In either case, the county will have a hard time getting employees to pay more for an expense thats jumped more than 40 percent in six years. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Brighter Tomorrows, Inc. And a bipartisan group of legislators announced they reached an agreementon Ban the Box legislation, which would restrict employers from asking about criminal histories in job applications. Looking to comment on this article? Detective investigators have been without a contract since 2018. Before he was appointed chief, members of the police force wrote an anonymous letter to Mr. Bellone warning him that Mr. Burke was known to frequent prostitutes, interfered with an officer-assault investigation and used information obtained from a wiretap as leverage against a politician. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Ryhan's Center of Hope, Inc. That scandal, which led to the conviction of the powerful district attorney, Thomas Spota, who was scheduled to be sentenced this month, and the head of his anti-corruption unit underscored how easy it can be for cops and politicians to get in bed together and turn law enforcement into a system of political favors and personal vengeance. Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises are guaranteed to materialize. Instead, it got a police chief, James Burke, who went to prison in 2016 for running the department like a mafia boss. Can they do it? Detective investigators will receive 1.5% raises in January 2024 and in July 2024. A task force set up to produce the reform plan held community listening sessions through video chats. Most users ever online was 158,966 at 05:57 AM on 01-16-2021. The. Follow-up on Previous Payroll Procedures Audit, A Special Investigative Audit of the Time Reporting Practices and Related Payroll Payments of a Selected Employee of the Department of Probation. 0000000656 00000 n On August 4, 2012, a new police contract restored responsibility for patrolling the LIE and Sunrise Highway to the SCPD. We wanted a structural change to how policing works. The AME contract runs through December 2024 and the PBA and SCOPE deals run through December 2025. 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil - 8 PM on May 13th at the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets, NW. Welfare funds are an outmoded and inefficient approach to benefits that prevents the county from using its size advantage to get better deals from vendorsand from making sure the money is being spent appropriately. The activists saw racism as the reason people in Black and Latino communities got stopped at higher rates. Contract Search OFFICE OF CENTRAL PROCUREMENT 335 Yaphank Ave, Yaphank, NY 11980 Phone: 631-852-5196 Fax: 631-852-5221 Contract Search Please select either a Contract Number or Commodity Category or enter a Commodity Phrase* or select a Vendor: Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Most notably, the AME deal contains language that likely wont hold up in court. Catching thieves who stole copper pipes out of abandoned homes. The total cash compensation, which includes bonus, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $60,181 to $70,139 with the average total cash compensation of $64,407. 852-4690. 0000000897 00000 n A Performance Audit of Hope for Youth, Inc. A Performance Audit of H.E.L.P. Terms of the 2019-2024 contract for the Suffolk County Detective Investigators Police Benevolent Association, which represents 51 detectives assigned to the county district attorney's office . Brownwill be paid $145,560 in the new role, down from $173,226. The annual minimum contribution will be $1,500 and the maximum will be $3,750, increasing to $4,000 after five years. Did anyone recieved their scores? The system works, but very slowly.. That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. The ads backfired. The Suffolk County Detectives Association contract will increase base salaries from $58.6 million total in 2019 to $65.7 million in 2024, county officials said. Their payroll for active employees cost the county $7.4 million in 2020. This lottery was done in 2019 for people who took the Spanish speaking test in 2016 and scored an 85. As hated as Mr. Trotta is among the political establishment, many of his former colleagues respect him. And being that Im already LE, which villages dont require you to go through the academy again? The 10-to-12-step pay scale for detectives promoted after 2013 will be reduced to nine steps. in my experience, Suffolk civil service moves a lot faster than Nassau, so hopefully before the year ends. Suffolk County is home to some 1.5 million people, many of them current or former New York City police officers. Most of all, they take umbrage at the notion that police union donations influenced their political decisions. Yet Mr. Trotta has railed for years about the political influence of police unions in Suffolk County, Long Island, a place where the cops are known to wield exceptional clout. He contends the payments were not voluntary, as required. Eventually, he said, it dawned on him: The county doesnt run the police. Photographs by Getty Images. Unless legislators were presented with all four documents, they had no way of seeing what they were actually committing to. just got their return.. Suffolk CO to NYPD is pretty dumb unless you had to be a cop. Those contracts, however, were never filed with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), as required by state regulations, nor were they posted on the county website. My program includes push ups and sit ups every class and tons of upper body strength training. That means the winners of the next two general elections for county legislature will already be committed to the terms. of either driver is asked to call Suffolk Police at . Questions though; my test didn't say Spanish speaking or indicate it was different but I know when I signed up I out Spanish speaking. The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday night, with the countys Association of Municipal Employees (AME) and Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which together represent more than half of the county workforce. But he stayed on the video call long enough to hear his new friend Tim Karcich, a 32-year-old Democratic Socialist from Centereach, rattle off a bunch of demands, from reducing the publics contact with police officers to establishing a reparations fund for police victims. Then another. That means they are not adverse to having a very important conversation about policing.. Tom Cilmis (R-Bay Shore) bill would restrict smoking in building common areas. I thought, this is a great way to get back at them: Ill become their boss, Mr. Trotta told me. We highlight PBA members' work; we recognize their heroic actions, and we educate the public regarding the sacrifices police officers make each day. In cost-saving measures, sick pay will be reduced to 13 days a year, compared with 26 days under the previous contract. . Transcripts of the public safety meetings in that era are full of county legislators praising the chief. Backed by the union, the district attorney and the county executive, Mr. Burke seemed untouchable. Term: Six (6) years -January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2024. He was impressed. They even have their own version of the American flag its black with a blue line running down the center, representing the idea that the thin blue line they embody is all that separates civilization from anarchy. The Suffolk County Legislature approved a new police detectives contract Tuesday that will cost the county an additional $40 million whilegiving 11.25% raises over six years. In 2022, new costs would slightly overtake savings, and in 2023, the deals would add more than $70 million to the countys personnel costs. They cited political donations from the police union as the reason. Emergency Housing Program, Suffolk County Department of Audict & Control, Registration of Nonprofit Veterans Organizations, A Performance Audit of Association for Mental Health and Wellness, Inc.'s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Federal Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of Single Audit Subrecipient Monitoring, Suffolk County District Attorneys Office, A Performance Audit of Adelante of Suffolk County, Inc. Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Program, A Performance Audit of Pathways to Recovery, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Pathways to Recovery, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of the Sheriff's Office Forfeiture Funds, Suffolk County Department of Probation, Department of Social Services, and Youth Bureau. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. May 20, 2019| NewsdaySuffolk County police officers on Monday overwhelminglyratified a new six-year contract that will raise the pay of officerswith 15 years on the job to more than $200,000 a year by 2024 when overtime and benefits such as longevity are factored in.In an online vote that ended at 5 p.m.Monday,1,344 of the 1,623 Police Benevolent Association members84 percent -- backed the agreement, said Noel DiGerolamo, PBA president.An email that went out to members Friday said compounded pay increases will total more than 13 percent by the end of the contract.The email said paywill exceed $200,000 when factors including,top step, night differential, holiday pay, seven worked holidays, cleaning [allowance], 15 year longevity[and] 150 hours of overtime are considered.The add-ons will bring pay to $201,651 for officers working the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift and the 4 p.m. to midnight shift, and $208,657 for those who work midnight until8 a.m. May 19, 2019| Ken Girardin | Empire Center. That produces an immediate reduction in costs for the county, but still leaves taxpayers absorbing future cost increases. Retha Fernandez,project director for the State of Black Long Island Equity Council, will work todiversify the workforce, Bellone announced in December. In reality the best thing anyone can do is to stay out of trouble, keep in shape because it is no joke from what I hear in the academy and will be one less thing to have to worry about last minute and dont let the wait for the call or even the letter to start your investigation consume your life. Mr. Trotta watched the rollout on Zoom at his office desk in Smithtown. Albany, NY 12224, Phone: 518-434-3100 Its hard to imagine a starker illustration of the need to reinvent policing. But it didnt shock the loved ones of Kenny Lazo, a Black man who got pulled over by Suffolk County officers in 2008 and wound up beaten to death in a case the medical examiner ruled a homicide. Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Penates, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Performance Audit of Resurrection House, Inc.s Emergency Housing Services Program, A Compilation and Analysis of Contract Agency Disclosure Form Data For the 2022 Budget Evaluation Process, A Performance Audit of the Probation Departments Federal Forfeiture Funds, A Performance Audit of Penates, Inc. (Mr. Bellone argued that an arbitrator would have given them more.) They helped organize and create the making of over 3,000 Valentine cards for our heroes who serve and protect us. The problem is, if you make $40,000, thats 10% of your entire salary, he said. Suffolk County Probation Officers Association, Sufollk County Detective Investigator's PBA, National Association of Police Organizations. Help support the men and women of the Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs PBA!! The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday nightratified* new contractswith the countys Association of Municipal Employees (AME) and Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which together represent more than half of the county workforce. This lottery was done in 2019 for people who took the