The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #8 is comprised of the Altoona Police Department and the Logan Township Police Department. The function of our union is to lookout for the best interest of our members. In recent years this job has become particularly difficult for each department for various reasons. For the Altoona Police Department, the job has become particularly difficult for many reasons. There is the obvious effect of Act 47, which contrary to some peoples assertion, will have an impact on the services that are enjoyed by the citizens of Altoona. Over the years the Altoona Police Department has realized a marked decline in officers. This decline has obvious effects in the crime that we see in the news every day as well as the approach the administration must take to address the crime issues. Generally, the Altoona Police Department responds to approximately +/- 30,000 calls for service each year. The calls range from barking dogs to Criminal Homicide. Each one of those calls requires the attention of at least one police officer, be it by phone or a personal visit to the complainant’s location. When our numbers are down and call volume is up, our ability to be proactive and self-initiate investigations into suspicious activity go down dramatically. This is evident in the decrease in Part II offenses that we have seen over the past 18 months. Generally speaking Part II arrests come as a result of officers self-initiating field activity (criminal investigations for various offenses) and making arrests. This also effects our ability to make the required neighborhood and business checks that are needed to deter burglaries and criminal mischief. With that drop in Part II offenses we have seen an increase in our part I offenses which constitute the more serious crimes that are felonies. This is a direct result of reduced manpower. If our men and women cannot be out making field contacts with suspicious people and have the omnipresence that makes people think twice before committing crimes, we as the residents of Altoona suffer through a higher crime rate. In addition the shortage of officers translates to fewer detectives to investigate the more serious crimes that call for a more in depth investigation that cannot be done by the patrol officers. This means less crimes get the attention they deserve. If we look at Johnstown we can get a look into our future. Our brothers and sisters in the Johnstown Police Department have been plagued with violent crime over the last year or so. Their police department has been reduced to 35 officers. Granted, the city population is about half of ours, but regardless, their crime rate has seemingly increased with reduction of the police force. Their officers are doing a fabulous job. If it werent for their dedication and service, I could not imagine what life would be like in their city. Johnstown entered Act 47 in 1992. From 1992 through 2000 the city lost 15% of its population (U.S. Census Bureau). 21 years later they are still an act 47 community. While Act 47 may have some initial benefit, it doesnt seem to give municipalities the opportunity to become self-sufficient and exit the program. One specific example of that is the $300,000 in the planned reduction in some of the taxes that the plan allows for in 2014. The City of Altoona will likely finish 2013 with a budget surplus; however with the reductions in the commuter tax that surplus will likely be absorbed in 2015, which will leave us no further ahead. There is also a concern about the manner in which the plan was formulated. Specifically, the consultant that was hired to make recommendations about the Altoona Police Department never came to our station and did not spend any remarkable time in Altoona. Furthermore Manheim Townships operating budget rivals that of the Altoona Police Department and has about three less officers than we do and nowhere near the crime that we experience in our current situation. There is a marked difference in the policing that is needed and takes place there as opposed to that which is needed here. Having said all of that we must address a perception that is held by some that our officers and the unions are greedy and responsible for the financial distress of the city. To remain politically correct we will say that thought is ludicrous. Most of the members of the Altoona Police Department are police officers because it has been a lifelong dream. Being a police officer is a way of life for us, it is not just a job. To be successful as a police officer this is generally a requirement. If you take this job because it is just a decent paying job you will not succeed and you will not be happy. It takes a special person with a specific mindset to do this job and do it well. We do not ask for pity. We come into this job knowing it is difficult and most times thankless. We do however as for understanding. Each and every day our officers go to work knowing the dangers they may face and the difficult decisions they may for forced to make in a split second. We know that, for the most part, when a citizen is having an encounter with the police it is because they are having a bad day, sometimes the worse day of their lives. We do what we can to make those experiences as tolerable as we can, but many times there is little we can do. We are charged with enforcing the laws of the commonwealth which are not always popular. Having said that, we cannot be expected to do this job for pennies. There is a balance between fair wages/benefits and not being greedy. In recent months our union has been in contract negotiations with the city and they have gone pretty well. Our union has taken great strides to stay within the budgeted amount allotted by the recovery plan for the police department. We have made concessions and asked for little in return. I feel certain that representatives for the city and the recovery plan coordinator would echo these comments if asked. It is not our desire to negotiate our contract via social media or the news but we feel it necessary to let people know that we are trying and we hope to be able to settle a contract that preserves the financial security of our officers and meets the financial needs of the city. But in the end, you get what you pay for. You will not be able to attract and retain worthy applicants without a competitive salary and benefits package. We as police are not getting rich. We do not have exotic houses in affluent neighborhoods and drive high priced cars. We live among the citizens of Altoona in most corners of the city and do the things you all do when you are not at work. We make a decent salary for doing an extremely difficult job that is becoming more and more difficult every year. We receive a decent salary and benefits which is supplemented by knowing that we are making a positive impact in the quality of life in Altoona. We have officers whose talents are far reaching. Most of us could have taken more lucrative career paths, but for some reason we chose to do what we do in Altoona. One thing will remain constant and that is the commitment of our officers to do their job. We will continue to diligently do our best to make Altoona a great place to live and raise a family through the aggressive enforcement of crime with the resources that are provided to us. This is evident through the actions of every officer that was on duty Thursday evening when we responded to a shots fired call that ended up being a Homicide. Every officer on duty raced to the scene not knowing what they were going to encounter once there. We secured the scene quickly ensuring the victim received immediate advanced life support. Officers quickly identified a suspect and took extraordinary measures to ensure a dangerous person was arrested swiftly before anyone else was injured or killed. Actions speak louder than words and the actions of our officers Thursday speak volumes about their character and commitment to Altoona. Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy post.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 20:21:05 +0000