblock/sunscreen.
All that I can say is that prevention is key and
awareness could save you from potentially
life altering conditions.
I tred to gather as much information to
educate and make you aware, but obviously
the key is to getting yourself checked out
by a Board Certified Dermatologist on an
annual basis.
thought was a sturdy dashboard. What my
hand found was a poorly secured panel
that immediately popped off, and slid to
the floor between my boots, revealing the
wiring for most of the trucks’ electronics.
Still being thrown forward, I now found
myself wrist-deep in the electronic spaghetti that panel covers, afraid to move
lest I get shocked or something. The
ambulance skidding to a halt solved that
dilemma for me as I was now thrown back,
hands now out of the wires, only to discover, only now, that there is no headrest,
as I bonked the back of my head against
the back of the cab.
Who knew the Marquis de Sade had a
sideline in ambulance design? Google it.
The shift ended none too soon. I have
a bump on the back of my head, my back
is stiff, there’s a crick in my neck, and
I’m pretty sure if I picked up a light bulb,
it might glow faintly from me having my
arms in the wiring. I shudder to think of
what spending an entire shift in one of
these trucks must be like. I went home,
and slept a few hours, and then returned
to my regular shift.
There sat the spare GMC 4500; the
same one I was in last night. Seeing my
partner across the bay, I hopped in, and
started to log us on. And then I had an
epiphany....
I sank gratefully into the warm comforting, gentle embrace of the seat, the
scuffy headrest supporting my sore head
and neck perfectly. I sighed in contentment. It was like coming home after a
lousy trip. I took a moment to appreciate
the startling difference between the two
vehicles. I adjusted the seat back, and
logged us on. I looked again, as if seeing it
for the first time. There before me, a steering wheel, facing me, and not tilted away
from me. It turns easily, even in park!
I hopped out, free of the assault of the
multiple warning chimes and beeps. Going to our first call was like a walk in the
park. The 4500 drove easily, effortlessly,
intuitively, seemingly almost as if, by
itself. I began to feel better. Much better.
At the time of this writing, Acting
Fleet-Manager Hipsman told me that
the newest batch of these Internationals
have the cornering radius improved by
thirty percent, and that new seats are being
looked at over the proverbial ‘next two
weeks.’ This I believe, because most of
the single-digits in the office have called
in expressing their concerns after hearing
multiple complaints from the crews. Also,
some BPPA/EMS members have told me
that the absence of headrests is an OSHA
thing, and they have implored the department to make changes. Hipsman says
to me that no one is really sure what all
those warning dings and chimes are for,
let alone how to turn them off. He’s only
half-kidding.
As I went on my second call, change
was the last thing I wanted. I was just
glad I was in this wheezy, tired old spare.
There. I said it.
Boston Police Hero Sign Locations updated July 17, 2012
Watchman Jonathan Houghton
End of Watch: December 19, 1825
Broad and State Streets
Downtown Boston District 1
HHHHH
Watchman David Estes
End of Watch: April 27, 1848
Batterymarch and Water Streets
HHHHH
Inspector Thomas J. Norton
End of Watch: June 19, 1914
Boylston and Tremont Streets
HHHHH
Sergeant Frederick Schlehuber
End of Watch: November 10, 1910
Ashburton Place and Somerset Street
HHHHH
Patrolman Cornelius F. Regan
End of Watch: January 13, 1898
North Washington Street Bridge
Boston District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Walter E. Harris
Adams and Lincoln Streets
Dorchester
District 11
HHHHH
Patrolman Ezekiel W. Hodsdon
End of Watch: October 18, 1857
Maverick and Havre Streets
East Boston District 7
There is also a Granite Memorial
at this location.
