Welcome to our newest contributor under the Publius byline.
What do we know about taxpayer money for Atkinson Police Dept. funding?
I read two unnerving blog postings that I would like to confirm the accuracy of:
Can someone please point me to the corroborating meeting minutes or other official document that states the selectman created a full time Lt slot at the cost of $85,000 per year? Please tell me this is not for real. If it is, I wish to apply for this job.
Also, could someone please point me to the meeting minutes that confirm the following posting from anon posted 2/9 at 12:19 PM that reads as follows:
"Last year, the board was responsible for negotiating the union contract with the police union. Who represented the town in the negotiations?
Chief Consentino and Town Administrator McAllister.
The result: The most lucrative contract for the union in town history. For the next three years the officers will get double raises. They will get step increases, AND COLA raises!
OK, I know this is a "life safety issue", but why do we have to pay more than any other town of 7000 people in NH, for the same or less protection?
And why? during the negotiations, the selectmen voted to give the PD administration the same benefits as the union got! Is this a conflict?
You can't be your own boss it is that simple!
And MR. Childs you knew beforehand you couldn't vote on your own raise and you did it anyway!"
---------
I would like to know how accurate these scenarios are. If they are true, I can only say this is an absolute fleecing of the taxpayers and that we need to go to the state level for an investigation.
We should also propose a warrant for 2008 to fund a consulting company to conduct a top to bottom audit/review of the Atkinson PD budget and cost structure and compare it to other towns. How much crime is there, EXACTLY, in this town? How much of a police force do we need, EXACTLY? While I suspect the outcome will be obvious, the voters need to know the facts from an outside, unbiased party and not hear it from the Atkinson PD.
And while I agree there are benefits to having an Elderly affairs organization, the budget should not be controlled by law enforcement officials - nor should law enforcement officials be allowed to collect "donations" for the PD's own discretionary spending. These funds should be under Budget committee control. The appearance of a conflict of interest is dramatic. It appears to be too much of a "Quid pro Quo" situation.
Elderly Affairs should be managed under something like the Rec dept (sending Christmas cards, annual concerts, getting volunteers to drive people to appts, etc.) These are not police duties. The core mission of a Police Dept. is LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ONLY LAW ENFORCEMENT. How many other towns in this state do this? And why do we do it when the town of Salem offers a redundant service? The Salem Caregivers website is available for all to see. They advertise right next to our PD in the Tribune apparently competing for business from the elderly in town.
By the way, what is the town's liability/exposure if an elderly person gets injured during transport in a police vehicle? What insurance coverage is in place for this? I would want to see the policy and hear from the town's insurance agent exactly what the risks/coverage are - I want to hear it from an unbiased party and not the Atkinson PD.
Doesn't our budget committee have authority or oversight over any of this? Have these questions been asked before?
These are reasonable questions that I, an Atkinson taxpayer, want and deserve answers to. THIS IS MY MONEY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT - AND YOURS, AND YOURS, AND YOURS!
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT??????
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
EDITORIAL-
A voice of compassion, an example of fairness and reasonable government.
One who believes in the strength and comfort you, your children and your family can draw from good government leadership.
A person who knows Atkinson is our home -- our most important possession that must be preserved and protected through fair taxes and sound community planning and where our children must be safe to grow to become a new generation of leaders.
One who knows that the citizens of Atkinson are all neighbors with her leadership to be dedicated and responsive to all.
One who believes that when those from Atkinson have served our nation and honors are deserved, those honors must be given.
In Valerie Tobin, we now have a leader we know we can entrust with these responsibilities because they are part of her character.
It is our honor to endorse Valerie for election to Atkinson’s Board of Selectmen.
Just a note for those who wish to count the deer.
In January 08 this blog had 16,000 hits and 1,500 unique visitors (for the month).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
EDITORIAL-
"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." [TP, 1776]
We take no small measure of umbrage at such a hostile official act against this BLOG’s patron. Therefore, a timely Editorial comment is both appropriate and necessary.
Discussion of Atkinson’s financial direction, from any viewpoint, is fundamental and encouraged and we will always attempt to limit and correct errors.
However, Righteous indignation towards purported error of such inconsequential nature is not appropriate.
The ENTIRE car deal is problematic. If it was caused by poor judgement, improper exercise of authority, neglect or mistake or even specious reasoning, this will never trump the facts that the entire questionable transaction started and ended within a very small circle of confidants.
We find the entire circumstances surrounding the disposition of the police Cruiser highly irregular at the least and the "explanations" somewhat trifling and exhaustive of our intellect.
