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September 30, 2008

My View: Flaggers offer little savings at huge cost in public safety

Robert M. St. Pierre

As a taxpayer I am an agreement that there is need in general for change and reform in the way business is conducted at both the state and local levels, and the police detail system is no exception.

Most chiefs of police would welcome the opportunity to have uniform control over detail assignments, the location of assignments, and the number of officers being assigned to particular sites, and the hourly wage and elements of the benefit package as they relate to detail assignments. Having a regulation that requires police officers at every street opening or construction site makes no more sense than having civilian flaggers at every site without regard for traffic conditions and other traffic complexities. Nor does it make sense to have officers or flaggers on every city street. Streets that need traffic control at times of construction should be identified and assignments made accordingly. These are all legitimate public safety decisions that should rest with the chief of police, not outside engineers and state bureaucrats. Yes, there is room for reform, but let’s not start by throwing the baby out with the bath water. I believe we may have done just that with the recent decision of the Patrick Administration to unilaterally change the way police details are assigned.

First, it is unfortunate that the public safety value of having trained and equipped police officers directing traffic at construction sites in Salem (or any other city) — as opposed to civilian flaggers — is being ignored for what proponents of the move claim will result in huge cost savings and greater efficiencies.

Regrettably, the process used to bring about this change came in the form of a regulation attached to a important Transportation Bond Bill, the content of which was devoid of any input from public safety officials or anyone else, with the exception of the legislative leadership and the governor’s office. This calculated approach, outside the normal legislative process, prevented chiefs of police with legitimate public safety concerns from being heard, prior to the regulations passage. I do believe the elimination of police officers at construction sites in Salem will, to a certain extent, affect public safety in this city, and the cost savings originally promised will fall far short.

Anyone who lives in Salem or commutes here for work or business knows how densely populated and, at times, congested, Salem can be. Tourists visit the city in droves every year. Salem is the Essex County seat and home to the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem State College, and the North Shore Medical Center, to name a few. Combined, these institutions, along with the tourist industry, bring thousands of people into our city daily. In addition, like any urban city, Salem has its share of daily crime, motor vehicle accidents and medical emergencies. Like every other city or town in the commonwealth, Salem has had to face giant budget deficits resulting in the reduction of large segments of its work force. Since 2002, the police department has seen a 20 percent reduction in personnel, which represents 20 police officers. At present four recruit officers are attending the police academy and will be available for street assignment this spring.

The point is, Salem is operating with less than an ideal number of officers patrolling the streets. The number of calls for service at times can be daunting and having the ability to draw upon the services of seven to 10 additional officers working at various construction sites scattered throughout the city can be a god send in emergency situations. Detail officers are fully equipped and have instant communication with police headquarters and have been directed on numerous occasions to leave their post and have intervened in various street crimes in progress, domestic disputes, medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents. The loss of the additional police presence that detail assignments provide is of great concern to me.

The trade-off of fully equipped and trained police officers familiar with the community for civilian flaggers who may never have set foot in this community until the commencement of a huge public works project, for the savings of $4 or $5 in hourly wages doesn’t make good sense.

According to figures released to the new media by the transportation secretary’s office, civilian flaggers, because of the prevailing wage law, will be paid between $34 and $37 an hour.

That same office also reported that the average hourly wage for police officers in the 351 cities and towns of the commonwealth is $38 (in Salem officers are paid $40 dollars an hour).

Given the hourly wage that will be paid to flaggers, coupled with the need to supervise, indemnify, train, equip and schedule them, I believe the millions of dollars in savings touted by the proponents of this measure in the end will prove to be unattainable.

¢¢¢

Robert M. St.Pierre is the chief of the Salem Police Department.

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