HHHHH
Patrolman Alfred M. Sturdivant
End of Watch: September 4, 1904 Falcon
and Putnam Streets
East Boston District 7
HHHHH
Patrolman Albert Motroni
End of Watch: September 22, 1924
Liverpool and Summer Streets
East Boston
District 7
HHHHH
Patrolman James D. Hughes
Bennington and Walley Streets
East Boston
District 7
HHHHH
Sergeant Richard F. Halloran
Bremen and Bennington Streets
East Boston
District 7
There is also a Granite Memorial
at this location
HHHHH
Detective Roy Joseph Sergei
Marlborough Street and
Massachusetts Avenue
District 4
25th Anniversary 2012
HHHHH
Patrolman Berisford Wayne Anderson
End of Watch: February 5, 1994
Spencer Street and Talbot Avenue
District 11
HHHHH
Patrolman John T. Lynch
Summer and Kingston Streets
District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Richard J. Gallivan
Federal Court and Federal Street
District 1
Patrolman John J. Earle
Boylston and Washington Streets
District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Thomas F. Rose
in front of 40 New Sudbury Street
District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Andrew B. Cuneo
End of Watch: August 13, 1921
333 Hanover Street
North End
District 1
Officer Cuneo is the First Italian Police Officer
to be appointed to the BPD and First Italian
Boston Police Officer killed in the line of duty.
HHHHH
Lieutenant Inspector
Benjamin Alexander
End of Watch: July 4, 1925
Beach Street, Chinatown
Boston District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Francis B. Johnson
End of Watch: March 17, 1969
Tremont and Boylston Streets
Boston District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Albert R. Peterson
Hale and Pitts Street, West End,
which are no longer around,
the sign was placed near the location of
Merrimac Street near Bulfinch Place
District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Patrick C. Gannon
Thompson Square
District 15
HHHHH
Patrolman James T. Malloy
Bunker Hill and Hunter Streets
District 15
HHHHH
Patrolman Harris B. McInnes
End of Watch: July 3,
1927 Main Street, near Austin Street
District 15
HHHHH
Patrolman William G. Clancy
Main Street near CVS
Charlestown
District 15
HHHHH
Patrolman Louis H. Metaxas
Old Colony Avenue
District 6
HHHHH
Detective Francis E. Creamer
G Street South Boston
District 6
HHHHH
Patrolman Patrick J. Carr
Castle Island South Boston
District 6
HHHHH
Detective James J. Troy
Camden Street
District 2
HHHHH
Patrolman Ward M. Bray
Centre Street, near Seaverns Avenue
Jamaica Plain
District 17
Patrolman Peter Paul Oginskis
End of Watch: May 5, 1923
Pond Street and Arborway
Jamaica Plain
District 13
HHHHH
Patrolman Herbert D. Allen
Washington and Fairbanks Streets
District 14
HHHHH
Patrolman William L. Abbott
Riverway and Brookline Avenue
Fenway
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Daniel A. McCallum
Jamaicaway past Bynner Street
Jamaica Plain
District 16
HHHHH
Patrolman Michael J. Crowley
River Street, opposite #284
District 11
HHHHH
Patrolman John J. Gallagher
540 Commonwealth Avenue
Kenmore Square
District 4
HHHHH
Detective George J. Holmes
Washington and Winter Streets
District 1
HHHHH
Patrolman Charles A. McNabb
1202 Commonwealth Avenue and
Harvard Street
District 4
HHHHH
Detective Thomas J. Gill
Market Street near RR Tracks
District 4
This hero sign is on hold for
25th Anniversary in 2013
HHHHH
Sergeant William F. Healey
24 Fayette Street
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman James B. O’Leary
Commonwealth Avenue and
Fairfield Street
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Daniel J. McShane
Wheeler Street
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Frank B. Callahan
Warrenton and Tremont Streets
District 4
HHHHH
Detective Sherman C. Griffiths
109 Bellevue Street
District 11
This hero sign is on hold for
25th Anniversary in 2013
HHHHH
Captain Hugh J. Lee
409 Dudley Street, Roxbury
District 9
Patrolman John F. Condon
543 Tremont Street
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Michael Brennan
End of Watch: July 7, 1918
302 Warren Street
District 4 HHHHH
Patrolman Joseph C. Reiser
Jersey Street
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Charles E. Deininger
Meridian Street Bridge at Nay Street
District 7
HHHHH
Patrolman Adolph F. Butterman
409 Dudley Street, Roxbury
District 9
HHHHH
Patrolman James Brickley
Beach and Washington Streets,
near Pleasant Cafe
District 5
HHHHH
Patrolman James B. Roche
End of Watch: March 21, 1936
Faneuil and Harriet Streets, Brighton
District 14
HHHHH
Patrolman James G. McCann Jr.
