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Same old abuses, same tired excuses at Schenectady PD

    Learning that Officer Dwayne Johnson was ripping off taxpayers with phony overtime, Chief Mark Chaires feigned astonishment by saying, “Here we go again. How dumb can you be? You know you have a GPS in your car Why would anybody do that?” [Feb. 18 Gazette]
    It wasn’t dumb. Johnson knew that the placement of the GPS units was a “cover your rear” move so that the department, which has already been accused of a lax attitude toward excessive overtime, could pretend that they were taking steps to correct the problem. But in fact, it had no intention of doing so It only wanted it to appear that way Had the Gazette not uncovered this con, Johnson knew that no one in the police department was ever going to do anything.
    Even though Officer Johnson was charging these hours as regular time, they falsely helped fulfill his 40-hour requirement so as to put him on overtime that many hours sooner. So even though these hours might be attributed to regular pay, his overtime would have been reduced by the same number of hours had he turned in an honest time card.
    I have, over my long life, become very cynical of the police motto, “protect and serve.” I have lived in several areas of the United States, and it seems to me that all police tend to protect other police and serve themselves. Oh, yeah, they have dangerous jobs — not as dangerous as those really serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who don’t get paid 20 percent as much base pay, and who never get so much as an hour of overtime.
    The reason I say that Chaires feigned surprise is that police culture has developed the belief that they are entitled to have “made up” benefits. “We put our lives on the line every day!” is the standard excuse. Is this a surprise of which they were unaware when they applied for and accepted the job? Policemen and women know the risk. Some are attracted by it. But as with every job, it does not come with the proviso that if you believe you are underpaid, you can steal to make up for the assumed deficit.
    The tired old adage is that “most cops are honest.” Bull! Most cops are not, and that is why there is the fact that a “blue wall” exists. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Those not abusing the system still give tacit approval by inaction and acceptance.
    Every 28 hours of overtime per week equates to one more officer who could be on the street. Johnson alone would pay for one-and-one-half real people. Of course, for that to happen, public interest must come ahead of self-interest in the minds of those who say they “serve.” And that would be a real surprise.

    FRANK ELFLAND
    Charlton