Donora debates OT policy that has police working solo
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
A move to purchase a new backhoe for the Donora street department turned into a debate over the borough’s police contract at a special council meeting this month.
When Councilman Ed Parquette made a motion for council to approve the purchase not to exceed $35,000 at Quarrick Auction, Councilwoman Cindy Brice interjected.
She asked why council was spending more money when there was an issue in the police department contract that hadn’t been resolved.
She said the contract was structured in such a way that, due to vacations, there are times when a full-time officer is working solo.
Brice said that is because the contract’s wording requires that every full-time officer’s shift be covered by another full-time officer so that they get the overtime.
She also said the borough is refusing to call in a full-time officer to cover those shifts to save money on overtime, leaving those shifts unfilled.
“You can’t put part time in because the contract says full time,” Cindy Brice said.
She described a situation in which an officer was called out to a domestic call by himself due to the problem.
“This is pathetic,” Brice said. “And yet we sit here month after month and spend, spend, spend. Let’s vote for this, let’s buy this. But we’re not paying the officers the wages that you put in the contract.
“You put it in there and now you’re reneging and refusing to pay it.”
Brice asked her husband, police Superintendent Jim Brice how many shifts went solo in the previous week and he answered, “A lot.”
“Did they go by themselves because we didn’t have the manpower to put in there or were they just not filled?” Council President Mike McDowell asked.
“Both,” Jim Brice answered.
Last week, Jim Brice said, one full-timer was on vacation so that was five shifts that couldn’t be filled if they couldn’t replace him with a full-time guy.
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