Front of District 14
District 14
HHHHH
Patrolman Walter A. Schroeder
Western Avenue and Everett Street
Brighton
District 14
HHHHH
Detective John D. Schroeder
1904 Washington Street, Roxbury
District 2
HHHHH
Patrolman Donald A. Brown
American Legion Highway, near
Shopping Center, Roslindale
District 5
HHHHH
Patrolman William R. Beckman
Boylston Street,
near the Prudential Center
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Joseph M. Mullen
John Hancock Building
District 4
HHHHH
Patrolman Frank J. Comeau
Acadia and Adams Street, Dorchester
in front of old Station 11
District 11
HHHHH
There have been 59 hero signs
posted thus far with two on hold until
their 25th anniversaries in 2013.
– Compiled by
P.O. Robert E. Anthony
Chronologist
Boston Police Department
617-989-BPPA (2772)
Cops For Kids With Cancer takes the kids for a sail on the harbor
www.bppa.org
Enough with the
political doubletalk
Neponset Preschool
By Kevin Doogan
n one of Professor Warren’s recent campaign advertisements, she highlights that
the Chinese Government spends 9% of
their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on
their infrastructure while the United States
spends a paltry 2.9 % of our GDP on our
infrastructure. What Warren fails to acknowledge is that the People’s Republic of China,
a human-rights nightmare of a country, isn’t
plagued with a populace that almost 50% of
the able-bodied public is on some type of
government assistance, and almost 50% of
our able-bodied public doesn’t pay Federal
income tax. Not the case in Communist
China, where the freedom of speech, religion, and of the press are seriously muted.
Her example of China as a governmental
shining-star is appalling in light of their
one-child policy where the government is
in your bedroom, the Chinese urban or rural
limitation pigeon-holes and discriminates
against its own populace. What could this
“Moonbat Cambridge educator” be thinking using China as an example? In her praise
for China, Warren doesn’t mention that under
I
281 Neponset Ave.
Dorchester
617-265-2665
Fall/Winter Sign-up
Half Days • Full Days
$37.00 per day
Secure Play Area
4,000 sq. ft.
3 Classrooms
2 yrs. 8 mo to 6 yrs.
Massachusetts Early Education License #291031 • Daughter of BPPA Retiree
THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
PEER SUPPORT UNIT
We are a peer-driven support program
for police officers and their families.
Our program is strictly confidential
and is available to all
police officers and their families.
Group or individual help with handling
family and life issues, alcohol, drugs,
anger and domestic issues.
Referral for specialist as needed.
251 River Street, Mattapan, MA 02126
Office: 617-598-7888 (Mon.-Fri. 9 to 5)
Off-Hours, On-Call Peer Counselor:
617-343-4680
Sometimes even we need a little help from our friends!
?
United States Trivia:
the oversight of the Chinese Communist
Party, the CCP, this government supersedes all laws when it conflicts with their
agenda. I’m sure there are better examples
out there other than China. Also of note,
I’m sure China isn’t plagued with illegal
aliens flooding their borders for a free ride
on the welfare and SSDI gravy train as we
apparently are here in the USA.
While I’m on the subject of Elizabeth
Warren’s campaign ads, is it lost on anybody that while she highlights the trillions
of dollars our children are being put in debt
as a result of getting an education she fails
to acknowledge her role in the system? I’m
pretty sure when she’s not chasing back
her lily white family tree she is or was a
six figure salaried professor from Harvard
University. If I’m not mistaken, I believe in
the three hundred thousand dollar bracket.
With inflated salaries like hers, I’d say she
and her fellow educators have helped turn
our establishments of higher learning into big
business. So in the end, you can rest assured
I won’t be supporting anyone this fall who
speaks with a forked tongue.
Bill Carroll
What do you know
about our country?
1.What state was the first to issue license plates for automobiles?
2. What state is known as the “Pelican State”?
3.Which of the Great Lakes is entirely in the United States?
4.How many states does the St. Lawrence River run through?
5.What four states touch each other at one point?
(see answers on page B14)
? How many can
Sports Trivia:
Bill Carroll
you get correct?
