This site was created as a way for Cobb Police Officers to stay informed about what is going on in their department and speak their mind without fear of reprisal
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
November 2016 Open Comment
This section is available for any topics officers and/or supporters of Cobb Officers wish to voice concern of:
30 comments:
Anonymous
said...
How long does the leadership of this county plan on pretending like there isn't a manpower or morale issue within the police department? We are proud of our department and of our legacy of providing quality police services to our community. As hard as it is to be positive and proactive, we continue to strive to maintain the quality of life that Cobb is known for.
You can not placate this problem through silence, inaction and pretending the issue does not exist. Officers have grown weary and lost hope of this situation being turned around.
We lost a 5 year officer to the GBI. When will the county wake up and get their officers a pay raise and go back to a pension. will the bleeding ever stop!!
I'm so fed up with this County! I'm 99% sure it was the Police Dept and only the PD that went to the commissioners and fought for pay raises to keep officers from leaving. I've not seen the first Library Assistant with a blue t-shirt. Yet every other position in the county gets a pay raise and not officers. Cobb County better wake up before its too late. With the Braves starting play in April and the PD already short of officers it's a disaster in the making. Every officer that leaves or retires between now and opening day can't be replaced in time. We were told not to schedule training or annual leave during any home games. Thanks Tim Lee for screwing up my life!
So the pay study is in the hands of the Commissioners. Will they decide to give the Lifeguards a $6700 raise, the Librarian Assistants $6100 and the Police Officers $2300? How long is the Lifeguard Academy, and how many librarians have we lost to other library systems in the last five years? Are we short on Aquatic Supervisors ($6900)? Is anyone panicking because we won't have enough Recreation Assistants ($6100) to work the traffic around the new stadium? What if a citizen has a Recreation Emergency and there is no Recreation Leader ($12,700) available to answer the call??
I am sick and tired of the BOC playing the victim in this. I watch the meetings and hear them say that they have to try to figure out how to make the budget work with a "woe is me" tone. They send out information saying that "there is misinformation and a lack of information regarding the recommendations..."
The lack of information rest at your feet BOC. You have paid a company for a study, which you have allowed them to not provide in a timely manner, if we are to believe what you have said regarding the delay.
Most of the budget concerns you are dealing with, you created with bringing the Braves to Cobb. Looks like you want us to feel sorry for that decision not being though all the way through.
There was no time wasted to figure out how to bring the Braves here, without a vote by the citizens might I add. Do you even grasp the burden you are placing on this department and our community to have this stadium here?
The citizens have no idea the storm that is brewing. We are seeing a disturbing up-tick in crime across the county. Instead of addressing that though, we'll all be makings sure traffic isn't an issue around a new stadium and trying to make sure all the attendees to the game feel safe and secure.
We are 144 days away from the first Braves game. You have had over 2 years to prepare for this, and yet we are so far behind where we need to be in manpower, equipment, etc. Maybe you can get a lifeguard or a librarian to throw on a traffic vest and work the overtime that we're being told to expect.
I have so much more I'd like to say, but I need to go fill out a few applications.
At the request of the FOP Membership, I will continue to voice our concerns to the BOC. This problem has long been ignored by Chairman Tim Lee, who was quick to bring the Braves and all their followers to Cobb, but slow to respond to the problems it will create. I can not blame any Cobb Public Safety employee who is looking to leave, all you have heard is promises for two years and these words "Good things are coming".
I did my time serving the great citizens of Cobb County for 25 years and now I look forward to representing and standing up for those still out there serving. Stay Safe
The Ducimus web site (link at the top right of this page) has been updated with pay study information. Also, the FOP is doing an open records request for the entire pay study. Stay tuned...
I'm afraid, from what I'm hearing, nothing is going to change under Boyce. Without a substantial pay raise and changing the pension, officers will continue to leave.
