On any job there has to be a way supervisors can discipline employees. When unions attain so much power that they rule instead of the trained supervisors, then you are asking for chaos. We have gone from one extreme to the other.
One extreme is when the employee has no appeal process against supervisors. When they can be fired for any reason or no reason. But on the other hand there must be a way to get rid of bad employees, otherwise the company, in this case the city, will go down the drain, because employees make up the company.
Right now the FOP is in total control of law enforcement in the state of Pennsylvania, and the people and politicians must find a way to take back control of our law enforcement agencies. I’m not saying the FOP shouldn’t have power, but I’m saying they have too much power.
They have full control, and that is not good for either side, the FOP or city government. The people elected the mayor, and he appoints the chief and public safety director, and they are affirmed by an elected city council.
The people pay the mayor and police officers salaries, yet we have no say in anything.
Not even a vote in which 85 percent of us stated that police must live in the city. An arbitrator, who probably doesn’t live in the city, voted that they could live 25 miles from the city county building. Bottom line, they can live in the suburbs and come into the city and do what they want because they don’t have to live here, nor do their kids have to go to school in the city. Discipline is suspension with pay. They call that vacation or sick days at most places of employment. With pay? Are you kidding?
Think about it, they can’t be disciplined. They don’t have to live in the city. The few bad cops can do what they want to do, and nothing or no one can do anything about it.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that all policemen are bad. I’m saying that there are a few bad cops, and there must be a way to discipline them, to make it safer for all citizens, including the vast, vast majority of the good police officers. Because God knows, we in the Black communities need good police officers that care about the people and communities. It’s enough to have to deal with the thugs—but the police as well? That’s a bit too much.
The other area of concern is the group that the mayor is so very proud of, Talent City.
He feels they are highly qualified and fair-minded people making all the recommendations of who are hired in city government.
I’m not questioning their qualification, or integrity. I’m questioning how diversified is this group, and why isn’t this list of people made public. After many years of being a journalist, I have a problem with secret lists. Who are these people, and who is monitoring them?
A recent report on the police broke down the numbers and as we all suspected, they don’t look good at all for Blacks on the police force.Even though Blacks make up around 30 percent of the city’s population, they make up around 13 percent of the total police force, and that number is dropping as older police officers, which mostly made it in through Affirmative Action, are retiring.
I’m waiting for the same report from the other two public safety divisions, Fire and Emergency Services.
Once again I want to emphasize that I greatly respect the police, firemen and emergency service employees. That is why I’m saying Blacks and women must be a vital part of these forces. These are great jobs, the pay and benefits are great, and these people are very highly respected on the most part.
This is why Blacks should be seeking these positions, and we as advocates must make sure these positions are open to Blacks and women. And if not, why not? That’s why 13 percent Blacks on the force are not satisfactory.
These forces must reflect the makeup of the city across the board. Diversity is a must at all levels in every field, especially positions paid for by the taxpayers.Diversity also means the inclusion of African-Americans. That number for Blacks should be somewhere close to 30 percent.
(Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
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