1. Who was the first Japanese born player to appear in a Major League Baseball AllStar game?
2. Who holds the PGA Tour record for most career wins?
3. Can you name the last five MLB franchises who moved to a new city and chose a
new team nickname?
4. Can you names the major league teams who remained in their city but chose a new
nickname?
5. Who are the only two major leaguers to hit a home run for their 3,000 career hit?
6. Can you name the Red Sox catcher who led the American League in triples one
season?
7. Who was the last major league player to lead the league in home runs and triples
in a season?
8. Who holds the major league record for most total bases in a game?
9. Who holds the Red Sox single season record for saves?
10.Who is the Patriots all-time leading rusher?
(see answers on page B14)
Attention
To all members of the Boston Police Relief Association
Active Duty or Retired
If you need to change your beneficiary or you are not sure of who
your beneficiary is you can contact the relief office at 617-364-9565.
If you leave a message your call will be returned and if necessary
the paperwork will be sent out to you.
Thank you,
William F. Carroll, Clerk, Boston Police Relief Association
617-989-BPPA (2772)
www.bppa.org
100th Anniversary Celebration of the
Boston Police Department Motorcycle Unit was held
on Sunday, September 16th, 2012 at Fenway Park
By P.O. Robert E. Anthony,
Chronologist,
Boston Police Department
urrently, the BPD has 56 men and women assigned to its motorcycle force:
1 MOP Captain
1 MOP Lieutenant
6 MOP Sergeants
48MOP Officers
On September 16, 2012 the Boston
Police Department celebrated their 100th
anniversary in which the Boston Police
Mobile Operations Patrol entered into its
second century of service in the year 2012.
For the Boston Police Departments (BPD)
world-renowned motorcycle program. It
represents a significant milestone
for the City of Boston,
BPD and all of the courageous men and women
who for the past 100 years
have dedicated themselves to
protect and serve the citizens
of the city of Boston. The
success of BPD’s early motor pioneers resulted in the
formation of the “Speed
Squad” in 1912, which was
the predecessor of today’s professional, organized motorcycle program.
Given their exceptional mobility, riding
skills and tenacity, mobile operations officers have consistently demonstrated their
unique ability to quickly respond anywhere
in the city, regardless of traffic conditions,
emergency or significant event. Over this
same time span, mobile operations officers
have proudly and safely escorted countless foreign dignitaries, heads of state,
prominent world figures and presidents of
the United States without incident. Motorcycles have been utilized for all types
of duties and assignments. Over the years,
the motorcycles have been used in crowd
C
control, disbursement of protestors. And in
neighborhood deployment where they are
deployed in highly visible and proactive
enforcement areas, these officers have arrested many suspects, who are wanted for
violent firearm and drug-related offenses.
The unit has transformed itself into a
tactical-base unit, with its mission being
to suppress and stop violent criminals
by utilizing tactical maneuvers. Over the
past century, the BPD Mobile Operations
Patrol (MOP) Unit has used a variety of
motorcycle manufacturers, such
as Indian and Harley-Davidson.
Currently, 100% of the motor fleet
is comprised of Harley-Davidson®
Road King® models.
Since those early years, the
motorcycle program has evolved
beyond mere traffic enforcement
to special weapons and tactics
S.W.A.T. This event was staged at
Fenway Park one of the oldest historic baseball parks in the United
States, which also is celebrating
their centennial. The Commissioner (which was a another first
for our Department’s history
as Commissioner Ed
Davis was the first
Commissioner to
Ride a Department
Motorcycle with his
men) led his officers
all on motorcycles along with
Former MOP members and
retired members MOP and
of the BPD on a “Ride to
Remember” riding by all
six locations where one of
our fallen officers fell in the line
of duty while riding a motorcycle, They
rode through the historic City of Boston
and ended the ride at Special Operations
Headquarters located at 364 Warren Street
in Roxbury. The officers then formed up
and marched out under the direction of Officer Timothy and formed up in front of six
silent tribute motorcycles on loan from the
American Police Motorcycle Museum. The
retired officers and members of the BPD
formed up on Warren Street for the memorial dedication that was to take place next.