I didn't get to see the MDJ article about the pay study, but the word is that the BOC is going to table the issue (pay study) until the Jan meeting. That way the new Chairman can figure out how to fix the $#!T the old chairman left behind. Tim Lee is the biggest mistake the citizens Cobb have had to suffer through in my 20 plus years of living and working here. He was so blinded by the Braves, that he let his guard down and totally exposed his complete incompetence. So, in an attempt to save his failing campaign, he reduced the millage rate. With the Braves coming in less than 5 months, the County and the Police dept. are dealing with shoestring budgets. A few of the issues facing the police dept. are manpower, equipment, vehicles, overtime and NO MONEY! Add low morale, no raises, a stalled take home vehicle program and you have the makings of disaster. Tic Toc
Hey have you heard? The BOC tabled the Pay Study from the agenda for the upcoming meeting again. You can keep pretending you don't have a problem.....That won't make it go away. Wake up and do your job!
I am one of the naive officers, perhaps one of the few that saw the Braves coming as an extraordinary opportunity. I thought, "Wow, what a great opportunity to be a part of bringing a top class organization like the Braves to Cobb!" I saw this as a turning point, a feather in our cap if you will. A chance to showcase all that Cobb has to offer. As the time grows near for opening day, I'm beginning to think that the county has managed to squander a great opportunity and will make us all look like fools.
First off I'd like to thank Steve. Thank you for being out there and spending your retirement time fighting for the active officers. It is a shame you have to, but we appreciate it and believe you're doing a good job.
The Braves will be a disaster from the start. How are the Braves going to fill part time officers for positions throughout the stadium with what I'm hearing they are going to pay. Hey Braves.....hope you're listening...we make close to double what you pay Atlanta officers on part times directing traffic. Good luck competing with other part time jobs in Cobb County.
We all have to go on duty during these times worrying about ambushes on police officers. Be careful out there people, stay frosty, and cover each others six. OHHHH YEA I almost forgot....now don't be caught cursing on video or saying bad words boys and girls or you'll be dealt with accordingly. Gimme a break Command Staff. You're worried about officers cursing on video? See folks....this is the mentality of most of the Command Staff. Hell most weren't even in the military. Stop nitpicking....grow up....we are all grown men and grown women out here. A lot of us came from the military. We curse. SHOCKING!
Ladies and gents... Don't get your hopes up about anything.. take home car program is going to be hauled till further notice.. The excuse given will be "we never said everybody was going to get one". Next your supervision have been told to basically lie to us to try and keep our heads up and looking away from the truths. Make no mistake, the supervision is out for themselves and don't care about you so long as the beats are full and they don't have to work. If your an officer of more than 4 years you won't be getting any raises.. Now they are saying we can't take time off during a ball game. Really... last time I checked it was the responsibility of the police department to ensure security at a private event.. So now you have to wonder how many back door deals were made with the Chief... Ladies and Gents.. don't believe the hype.. watch out for your own self and don't buy into the professional talk they keep saying cause they sure as hell arnt leading fro. The front on that end
Nope, if you look back in the 2016 year, 12 more senior officers have left. The county is out of the pension business because it's cheaper to get a few years out of you then it is to keep you and pay you a salary and pension.
Seems like all command staff is worried about is CYA. In a time like this public perception is important, however, it's also important to stick up for your guys. We do not have that here. Officers are beginning to hesitate to make decisions because of fear of discipline. A catch all policy like "conduct unbecoming" is a BS policy that literally ANYTHING can fall under with a little articulation. Clearly the bosses are only worried about their own status with the dept and not about their guys.
Supervisors, you want a safe job that's mostly free of ridicule, stress and backlash from a community or small portion of the community; maybe you'd be better off pursuing a career outside of LE.
To the rest of us, hold the line, go with your gut and ride it out. Hopefully we don't lose too many to other agencies that pay well and take care of their employees as they should.
The shift was talking about pay and the Braves and we're curious as a about the Cobb Pay Study. So we started looking at the Ducimus web page. Low and behold, we found a little information about what’s on the pay study... Ok, so where is the pay study? The "Ducimus" guys obviously have seen the pay study or where else would they have gotten that information posted on the front page? We smell a rat!! Something is up? Now, I know the Ducimus guys are working hard behind the scenes to help out the PD. The biggest complaint about the Command Staff is the lack of information. If the pay study is out, we want to see it. If the Ducimus guys have a copy of the pay study then why are you not posting it? Is it really that bad for the officers? We have been waiting 2 years for this, and we deserve some answers.
I could be wrong, but I think the info that is on the Ducimus page came from the MDJ. I heard the FOP was filing an open records request, but I'm not sure where that stands.