Mr. Consentino: It’s time to go. Being Chief of Atkinson’s Police Department is NOT a birthright. That is a fabled legend of yesteryear.
Historically in Atkinson, police chief appointments were made "under the hand of the selectmen" for terms of one year at a time, as was also the case in the beginning of Mr. Consentino’s assorted and discontinuous stream of appointments to this position.
Your only remaining credential established on a claim of indispensability has faded.
So time is neigh. Plan a graceful exit, Clean out your desk, Accept the gratitude and tearful sentiments from some. We plan no editorial recriminations. It is time. Thank you for your service, We wish you a long and happy retirement. Bon Voyage.
LETTER
"To All Atkinson Residents,
I am writing to ask for your help. A member of the Atkinson Police Department needs our help. I am here to ask for your help in Corporal John Lapham's fight for his life. As you are aware, John has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been once again hospitalized with an infection that is threatening his life. He is one of the bravest people that I have ever met. He has never asked of anything from the residents of the town. Now is our chance to step up and help both him and his family out. As everyone is aware John has been out of work for a few months. His family has been busy helping John to get better. He needs our help, and I am hoping that this town can step up to the plate and help. From the moment that I met John, I have admired him. He does alot, but never asks for anything in return. He has helped so many people in this town. I for one am one of those people. Please help him.
There is a fund set-up in his name at TDBanknorth in Plaistow. Any amount will help John, while he is out of work. It would be great if this town could help ease a burden off his wife.
Thank You
Also if anyone would like to send a card, please address it to:
John Lapham
c/o Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Ctr.
Inpatient mail
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Please show Corporal John Lapham, that this community can stand up and show our support to those in need. I for one, miss John and can not wait until he can get better and return to work. Please show him that we support him. "
22 comments:
Re: Lt. Baldwin was hired as a full time officer. It came after that that he was appointed as a Lieutenant. This would have been a couple of years ago. His salary - last year, I think, was $60,000; however, he also receives health insurance, dental insurance, retirement and whatever other benefits are available to the union, all of which total $85,000 or thereabouts. In addition, please note that I mentioned a SALARY. Lt. Baldwin, along with the other police officers, received some ridiculous hourly amount for outside details, and I believe that's double time and a half on holidays. My question is: How can he be paid for outside details if he's on salary?
I have no doubt that some truly enlightened person will provide specifics. Just wanted to get my two cents in.
I saw this Article and felt I could perhaps clear this up.
First of all let me say that Lt. Baldwin does not ACTUALLY RECEIVE $85,000.00 per year. It works like this;
He is one of the few SALARIED personnel in town.
This is the breakdown for 2006:
$58,800 Salary
750 Union bene for not taking
Health insurance.
$ 4,000 Approximate OT/Details
$63,550 TOTAL GROSS
$10,644 Retirement and Medicare
$ 7,900 IRS Value of take home car
$ 3,200 Gas for take home car
$ 1,200 Average yearly maintenance
$ 465 Insurance for take home car
$86,959 TOTAL Cost to town
Hope that helps clear up the issue
NO town employee actually recieves $85,000/yr. Lt. Baldwin is the highest compensated town employee.
when did Atkinson ever have a FULL TIME Lieutenant before? NEVER!
The LT. position that existed that he was promoted into was part-time!
Mr. Acciard: Thank you for your clear response. This is the type of information taxpayers need to make sure we truly understand the situation.
I also want to thank you for posting under your name and standing up for our right to Freedom of Speech.
My understanding is that you have personally taken on some serious challenges in your position. This has not gone unnoticed. It is also my understanding that certain town officials have not exactly invited you over for dinner. There are many of us who appreciate your efforts. I plan to support you with my vote in the upcoming election.
All that being said, there are still many unanswered questions that were asked about the PD. How can we as taxpayers get clear answers to all of these questions? I know it is not your job to answer them all but you are one of the few who seem to be willing to step up to the plate.
There seems to be a mistake regarding the assumption that employees of the police department receive double raises.
This is inaccurate. Step raises are contingent upon a successful performance review. If the review is successful, the employee receives a step raise. If the review is unsuccessful, the employee receives the "COLA"
It is also important to note, that part employees are only eligible for step raises every other year. The proper thinking behind that, is that the few full time officers work more hours and thusly should make more, and have more of a chance for raises than the part employees...some of whom only work once a week, or so.
