Category: Recent Developments

NEWARK − The union members of the Newark Fire Department agreed to a three-year contract with 4% annual wage increases, but the union president said the agreement does not address many issues in the department. Kevin Garwick, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 109, said the department is one of the lowest paid in central Ohio, making it difficult to hire and retain firefighters. The department is underfunded and…

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Arlington’s fire and police unions are poised to lose a battle to change the pay scale the county uses — one that union representatives say contributes to ongoing staffing shortages. This year, the Arlington County Police Department has hired 29 officers and lost 52 officers, Arlington Coalition of Police (ACOP) President Randall Mason told the Arlington County Board in a meeting earlier this month. It will lose five more…

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VALLEJO – An arbitrator overturned the termination of Vallejo police Lt. Michael Nichelini, the president of the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association, who was fired last year after a string of controversial incidents including an alleged threat against a journalist, his attorney said Friday. Attorney Michael Rains, who often defends police officers accused of misconduct, said the arbitrator overturned former police Chief Shawny Williams’ decision to fire Nichelini last year for…

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Recently fired Miami Police Captain Javier Ortiz, the white Hispanic officer who once claimed he was a Black man, has announced he is running to become president of Miami’s Fraternal Order of Police to curb what he calls discriminatory treatment of Black officers. Ortiz is making the comeback attempt after he was fired from the department in September for allegedly having subordinate sergeants sign off on his overtime. Continue reading at www.miaminewtimes.com

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HILLIARD, Ohio — Lieutenant Tom Bolin has been a firefighter with the Norwich Township Fire Department for 27 years. Decades of helping others has taken a toll on him. In 2019, he took a gun and went to his basement with thoughts of taking his own life. “My son almost found me in that moment. It is still very hard for me to talk about it,” Bolin said. Continue…

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The place people call in a crisis has found itself in its own dilemma. Little Rock 911 Director Juana Green said her department, which was removed from under the police department’s command in 2021, is facing an uphill battle to recruit and retain. “Staffing is an issue,” Green said. Of 56 dispatchers, call takers and supervisors, there are 27 vacancies. Employee timesheets obtained by Working…

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More than four years after Houston voters approved a measure that would grant firefighters equal pay with police officers, the legal battle to decide the referendum’s fate landed Tuesday in the hands of the Supreme Court of Texas. The state’s highest justices heard oral arguments regarding Proposition B, the charter amendment pushed by the firefighters’ union and approved by voters in 2018. It would grant firefighters pay parity with police officers of…

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Neb. — Law enforcement agencies sound the alarm on what they describe as critically low staffing. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said it negotiated a new contract to try and combat losses to other agencies. Meantime, the Omaha police union said it’s expecting a record number of officers to leave at the end of the year. Continue reading at www.ketv.com

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Police Union that represents its officers wants to know the policy regarding medical marijuana and drug testing. “In our contract, you test positive, you’re fired,” said Buffalo Police Union President John Evans. “You don’t get a second chance.” And that’s the confusion for the union and officers. Where does medical marijuana fall? Continue reading at www.wkbw.com

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The union for police officers in Hawaii has filed four separate grievances challenging the denial of hazard pay amounting to a 25 % pay differential for the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and March of this year. The union for police officers in Hawaii has filed four separate grievances challenging the denial of hazard pay amounting to a 25 % pay differential for the peak…

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WBFF (BALTIMORE, MD) — A letter addressed to the Mayor and Baltimore Police Department from the Baltimore Police Union says they’re being ignored when it comes to solutions to address the officer shortage. According to BPD, there are 2164 sworn personnel and 442 sworn vacancies. Continue reading at www.foxbaltimore.com

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BUFFALO, N.Y. —A Buffalo firefighter who was fired for his medical marijuana use is poised to receive a $242,000 settlement from the City of Buffalo. Scott Martin, a 12-year veteran with the Buffalo Fire Department, was fired from his job in February 2021 after testing positive for marijuana. Continue reading at www.gov1.com