The MDJ has published some information on the pay study since it was released to the Commissioners. If you google "Cobb salary survey" the first result will be a 5-page PDF with a summary of the pay study, published by the MDJ on 11-09-16. Also the data on the Ducimus page is credited to the MDJ print edition 11-05-16. Still waiting for the BOC to release the complete pay study.
Thank you Brother Gaynor for your efforts. Last month I was lead to believe that the FOP did an open records request for the Cobb County Pay Study. Does the FOP have the Pay Study?
There is a lot of miss information going around, of course like always most of it doesn't have a thread of truth. The fact is Mike Boyce is very pro law enforcement. He is WELL aware of ALL the issues surrounding the the PD and Braves. Mike Boyce is determined to make the much needed corrections including Pay.
In regards to not scheduling training or annual leave during any Braves home games. I'm unfamiliar with the origin of this statement but it is not something that has been put into place by my office.
I have an open door policy and willing to discuss the concerns with any of our officers about the Department's policies or other concerns. Feel free to express your concerns to me personally or through e-mail.
It is with dismay, shame, and frustration that I observe the hemming & hawing that seems to be the standard operating procedure with the Cobb County Government in matters of police, their manpower, and pay.
Between the old county commission chairman, the current board of commission chair, the county manager, and the board of commissioners playing word games with each other, the public, and the department I know false narratives, stalling tactics, and empty promises when I see them.
The pay study? Who, exactly was it for? Was it to hide behind and deceive the public? Was it to delay bad news to an already despondent work force? Or was it a sincere effort to determine the lowest amount the commissioners and county manager could give the public safety servants of the county?
Now when you speak a certain narrative then the actions are plainly contrary to them we all believe your actions, not your words. Words are of little value when not backed up by reality.
So to the crux of the matter: Our pay is lacking. By what measure you ask? Well, I only know my experience and that of my peer group. Several officers and supervisors I know are the primary and/or sole provider for their family. So can some one please tell me how you are supposed to live off $500 a week with a wife & two or three kids? Most everyone 5-20 years in makes between $23-$25 an hour. I know UPS drivers and administrative assistants who make a lot more than that. How much training, stress, & liability do we suffer? A lot more than other higher paid service industry workers for sure. How many officers can afford to live in certain areas of Marietta? In east cobb? Or how about a piece of property in west cobb? Not many, I'm ashamed to say.
Now some have said being a police officer is a calling. It is. But false equivalencies do not put braces on our children's teeth do they? It is galling to see Gwinette, GBI, Atlanta, GSP, other municipalities get rank, pay, & benefit rewards while those still loyal to cobb are told time after time that good things are coming, to do more with less, and don't worry the braves will bring a lot of over time.
Really, we all think it would be better for the county commission, the chairman & manager to just be quiet. Or tell the truth.
Cobb county is beholden to the triple A bond rating. Businesss runs cobb county. Those are truths. Public safety coming first is not.
So we are all tired of pretending. We are worried that the braves will over tax our resources as a department. We need a one thousand man department BEFORE the braves even hinted they were coming. We will assuredly need more now.
And what about those man power numbers? 27 short?! Try telling that to a guy in a beat. You want to see a command staff member squirm? Try holding them to hard numbers of their manpower that they can back up with a roster.
Well anyway, there are a lot of good people still doing more with less at the Cobb County Police Department. Most of us will fight back in small ways. Those who are able will leave.
To the citizens we serve, please don't be deceived. The braves are what they are. But with all of special operations chained to the stadium crime in Cobb will change. Things will be different.
I hope for the best, but expect the worst. These things won't fix themselves. Hard choices are going to be made. We will still be faithful to our concepts of honor & integrity. But its going to be hard.
You know, its funny.. We say a bad word in the heat of the moment and we get in trouble... Yet I do recall hearing the command staff not to many years ago all saying bad words and things they are writing folks up now for. "Hummy"!
At least three more people quitting/resigning within the past week and a half at one precinct. From what I understand, a couple were probably in order, but the third was a good and highly motivated officer.
What are our current numbers? Does anyone actually think we are going to be ready?