The national anthem was sung by MOP
Officer Teddy Hendricks, as the men
and women of the historic Boston Police
Department
both active
and retired
either rendered a
hand salute
or removed
their hats
and covered
their hearts
with their
hands. You
could hear a
pin drop and some of the officers had tears
in their eyes I know I did. Superintendent
in Chief Dan Linskey took to the lecture
and welcomed everyone by saying in his
first few words, “It’s great to be a Boston
Police Officer today”. The family survivors
took to their seats and many spoke about
how they never knew how much their fallen
Hero our Fallen Hero meant to the men
and women of the Boston Police Department. Donna Loverme, Granddaughter
of William Abbott, stated to me she “had
the utmost respect for what our men and
women do day in and day out and you all
left a lasting impression on me and my
family”. Captain Patrick Crossen was the
next speaker and spoke about the history
of how the motorcycle unit came about, he
hit the nail on the head with many of the
old-timers about “they are still late to roll
call.” MOP meant “Money Over Pride”
and also the “Mayors Own Police Force”. I
was the next speaker and thanked everyone
for showing up for this historic event and
what sacrifices that each gave to the BPD.
And to thank the family members for coming, Margaret Sullivan did a great job in
getting the word out so they could be with
us today. The next speaker was the honorable Mayor Thomas M. Menino he talked
about what it means to be a police officer
in this unit and how they have exceeded all
that has been asked of them he also thanked
the families for coming and former Commanders, Commissioners and guests. The
next speaker was Police Commissioner Edward Davis who spoke about how this unit
was like our Navy Seals they always did
what others could not do, Superintendentin-Chief Daniel Linskey then said “I have
to correct you – you meant they are like
the Marines recon,” this got a laugh out
of the attendees. Superintendent William
Evans was our last speaker and explained
the meaning of the white gloves and red
rose that the MOP officer (white gloves)
would place and red rose (family member
of the fallen officer) would be placing
onto the silent motorcycle saddle seat as
a sign of valor and love. Superintendents
then read roll-call of our six motorcycle
officers that were killed in the line of duty.
Patrolman Ward M. Bray, killed in the
line of duty April 14, 1921, Patrolman
(continued on page B9)
617-989-BPPA (2772)
100th Anniversary Celebration of the Boston Police Department Motorcycle Unit…
Peter Paul Oginskis killed in the line of
duty May 5, 1923, Patrolman Herbert D.
Allen killed in the line of duty December
25, 1927, Patrolman William L. Abbott
killed in the line of duty November 28,
1931, Patrolman Daniel A. McCallum
killed in the line of duty May 12, 1935 and
Patrolman Michael J. Crowley killed in
the line of duty May 12, 1961. A Boston
Police Tribute Motorcycle with all the
fallen names displayed was a vintage 1929
Indian. The generous support of several
sponsors, including Harley-Davidson, and
the assistance of several active and retired
BPD employees. However the commemorative event would never have become a
reality if it had not been for Mayor Thomas
Menino, Police Commissioner Edward
Davis, Superintendent-In-Chief Daniel
Linskey, Superintendent William Evans,
Captain Patrick J. Crossen, Commander
Mobile Operations Patrol, Former Deputy
Charles Cellucci, Former Deputy Robert
O’Toole, Sgt. Jack Mahoney, Captain
Kelly McCormack and P.O. Robert E.
Anthony, Chronologist, who over a brief
and stressful seven months managed to
orchestrate a memorable and historical
event on a shoestring budget. This is truly a
fitting tribute to the men and woman of the
Boston Police Motorcycle Program whose
dedicated efforts over the past century has
Six from the Motorcycle Unit who
were Killed in the Line of Duty
Patrolman Ward M. Bray was born in Vinalhaven, Maine in 1894. He moved to Worcester, Massachusetts and married before serving in
the Signal Corps during the World War. Patrolman Bray was appointed
to the Boston Police Department in 1919 and assigned to Division 17
in West Roxbury. Officer Bray was killed in the line of duty on April
14, 1921 while operating his motorcycle with a sidecar attached. He
left his widow Marion, his mother, and numerous siblings.