Third, I know for a fact, after talking to an anonymous union member, that the union membership was dead set against having their supervisors receive the same benefits that they had to negotiate for. Supervisors should never put themselves in a postion where they can take from these they supervise; and some of them have.
The contract did go before the people, and the people did vote in the affirmative. I agree that the time for change is upon us. This town needs a full time police chief and an adequate police force to protect the property and lives of the citizenry of Atkinson. Please remember, there is only ONE police officer out on the road at any one time!!!
Anonymous,
Thank you for your kind words. They mean more than I can express to you as I have usually heard the opposite, due to the fact that most people have no idea, what has gone on.
In Answer to your question, The places to go for answers are the Selectmen and the Budget Committee. These boards can give you the information you seek, however only one has the authority to DO anything in response to any requests you may have.
The process is simple and clear in NH. During the preparation of the budget, the budget committee has the authority to raise or lower, move, add, or eliminate line items. The selectmen have no authority over the budget during this phase.
When the budget committee has created the budget, they put it before the voters, who have the authority at deliberative session, to make changes, and vote for it. After the election, in March, THEN the selectmen have the authority to spend from the budget, and they can move money around, and into and out of line items pretty much as they see fit.
The only codicil to this is that budget law states in RSA 32:10, that this can occur only after changes that were unforseen at town meeting. But that provision is rarely adhered to or enforced.
I hope that this helped you.
And again thank you very much for your comments, I am in your debt.
In response to Anonymous 10:43am,
You are right but I think the greater issue is that we had only 1 officer on patrol on any given shift back when we had only three full time officers.
So by your own observations, that means that we have the same effectual coverage, with two more full time officers, and a $650k greater budget than we had then.
To Anon posting at 10:23 AM:
When I hear someone make statements like this: "This town needs a full time police chief and an adequate police force to protect the property and lives of the citizenry of Atkinson."
Two issues:
1) The question that comes to my mind is this. You say we need a FT police chief. ON WHAT IS THIS NEED BASED?? Do you have facts why we need a FT chief? If so, please state them. Please share what you know for all our benefit.
2) You then state we need an adequate police force....I don't believe one person in town will disagree with your point.
The questions people are asking have to do with the proper fiscal management in town regarding the police dept. and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.
I think the original posting said it best:
"We should also propose a warrant for 2008 to fund a consulting company to conduct a top to bottom audit/review of the Atkinson PD budget and cost structure and compare it to other towns. How much crime is there, EXACTLY, in this town; also as compared to other towns? How much of a police force do we need, EXACTLY?"
The issue is not whether or not we need an adequate police force or a full time anything. The issue is about how the town best uses taxpayer funds. Recommendations for full time positions and the like must be justified by real facts. As Mr. Acciard pointed out, our PD budget has grown dramatically. It just seems a lot to me when I see our 2007 town budget for police is $750,000 and is THE single largest line item in our town budget. In contrast, our Fire Dept budget for 2007 is $331,000. WHY is the police budget so high? Has the crime rate in town grown dramatically? We don't have a large commercial base like Plaistow which creates demand for police. I admit I am not an expert in these matters. As a taxpayer, I am troubled by abuses in recent years and would agree to hiring an auditor/consultant to help the town understand first and foremost, 1)What we do need for a police force? How many FT/PT positions
2) Needs are based on facts like population, crime rates & statistics, comparisons to other towns, etc.
Not because the chief says so.
Answer To "How Much Crime in this Town, Exactly?"
Here is my shot at answering this question:
If you go to the Atkinson PD website at
http://www.atkinsonpolice.us/index.htm
Click on the link named "Statistics". They are stated as the "Uniform Crime Report" for each year. Well, I copied the stats from each year and totaled them up. From Arson to Vagrancy, each crime type is indicated with the number of occurrences for each year.
I tallied them up and averaged them over a 365 day year. Results are as follows:
2002: .93 incidents per day
2003: .85 incidents per day
2004: 1.12 incidents per day ("Suspicious Activity" jumped by 42 incidents in 2004!)
2005: 1.07 incidents per day (2005 pro-rated through 10/1/05 per the web site so I subtracted 61 days for Nov/Dec. when I calculated the average)
So our town averages about one crime/incident per day. I have a hard time classifying "Suspicious Activity as a "Crime". This is all according to the stats on the Atkinson PD web site. This number was relatively consistent 2002 through 2005.