30 comments:
How long does the leadership of this county plan on pretending like there isn't a manpower or morale issue within the police department? We are proud of our department and of our legacy of providing quality police services to our community. As hard as it is to be positive and proactive, we continue to strive to maintain the quality of life that Cobb is known for.
You can not placate this problem through silence, inaction and pretending the issue does not exist. Officers have grown weary and lost hope of this situation being turned around.
We lost a 5 year officer to the GBI. When will the county wake up and get their officers a pay raise and go back to a pension. will the bleeding ever stop!!
I'm so fed up with this County! I'm 99% sure it was the Police Dept and only the PD that went to the commissioners and fought for pay raises to keep officers from leaving. I've not seen the first Library Assistant with a blue t-shirt. Yet every other position in the county gets a pay raise and not officers. Cobb County better wake up before its too late. With the Braves starting play in April and the PD already short of officers it's a disaster in the making. Every officer that leaves or retires between now and opening day can't be replaced in time. We were told not to schedule training or annual leave during any home games. Thanks Tim Lee for screwing up my life!
So the pay study is in the hands of the Commissioners. Will they decide to give the Lifeguards a $6700 raise, the Librarian Assistants $6100 and the Police Officers $2300? How long is the Lifeguard Academy, and how many librarians have we lost to other library systems in the last five years? Are we short on Aquatic Supervisors ($6900)? Is anyone panicking because we won't have enough Recreation Assistants ($6100) to work the traffic around the new stadium? What if a citizen has a Recreation Emergency and there is no Recreation Leader ($12,700) available to answer the call??
Does anyone have a link to the pay study that shows what other departments in the county are getting?
I am sick and tired of the BOC playing the victim in this. I watch the meetings and hear them say that they have to try to figure out how to make the budget work with a "woe is me" tone. They send out information saying that "there is misinformation and a lack of information regarding the recommendations..."
The lack of information rest at your feet BOC. You have paid a company for a study, which you have allowed them to not provide in a timely manner, if we are to believe what you have said regarding the delay.
Most of the budget concerns you are dealing with, you created with bringing the Braves to Cobb. Looks like you want us to feel sorry for that decision not being though all the way through.
There was no time wasted to figure out how to bring the Braves here, without a vote by the citizens might I add. Do you even grasp the burden you are placing on this department and our community to have this stadium here?
The citizens have no idea the storm that is brewing. We are seeing a disturbing up-tick in crime across the county. Instead of addressing that though, we'll all be makings sure traffic isn't an issue around a new stadium and trying to make sure all the attendees to the game feel safe and secure.
We are 144 days away from the first Braves game. You have had over 2 years to prepare for this, and yet we are so far behind where we need to be in manpower, equipment, etc. Maybe you can get a lifeguard or a librarian to throw on a traffic vest and work the overtime that we're being told to expect.
I have so much more I'd like to say, but I need to go fill out a few applications.
At the request of the FOP Membership, I will continue to voice our concerns to the BOC. This problem has long been ignored by Chairman Tim Lee, who was quick to bring the Braves and all their followers to Cobb, but slow to respond to the problems it will create. I can not blame any Cobb Public Safety employee who is looking to leave, all you have heard is promises for two years and these words "Good things are coming".
I did my time serving the great citizens of Cobb County for 25 years and now I look forward to representing and standing up for those still out there serving. Stay Safe
The Ducimus web site (link at the top right of this page) has been updated with pay study information. Also, the FOP is doing an open records request for the entire pay study. Stay tuned...
I'm afraid, from what I'm hearing, nothing is going to change under Boyce. Without a substantial pay raise and changing the pension, officers will continue to leave.
I didn't get to see the MDJ article about the pay study, but the word is that the BOC is going to table the issue (pay study) until the Jan meeting. That way the new Chairman can figure out how to fix the $#!T the old chairman left behind. Tim Lee is the biggest mistake the citizens Cobb have had to suffer through in my 20 plus years of living and working here. He was so blinded by the Braves, that he let his guard down and totally exposed his complete incompetence. So, in an attempt to save his failing campaign, he reduced the millage rate. With the Braves coming in less than 5 months, the County and the Police dept. are dealing with shoestring budgets. A few of the issues facing the police dept. are manpower, equipment, vehicles, overtime and NO MONEY! Add low morale, no raises, a stalled take home vehicle program and you have the makings of disaster. Tic Toc
Hey have you heard? The BOC tabled the Pay Study from the agenda for the upcoming meeting again. You can keep pretending you don't have a problem.....That won't make it go away. Wake up and do your job!