Patrolman Peter P. Oginskis was born in
1896 in what is now Lithuania. As a boy he
immigrated to the United States with his family. A talented amateur
boxer, Oginskis served in the U.S. Navy during the World War. He was appointed to the Boston Police Department in 1921 and
assigned to Division 13 in Jamaica Plain. Patrolman Oginskis was
killed in the line of duty on May 5, 1923. He was survived by his
parents of Nashua, New Hampshire and many brothers and sisters.
Patrolman Herbert D. Allen was born in Revere in 1894 and grew
up in Saugus, Massachusetts. He worked as a milkman before being
appointed to the Boston Police Department in 1926 and assigned to
Division 14 in Brighton. Officer Allen was killed in the line of duty on,
December 25, 1927. Superintendent Michael Crowley called him one
on the finest officers he had worked with. Fellow officers raised funds
to assist widow Ethel Allen and her two young sons.
Patrolman William L. Abbott was born
in Boston in 1892 and worked as a teamster
before his appointment to the Boston Police Department in 1926.
He first served in Division 21 and in 1931 moved to Division 16
in the Back Bay. Officer Abbott was killed in the line of duty on
November 28, 1931. He left his wife Helen and five children.
Patrolman Daniel A. McCallum
was born in Cambridge in 1895. He
served in the Army and was gravely
wounded in France during the World War. Appointed in 1920,
McCallum served in Division 7 and Division 21 before being
transferred to Division 16 in the Back Bay. Officer McCallum
was often assigned to escort prominent officials. He was killed in
the line of duty on May 12, 1935. Patrolman McCallum had only
recently married. He was survived by his widow Mary, his mother,
sister, and brother Patrolman John R. McCallum. Patrolman Michael J. Crowley was born in Boston in 1923.
He served in the Navy through the Second World War. Patrolman
Crowley was appointed in 1949, serving first in Division 18 and
then with the Traffic Division. In 1960 he returned to Hyde Park.
Patrolman Crowley was killed in the line of duty on May 12,
1961. He left his wife Catherine, sons Michael Jr., Daniel, Kevin,
Edward, and his daughter Catherine, who also served as a Boston
Police Officer.
www.bppa.org
solidified BPD’s reputation as a preeminent
law enforcement agency in the nation and
helps to make the City of Boston the safest
city in America. I can attest that this was
by far one of the best events the Boston
Police has organized. As S-I-C, Linskey
stated over 1,400 years of service came
R
to honor our own. Stay safe on your tours
of duty. You all made the Boston Police a
very proud separtment to work for. We are
family as one of the survivors stated and
the true men and women proved it today. I
am just proud to be part of the team.
“We don’t forget our own.”
A Tribute
ecently, Harvard Baseball Coach Joe
Walsh, a fellow O.F.D. (“Originally
from Dorchester”); was called up to the Big
Club. With Joe’s passing, the college baseball
world lost a great coach, and the world in
general lost a great guy.
Four decades ago I had the pleasure of
playing some baseball with Joe at Dorchester
Park where we both learned how the game
should be played from a mutual mentor.
Ray “Jake” Sheridan. All who came under
Jake’s tutelage gained a greater love for, and
knowledge of baseball – and Joe was the
teacher’s prize pupil.
Two decades later Joe and my son, Hal,
began their Harvard baseball careers in the
same year, 1996. Hal enjoyed four very
good years playing for Joe, an enthusiastic,
knowledgeable, and positive coach. There’s
no doubt in my mind that Hal’s career would
not have been as good nor as enjoyable, had
he played for any other coach.
Coach Joe Walsh was buried on August
11th in Cedar Grove Cemetery close to his
old coach. Ray Sheridan, and just a long
toss away from “Dot” Park where it all
began.
Now that Joe has left us to play for the
Heavenly Nine, I’m sure that Jake is taking
him under his wing again, as they take turns
throwing batting practice to each other on a
field where there are never any bad bounces.
Requiescat in pace!
– Richard Carey, O.F.D.
Declaration of Homestead
Protect your residence!