In all fairness, they receive more calls than this which would be a separate analysis under "Police Logs". However, many calls are things like 911 hangups and Alarms going off where no crime is tallied. It looks like the Atkinson PD converted from compiling a Uniform Crime Report, to compiling "Police Logs" on their website which lack totals. The Police logs show more activity but do not easily translate over to the Uniform Crime Report. So it is hard to say what the 2006 totals would be without doing alot of manual tallying. Or we could always ask the PD assuming they have those records.
Numbers like these should be compared to other towns. And then you can conduct some OBJECTIVE analysis between town budgets and crime levels.
The biggest problem going on with the Atkinson Police Department is the obvious misuse of personnel and resources in order to serve the personal needs and wants of both Chief Consentino and Lieutenant Baldwin.
Has anyone ever questioned the Chief as to why the APD Dare vehicle is being driven by him to China Blossom in North Andover on a friday night? Or to Holy Angels church on the weekends? Last time I checked, Corporal Lapham is the DARE officer, yet I have never seen him in that SUV.
Why are "Elderly Affairs" personnel driving cruisers to and from appointments with seniors in the car. New Hampshire law specifically prohibits vehicles with blue colored emergency lights being driven by non full-time certified law enforcement officers. What would happen if while driving a senior to an appointment an armed robbery took place right in front of this eldery affairs driven cruiser? What if those suspects were to fire upon the cruiser thinking there was a police officer driving it? The lawsuit that would follow would be of epic proportions.
One should ask about Lt. Baldwin driving the APD cruiser he is provided with for APD business to his part-time job at Plaistow PD. Or to his part-time job with the Coast Guard on Cape Cod. Is this good use of APD resources?
This stuff happens all the time, yet the valuable hard-working members of the APD are held under the same dictatorship of tyranny that has ruled the Board of Selectman for sometime.
Union Contract.
The Contract did not go before us...the money for the contract did. To my knowledge, the Budget Committee did not see the contract at all. I don't know what their recommendation was based on....possibly intimidation....?
Too late now; however I agree that the Police Department budget should be studied thoroughly, and by an outside source. If nothing else, lets remember to submit a petition article for next year, because I'm betting the Selectmen won't do it.
In Response to the last Anonymous,
The Budget Committee was told last year, when the money warrant article for the union contract was presented Jan.12, 2006, two days AFTER our public hearing, by Mr. McAllister, that the budget committee "doesn't need to see the contract, I have all the numbers right here and that's all you need."
As we have seen the numbers presented were at least $60K short, and we DID need to see the contract.
I want to scream every time I hear Lt. Baldwin talk about his officers putting their lives on the line every day here in Atkinson.
I mean no disrespect to the officers, but this is Atkinson, come on.
There have been two shots fired in the line of duty in the last 20 years in town, to the best of my knowledge, and one of those was a new officer who pulled the trigger by accident. There is less than one incident per day on average. I have spoken to the officers on evening and night shift and they say they rarely get a dispatch. This is not the hotbed of crime that Lt. Baldwin makes it out to be.
And I am sick of hearing it. Is it possible that these people can be honest?
The fact is so much of what our police dept. and it's chief and Lt. do, and profess to need is because...
YOU CAN'T BE A BIG BOY WITHOUT BIG BOY TOYS!
You cant compete when every town around has an SUV and you only have one your using as your own car. you need another one, so you have bragging rights with two!
Hampstead has a $700k budget with 7 FT officers.
We have to have $800k with 5.
We need a sallie port.
We need a new PD.
We need a tower.
We need more toys so we can compete with larger forces chiefs and feel important.
What did Freud say about overcompensating?
Response to the February 16 2007, 6:14 pm blog:
You should check your facts regarding shots fired calls before posting false statements. The second instance you mention in which, a "a new officer pulled the trigger by accident" is wrong.
That call revolved around a suicidal, barricaded subject with a semi-automatic shotgun; who happened to have trapped two other people in the basement of the home.
While officers were evacuating those trapped people, the barricaded gunman emerged at a pictire window. He was in an elevated position with high ground advantage (veterans will know what I mean by this); the officers were out in the open with no cover; and the gunman smashed out the window. The officer was legitamatrly in fear for his life and the life of his partner, as well as the people they just got out of the house. The officer did fire, and by doing so gave everyone a chance to seek cover. Shortly after, the gunman gave himself up. The gunman was charged. The county attorney reviewed the case and ruled the shooting justified.
As a side note, that gunman ended up dying in a car crash sometime later.
Do your homework! And that case should serve as a reminder to everyone in this town...and on this blog...who think that just because this is Atkinson, that serious incidents like this can't happen.
