PAX Centurion - Summer 2014

Page 10 • PAX CENTURION • Summer 2014 617-989-BPPA (2772) Shorthanded patrol force prepares for long summer… By James W. Carnell, Pax Editor 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. 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. 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. 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. “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!” 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) 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 andWeekend Appointments Available • Home and Hospital Appointments Available D on G reen A nnette H ill G reen D on G reen A SEVERELY SHORTHANDED PATROL FORCE, under the gun from various mandates, edicts and orders issued from on high (read related Pax article about “Stats, Stats, Stats” on page 11), is preparing for a summer which undoubtedly includes repeated use of mandatory overtime and violating basic rules of common decency for street cops, such as ordering officers to work 18, 20, and 22 hour shifts… in some cases even more. Suffice it to say that it is common knowledge amongst the patrol force – the officers who perform the most basic – but most crucial- functions of the police force; that we are terribly shorthanded. We have far too many specialists on the job and far too few generalists. If this were the medical profession, we would say that we have 50% primary care physicians and 50% brain surgeons. During this past winter and spring, even on Tuesdays or Sundays, officers were being ordered to work an extra shift because of minimum-manning require- ments ( and they are sincerely “minimum” in their manning – unbe- knownst to John Q. Public or the media), so with vacations, parades, protests, festivals, special events, etc. etc., the patrol force will be stretched to the limit… and perhaps beyond. We have the ridiculous situation where 45, 50 and 55-year-old patrolmen answer radio calls while 20 and 30-something, politically- connected darlings prance around headquarters or hidden specialized units, delivering important pieces of paper from one desk to another. In many cases, these “special” officers are just a few years out of the academy. And the department scratches their heads and wonders why there is resentment and anger amongst the patrol force. The word “consecutive” in the special order regarding how many hours an officer can be allowed to work in a 24-hour period, is be- ing abused by the BPD to the Nth degree. For example, if an officer works a detail from 7:00AM - 3:30 PM, and then works his regular shift from 4:00 PM - 11:45 PM, many supervisors are taking the position that the officer can be ordered for another shift because technically, the shifts were not “consecutive” – there was a half-hour between the detail and the regular shift. (What the hell do you think we were able to do in 30 minutes between the two tours? Actually get some rest?) This untenable situation will actually cause an increase in the use of sick time, as officers realize that their days off and summer plans with their own families will be ruined at the last minute at the department’s whim. The BPD expects that officers will meekly ac- See Shorthanded on page 31