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Law Office of Donald E. Green
(A full service law firm)
2235 Washington Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
(617) 442-0050
toll free (877) DON-GREEN
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As we have over the past 30 years,
we offer a discounted fee to police officers
Little princess loses battle with cancer
By Mark A. Bruno
ittle Avalanna Routh from Merrimac
Massachusetts lost her battle with a
rare form of brain cancer. This young girl
captured our hearts last year when she
became known as Mrs. Justin Bieber. The
mock ceremony, complete with a cardboard cutout of Bieber, was held by nurses
at the hospital where Avalanna was being
treated. You know those crushes little
girls get. When the pop star heard about
Avalanna and her struggle with cancer, he
took time out of his schedule to pay her
a visit. The young singer had his heart
string pulled as soon as he met her. The
two had spent hours playing games. The
local news media was all over it. Many
young girls would have loved to be in
Avalanna’s place, but most understood the
L
kindness that was being shown by Bieber.
This young girl was in the fight of her
life and along comes this mega-superstar
to raise her spirits. The truth was he was
humbled in her presence. Plans were made
to fly Avalanna to New York where Bieber
brought her up on stage and introduced her
as Mrs. Justin Bieber; talk about making
a girl’s wish come true.
It is a great thing to have the world
by the tail, but suddenly the world gets
smaller when you see little ones suffering. The Dana Farber Hospital is filled
with children who are battling cancer.
Sometimes we don’t realize the pain that
goes on around us until it touches us. We
all need to humble ourselves and realize
that whatever problems we may have seem
small compared to what others are going
An Open Letter of Appreciation to USCG District Boston,
Boston EMS and the Head of the Base Exchange
trict 1 especially should be thanked:
Chief Brian Fisher
Mr. Brian Flemming
Alex Waide
Brenda Schepici
(operates the Base Exchange)
On a personal note, I would like to say that;
Its not very often that we can commend
each other in a genuine sort of way for all
the hard work that the crews do on a day to
day basis with very little praise or a genuine
“Thank you” from those that matter. The
child eventually succumbed to his injuries.
But I know that those who took part in this
small act of kindness forever will have their
lives changed by what happened that night.
I know we do the work every single day
but it never ceases to amaze me the extra mile
that folks whom I work with go even after
the patient has been delivered to the hospital
to bring just a little bit of normalcy to an
otherwise abnormal stressfilled profession.
through. I feel truly blessed to have good
health, and to have three healthy children.
I try not to take things for granted, and
help others whenever I can. It could be just
a small gesture, but in the end, I believe
it all adds up. Getting involved in charities like Cops for Kids with Cancer helps
families like Avalanna’s. We may not have
a cure, but we can certainly bring a small
amount of comfort to those young ones
who suffer, and their families.
As a result of this special couple,
donations and awareness were raised to
help find a cure for this debilitating disease. This young girl, with her infectious
smile and will to live, showed us all how
precious life is. The teen pop idol earned
the praise of many for showing a level of
maturity and kindness. Justin Bieber was
very distraught when he heard about Avalana’s passing. Most of us who followed
the story felt a pain in our heart for this
little girl and her family. Our thoughts
and prayers are with the Routh family.
May God keep this precious Little Angel
close to His heart.
THE LAW FIRM OF SCOTT D. GOLDBERG, P.C.
Assisting and Representing Police Officers Since 1990
RECENT CASE SUMMARY
FACTS: Officer injured on-duty when police vehicle struck by suspect avoiding arrest. Officer
was disabled and collected IOD pay and medical bills were paid under c.41 s.111F. Officer
recovered and returned to full duty.
CASE: Officer sought free legal consultation and pursued claims against the vehicle operator
and owner – and under his personal auto policy – for lost detail and overtime pay, and compensation for pain and suffering.
OUTCOME: Officer received gross recovery of: $8,000 in Personal Injury Protection and
$10,000 in additional medical payment benefits, $20,000 insurance policy limits for the defendant operator and owner, and $80,000 in Underinsured Motorist benefits.
ATTORNEY: Scott Goldberg
If you have been injured you may have a case.
Attorney Goldberg provides free consultations.
The law firm only receives a fee if we recover compensation for you.
And we give police officers a 10% discount off our general public legal fees.
Contact Attorney Scott Goldberg at 617-227-1888 or scott@goldberglawfirm.net.
SCOTT D. GOLDBERG, ESQ.
FANEUIL HALL
4 SOUTH MARKETPLACE
BOSTON, MA 02109
617-227-1888 www.goldberglawfirm.net 800-349-1888
617-989-BPPA (2772)
The BPPA… In the last 18 months alone, over $103,000
has been donated to community groups throughout the city!