I am one of the naive officers, perhaps one of the few that saw the Braves coming as an extraordinary opportunity. I thought, "Wow, what a great opportunity to be a part of bringing a top class organization like the Braves to Cobb!" I saw this as a turning point, a feather in our cap if you will. A chance to showcase all that Cobb has to offer. As the time grows near for opening day, I'm beginning to think that the county has managed to squander a great opportunity and will make us all look like fools.
First off I'd like to thank Steve. Thank you for being out there and spending your retirement time fighting for the active officers. It is a shame you have to, but we appreciate it and believe you're doing a good job.
The Braves will be a disaster from the start. How are the Braves going to fill part time officers for positions throughout the stadium with what I'm hearing they are going to pay. Hey Braves.....hope you're listening...we make close to double what you pay Atlanta officers on part times directing traffic. Good luck competing with other part time jobs in Cobb County.
We all have to go on duty during these times worrying about ambushes on police officers. Be careful out there people, stay frosty, and cover each others six. OHHHH YEA I almost forgot....now don't be caught cursing on video or saying bad words boys and girls or you'll be dealt with accordingly. Gimme a break Command Staff. You're worried about officers cursing on video? See folks....this is the mentality of most of the Command Staff. Hell most weren't even in the military. Stop nitpicking....grow up....we are all grown men and grown women out here. A lot of us came from the military. We curse. SHOCKING!
Happy Veterans Day to everyone who served.
You curse on video and you go to the assistant principal's office at 140 North Marietta.
Ladies and gents... Don't get your hopes up about anything.. take home car program is going to be hauled till further notice.. The excuse given will be "we never said everybody was going to get one". Next your supervision have been told to basically lie to us to try and keep our heads up and looking away from the truths. Make no mistake, the supervision is out for themselves and don't care about you so long as the beats are full and they don't have to work. If your an officer of more than 4 years you won't be getting any raises.. Now they are saying we can't take time off during a ball game. Really... last time I checked it was the responsibility of the police department to ensure security at a private event.. So now you have to wonder how many back door deals were made with the Chief... Ladies and Gents.. don't believe the hype.. watch out for your own self and don't buy into the professional talk they keep saying cause they sure as hell arnt leading fro. The front on that end
Nope, if you look back in the 2016 year, 12 more senior officers have left. The county is out of the pension business because it's cheaper to get a few years out of you then it is to keep you and pay you a salary and pension.
Seems like all command staff is worried about is CYA. In a time like this public perception is important, however, it's also important to stick up for your guys. We do not have that here. Officers are beginning to hesitate to make decisions because of fear of discipline. A catch all policy like "conduct unbecoming" is a BS policy that literally ANYTHING can fall under with a little articulation. Clearly the bosses are only worried about their own status with the dept and not about their guys.
Supervisors, you want a safe job that's mostly free of ridicule, stress and backlash from a community or small portion of the community; maybe you'd be better off pursuing a career outside of LE.
To the rest of us, hold the line, go with your gut and ride it out. Hopefully we don't lose too many to other agencies that pay well and take care of their employees as they should.
The shift was talking about pay and the Braves and we're curious as a about the Cobb Pay Study. So we started looking at the Ducimus web page. Low and behold, we found a little information about what’s on the pay study... Ok, so where is the pay study? The "Ducimus" guys obviously have seen the pay study or where else would they have gotten that information posted on the front page? We smell a rat!! Something is up? Now, I know the Ducimus guys are working hard behind the scenes to help out the PD. The biggest complaint about the Command Staff is the lack of information. If the pay study is out, we want to see it.
If the Ducimus guys have a copy of the pay study then why are you not posting it? Is it really that bad for the officers? We have been waiting 2 years for this, and we deserve some answers.
I could be wrong, but I think the info that is on the Ducimus page came from the MDJ. I heard the FOP was filing an open records request, but I'm not sure where that stands.