I talked with that officer, and I can't imagine what it must be like to go through something like that. In the future, if you have similar questions all you should do is ask!!
Please, someone, say it isn’t so … Lt. Baldwin driving the APD cruiser to the Coast Guard Station on Cape Cod.
I believe that trust and respect are earned and also that we should support our police officers 100% at all times. I don’t buy all the BS about crime statistics and bedroom community. Crime happens; it could be here just as well as somewhere else and these officers have signed on to stand between us and the criminal element. I don’t care if they fire a round accidentally or at an armed suspect, fire the whole clip for all I care, they are doing their job and I respect them for it.
Having said all that, if the accusation about Lt. Baldwin is true, he has lost some of my trust and respect. I keep remembering how annoyed I was at Mr. Boyle when he kept “nickling and diming” Lt Baldwin’s benefits while he was on active duty. This is something that I will never forget but I now have to wonder .. Is Lt Baldwin now “nickling and diming” the town.
To the last anon,
Perhaps this is another record that should be set straight, as the stories I have heard from Lt. Baldwin and the Chief regarding this are not true.
The "nickel and diming" issue you spoke of please go to the town website, selectmen's minutes 5/19/03 and particularly 6/9/03, also the Eagle-tribune article 6/6/03. You will find that Mr. Boyle was the selectman who made the proposal and motioon to ADVANCE Sgt. Baldwin 6 weeks full pay before he even left Boston so that his family would suffer no hardship. The Board of Selectmen then asked Sgt. Baldwin to furnish a copy of his Leave and Earnings statement(LES) so that it could reconcile accounts. They did this in spite of the fact that Sgt. Baldwin was at that time suing the town because he felt he hadn't been justly considered for the then non-existent Lt. position. Bear in mind that Sgt. Baldwin had only been a cop for 5 years at this time, but that is a side issue. The Board received an LES for April and the $5,900 was the difference in his town and military pay for 13 months! After that Sgt. Baldwin refused to provide an LES, choosing instead to speak with the board through the chief and his attorney. The Board stated in these two meetings as well as letters that they would see to it that Sgt. Baldwin did not lose any money by going on active duty, but they required his co-operation. Sgt. Baldwin instead furnished a commanders base pay letter, which does not include all military pay only base pay. Sgt. Baldwin said that was sufficient. The Board felt otherwise.
So although the impression carefully cultivated over the past 4 years is that Mr. Boyle tried to take something away from sgt. baldwin, like so many other town legends it is simply not true. The minutes say it ain't so, and the case file of sgt. Baldwin's lawsuit against the town to try and get a promotion says it ain't so., check these sources out.
Bottom Line Boyle advanced $5,900 of taxpayer money to an employee who was suing the town for a higher paying job, one his chief got for him as selectmen, while asking for his paystub for verification, and the employee was too arrogant to provide what was asked for, and why? because the true difference between his total military pay and his town pay was only approx. $450/mo. not the approx. $2,400 he was claiming.
To Publius at March 8, 2007 3:04 -
Sorry but I'm having trouble with your first paragraph. Do you know for a fact that Lt. Baldwin did or did not take the town car to Cape Cod.
I did learn a lot from you posting , You seemed very anxious to get into the history of my comment but I’ve been blessed with a decent memory and I watch all of the selectman’s meeting.
I have heard for a couple of years that Lt. Baldwin takes his Atkinson Cruiser to Boston for Coast Guard training, but I said nothing because I couldn't prove it.
Didn't want to get thrown under the bus with Grant and Acciard by asking questions about the police dept.
isn't a shame when you have to fear asking questions about any town employees or dept.s actions?
But that has been Atkinson.
Why does Lt. Baldwin have a take home car? No other dept. lets officers take home vehicles! He lives a 1/2 mile from the station. And when did the selectmen vote to give him a car at town expense? Or did the Chief just let him have it? If so isn't that some type of financial irresponsibility?
In answer to Taxpayer #3173,
No, I do not know for sure. I have been told by many people for a number of years now that he does, I have heard Atkinson Police officers talk about it, but I can not prove it, as another commentator said, and in Atkinson, if you are going to question the PD and do not have court worthy proof, you are going to be harrassed and slandered for it. Just ask the Grants, or Brian Kaye. Hell, even if you HAVE court-worthy proof and WIN at court you will suffer the same fate, just ask Mark Acciard, or Wayne Peak, or officer Micheal Rivera
Ahh Publius … you should have chose the name Janus
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