On behalf of Andrew Delrossi Biggio, Evan Reichenthal,
Greg Caron and the Wounded Vet Ride Committee,
Thank you for your donation and support.
Hope to see you next year
when we honor 3 new veterans!
www.bppa.org
The BPPA… An organization of caring,
hardworking policemen & policewomen!
617-989-BPPA (2772)
The BPPA…
Giving back to the community in many ways!
Thank you and Semper Fi!
PO Fred Ferrara (aka the gunny)
www.bppa.org
617-989-BPPA (2772)
1. Japanese born right-hander Hideo Nomo was the first native born Japanese player
to appear in the MLB All-Star game as a member of the Dodgers in 1995.
2. Sam Snead holds the PGA Tour record for most career victories with 82.
3. The last five MLB teams to relocate and take a new nickname are: the Montreal
Expos-Washington Nationals, Washington Senators-Texas Rangers, Washington
Senators-Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Browns-Baltimore Orioles, and the Seattle
Pilots-Milwaukee Brewers.
4. The two MLB teams to remain in their city but change their nickname are the
Houston Colts-Astros, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays-Rays.
5. The only two major leaguers to hit a home run for their 3,000 career hit are Wade
Boggs and Derek Jeter.
6. Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk led the American League in triples with nine in 1972.
7. Jim Rice was the last major leaguer to lead his league in homers and triples in a
season, when in 1978 he slugged 46 homers and hit 15 triples.
8. On May 23, 2002, Dodgers outfielder Shawn Green had 19 total bases in a game
to set an MLB record. He did it by hitting four home runs, a double and a single.
9. Tom Gordon holds the Red Sox single season record for saves with 46 in 1998.
10.Sam “Bam” Cunningham is the Patriots career leader in rushing with 5,453 yards
from 1973-1982. Page B14 • PAX CENTURION • September/October 2012
What do you get when English major
goes into law enforcement?
A grammar cop!
E-mail me< and attach a page in “Word,”
I’ll look it over and let you know what I can do for you!
Contact:
Randy Childs
617-943-8544
randysubsiness(a)comcast.net
A Boston Officer’s daughter needed help securing her applicationI re-wrote her admissions essay, and she is now attending
a highly prestigious college prep school on a full scholarship,
(see questions on page B6)
Sports
1.Massachusetts was the first state to issue license plates for vehicles in 1903.
2.Louisiana is known as the “Pelican State”.
3.Of all the Great Lakes only Lake Michigan is entirely in the United States. 4.The St. Lawrence River runs through only one state and that is New York.
5. The four states that touch each other at one point are, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New
Mexico.
Everything from a final polish
To a major re-write
Admissions Essays
Help With
College Papers
Thesis and Research Projects
EDITORIAL AND
WRITING ASSISTANCE
(see questions on page B6)
United States
Trivia Answers
?
The BPPA… Helping the community
whenever called upon!
Relieve stress
Lose weight easily
Lose weight, relieve stress, sleep better,
stop overeating, improve your athletics.
Unlock your body’s natural ability to heal
with the right nutrients for you by
diet and natural supplements.
Proven methods for reducing/eliminating
medications with my holistic approach.
Call Kristine Bahr
Lic. Nutritionist
1-617-360-1929
www.kbahr.co
FREE
BONUS
:
$100 W
ell
Assess ness
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Insurance is accepted, confidentially is protected by HIPAA
www.bppa.org
LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL
A HOME OR POSSIBLY RENT?
I’m Here to Guide You Through the Process.
My name is Billy Parlon and after
20 years on the job as a Boston Policeman,
I know how limited your time is.
Call me when you’re ready to begin your search.
I’m a licensed real estate agent
at Old Forge Realty
612 East Broadway in South Boston.
617-839-0984
email: bpd908@yahoo.com
HARVARD PILGRIM IS PROUD TO
SUPPORT THE BOSTON POLICE
PATROLMEN’S ASSOCIATION
TO HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY
HEALTHIER, SAFER … AND BETTER.
617-989-BPPA (2772)

Arbitration proceedings begin November 12th

Transcription

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