The MDJ has published some information on the pay study since it was released to the Commissioners. If you google "Cobb salary survey" the first result will be a 5-page PDF with a summary of the pay study, published by the MDJ on 11-09-16. Also the data on the Ducimus page is credited to the MDJ print edition 11-05-16. Still waiting for the BOC to release the complete pay study.
Thank you Brother Gaynor for your efforts. Last month I was lead to believe that the FOP did an open records request for the Cobb County Pay Study. Does the FOP have the Pay Study?
There is a lot of miss information going around, of course like always most of it doesn't have a thread of truth. The fact is Mike Boyce is very pro law enforcement. He is WELL aware of ALL the issues surrounding the the PD and Braves. Mike Boyce is determined to make the much needed corrections including Pay.
In regards to not scheduling training or annual leave during any Braves home games. I'm unfamiliar with the origin of this statement but it is not something that has been put into place by my office.
Deputy Chief Cox
I have an open door policy and willing to discuss the concerns with any of our officers about the Department's policies or other concerns. Feel free to express your concerns to me personally or through e-mail.
Deputy Chief Cox
A lot of inaccurate information being posted in this comment. Please feel free to contact me with your concerns.
Deputy Chief Cox
It is with dismay, shame, and frustration that I observe the hemming & hawing that seems to be the standard operating procedure with the Cobb County Government in matters of police, their manpower, and pay.
Between the old county commission chairman, the current board of commission chair, the county manager, and the board of commissioners playing word games with each other, the public, and the department I know false narratives, stalling tactics, and empty promises when I see them.
The pay study? Who, exactly was it for? Was it to hide behind and deceive the public? Was it to delay bad news to an already despondent work force? Or was it a sincere effort to determine the lowest amount the commissioners and county manager could give the public safety servants of the county?
Now when you speak a certain narrative then the actions are plainly contrary to them we all believe your actions, not your words. Words are of little value when not backed up by reality.
So to the crux of the matter: Our pay is lacking. By what measure you ask? Well, I only know my experience and that of my peer group. Several officers and supervisors I know are the primary and/or sole provider for their family. So can some one please tell me how you are supposed to live off $500 a week with a wife & two or three kids? Most everyone 5-20 years in makes between $23-$25 an hour. I know UPS drivers and administrative assistants who make a lot more than that. How much training, stress, & liability do we suffer? A lot more than other higher paid service industry workers for sure. How many officers can afford to live in certain areas of Marietta? In east cobb? Or how about a piece of property in west cobb? Not many, I'm ashamed to say.
Now some have said being a police officer is a calling. It is. But false equivalencies do not put braces on our children's teeth do they? It is galling to see Gwinette, GBI, Atlanta, GSP, other municipalities get rank, pay, & benefit rewards while those still loyal to cobb are told time after time that good things are coming, to do more with less, and don't worry the braves will bring a lot of over time.
Really, we all think it would be better for the county commission, the chairman & manager to just be quiet. Or tell the truth.
Cobb county is beholden to the triple A bond rating. Businesss runs cobb county. Those are truths. Public safety coming first is not.
So we are all tired of pretending. We are worried that the braves will over tax our resources as a department. We need a one thousand man department BEFORE the braves even hinted they were coming. We will assuredly need more now.
And what about those man power numbers? 27 short?! Try telling that to a guy in a beat. You want to see a command staff member squirm? Try holding them to hard numbers of their manpower that they can back up with a roster.
Well anyway, there are a lot of good people still doing more with less at the Cobb County Police Department. Most of us will fight back in small ways. Those who are able will leave.
To the citizens we serve, please don't be deceived. The braves are what they are. But with all of special operations chained to the stadium crime in Cobb will change. Things will be different.
I hope for the best, but expect the worst. These things won't fix themselves. Hard choices are going to be made. We will still be faithful to our concepts of honor & integrity. But its going to be hard.
God please bless Cobb County.
You know, its funny.. We say a bad word in the heat of the moment and we get in trouble... Yet I do recall hearing the command staff not to many years ago all saying bad words and things they are writing folks up now for. "Hummy"!
GTAC... pssshhh
At least three more people quitting/resigning within the past week and a half at one precinct. From what I understand, a couple were probably in order, but the third was a good and highly motivated officer.
What are our current numbers? Does anyone actually think we are going to be ready?
Nicely put.
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