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Suffolk County has agreed to pay $1.5 million to a former Suffolk police detective whose conviction for leaking information to a Newsday reporter was overturned last year, officials said Thursday. John Oliva, a 20-year police department veteran, was forced to resign after pressure from disgraced ex-Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and his top aide, Christopher McPartland, to plead guilty to a crime in connection with the case. Continue…

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An arbitrator has overturned the city-imposed discipline of a Cleveland police sergeant for her role in the aftermath of Tamir Rice’s killing. Cincinnati arbitrator William C. Heekin on Nov. 4 reversed the two-day suspension without pay of Janell Rutherford, a supervisor called to the scene after the 12-year-old was shot by a police officer. Rutherford, who recently retired from the department, is owed backpay, and references to the discipline must be…

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A Justice Department office has ruled that Capitol Police officer Howard Liebengood — who killed himself days after encountering rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection — died in the line of duty, according to his family and authorities. The designation from the Justice Department’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program means Liebengood’s family will receive a lump-sum payment. The precise amount was not immediately clear, but it will be…

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CHANDLER, Ariz. – The Chandler Fire Department is now offering cancer screening to its first responders as the latest in a series of measures to reduce and mitigate exposure to carcinogens. The Chandler City Council has approved a $963,400 grant agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the use of $96,340 in City funds for the purchase of enhanced cancer prevention and diagnosis services from Vincere Cancer Center….

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Minutes after two Columbus police officers were fired at by a suspected gunman over the weekend, they began life-saving measures to save his life. Lamar Blue, 26, was wounded after he was shot by one of the officers who fired back after Blue allegedly opened fire with a shotgun. Blue is now charged with two felony first-degree counts of assault on a peace officer. “The officers…

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BERKELEY, Calif. – The Berkeley city council did not appoint a new police chief Tuesday night and will not do so until an investigation into an arrest quota – made public through leaked texts – is complete. In addition, the union president who is at the heart of the controversy has stepped down.  Berkeleyside reported that City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley pulled the item confirming Jen Louis’ appointment, saying she will bring the police chief…

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TACOMA, Wash. – The Tacoma Police Union sent a letter to the city council and police chief, claiming the most recent crime data presentation was misleading and far from the truth. On Nov. 1, Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore presented data to city council which paints a hopeful picture for the future of the city. This year, Tacoma has seen the most homicides on record. Continue reading at www.q13fox.com

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Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem denied the city’s claims that the 2021 state law bolstering protections for police under investigation for misconduct was unconstitutional. A Missouri judge Monday dismissed the City of St. Louis’ effort to block a 2021 law bolstering protections for police under investigation for misconduct. The city sued in December asking Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem to toss out the “Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights,” a list…

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The Boston Firefighters Union is set to meet with the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission on Monday, after initiating legal action against the state over canceled civil service exams. The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission suspended the exams over a 2009 lawsuit brought forward by the police unions claiming the exams discriminate against minority employees. Continue reading at www.nbcboston.com.

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LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Tensions are mounting inside the Henderson Police Department. Just one week after two police unions expressed a vote of “no confidence” in Police Chief Thedrick Andres, there are now allegations of unfair labor practices against the chief. Continue reading at www.news3lv.com.

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Wake County spent $2 million on a recruitment campaign to address its shortage of firefighters. Much of the recruiting efforts targeted women and people of color. And for the first time, cadets in the 38-week academy will be paid. Continue reading at www.wunc.org.

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Boston’s largest police union says it has hit a wall in its contract negotiations with Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration, teeing up a move to bring talks under arbitration. “The mayor’s office stopped negotiating and we came to a standstill, an impasse, on the topics that are on the table,” Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, told The Boston Globe on Friday. According to Calderone, the BPPA went to…

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ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Sgt. Joseph Serowik is suing the Ross Township Police Association and Ross Township accusing them of defamation. He said they destroyed his reputation and he filed a lawsuit to clear his name. “It’s basically made my life a living hell,” said Sergeant Joseph Serowik. He’s been with the department since 2004 and was promoted to Sgt. in 2018. Continue reading at www.wpxi.com

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