Spanish speaking test in 2016 and . Something changed last summer, after George Floyds death. They also approved a healthcare cost-sharing agreement with the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees (SCOPE), a consortium of all 11 county employee unions. What scores do they usually go for? At his trial, witnesses described a union official coaching officers to lie to cover up Mr. Burkes crimes. Under section 17 of the AME MOA, the county has committed to pay into a union trust that would provide retiree health benefits only to members in good standing. Under the states exclusive representation rules, a public employer cannot confer a special benefit specifically on those workers who choose to pay union dues. Similar Job Titles: Detectives willreach that top step sooner, according toBudget Review'sreport. Acting Chief Deputy Comptroller, Suffolk County Comptroller 330 Center Drive Riverhead, NY 11901, Office Hours: Anyone know what day in January theyre going to release our grades? Samuel Gonzalezs (D-Brentwood) bill, based on similar legislation in 63 California municipalities, would prohibit smoking in units. The top base salary will be$174,000 a year by 2024, up from $155,000, Gallagher said. P.O. In 2019, more than 1,200 officers nearly half the force took home over $200,000 a year. The news is full of stories of the sacrifices police officers make, most recently the officer who lost his life responding to a mass shooting in Colorado. Mr. Trotta talks about politics as broken because police unions donations have been able to purchase deference from politicians, leading to unsustainable salary increases. The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association would like to congratulate our 2019-2020 Retirees, Medicare Premium Reimbursement Eligibility Audit Forms, Suffolk County Police Department Chaplains, Blue Line Wealth Management RPI Scholarship, Blue Line Wealth Management Catholic High School Scholarship, Blue Line Wealth Management College Scholarship, Police Reserves 2023 Scholarship Application, Black Democrat DA tells the truth on crime, but progressives wont listen, 17 ARRESTS FOR SHOPLIFTING IN 13 MONTHS, ZERO CONVICTIONS, Ortt, other WNY leaders call for changes to bail reform, Suspect the poster child for bail reform problems, source says, Gov. The six-year contract will provide detective investigators with annual raises totaling 11.25%, boosting county salary costs by $1.99 million through 2024, legislative budget analysts said. SMITHTOWN, N.Y. Rob Trotta, a cranky Republican county legislator on Long Island who worked as a cop for 25 years, might be the unlikeliest voice for police reform in America. Press@EmpireCenter.org. Suffolk County police officers on Monday overwhelmingly ratified a new six-year contract that will raise the pay of officers with 15 years on the job to more than $200,000 a year by 2024. Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda on a variety of family and criminal law topics, including custody and visitation, neglect . Steve Bellone, the Suffolk County executive who appointed Mr. Burke, says he was fooled by Mr. Burke and Mr. Spota and turned against them when he discovered their criminal enterprise. He vows that a new day has dawned. Now, as city schools close -- once more at the unions' behest -- the city is left with thousands of extra teachers hi, In light of the state governments extremely precarious financial position, New Yorks state lawmakers, judges, statewide elected officials and certain gubernatorial appointees should not receive pay raises in the. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's press office, CENTRAL ISLIP WOMAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER, MANHATTAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO STEALING MONEY FROM TWO VICTIMS IN ELDER SCAM, COMMACK WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLING MORE THAN $250K FROM SUMMER CAMP, BABYLON MAN SENTENCED TO 16 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY, Alleged Bloods Gang Member Floyd McNeil Was Out on Bail on an Attempted Murder Charge When He Was Caught with a Loaded and Defaced Firearm, District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the retirement of Mega, Dionicio Calderon Faces Up To 75 Years to Life in Prison, District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Jaquan Casserly, 34, of Holbrook, who is accused of selling fentanyl, District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Michael Gonzalez of Brentwood was sentenced to 7 years in prison, QUARTERMASTER SECTION CLOSURE AND PROMOTION PROCEDURE 3.3.23, ANTICIPATED POLICE OFFICER VACANCY-PROPERTY SECTION 3.3.23, ANTICIPATED POLICE OFFICER VACANCY-IMPOUND SECTION 3.3.23, PROPERTY-EVIDENCE ROOM MANAGEMENT COURSE 3.3.23, BODY-WORN CAMERA END USER COURSE AND INVESTIGATOR-SUPERVISOR COURSE 3.3.23, IN CAR VIDEO CAMERA-ALPR LIVE DATE-FIRST, FOURTH, FIFTH PRECINCT 3.3.23, SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT VACANCY-APPLICANT INVESTIGATION SECTION 3.3.23, BODY-WORN CAMERA LIVE DATE-THIRD PRECINCT 3.3.23, DEPARTMENT RECOGNITIONS-FEBRUARY 2023 3.3.23. For years, the feds couldnt prove it. There are 1,700 police officers in Suffolk County. trailer <]/Prev 215076>> startxref 0 %%EOF 58 0 obj <>stream One was driving a blue 2011-2013 Toyota Highlander and the other was driving a white 2019-2023 Dodge Ram truck. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) abstaining. For one thing, its hard to know just what lawmakers were agreeing to, because the AME and PBA contracts were memorandums of agreement that modified existing deals. You never know. Dec. 12, 2019| NewsdayHigh-ranking Suffolk County policeare set to get 11.25% raises over six years under a tentative $53 million deal reached with the Superior Officers Association, officials said Wednesday.Sergeants, lieutenants, captains and other senior officersat top step would have base salaries ranging from $183,000 to$273,000 a year by 2024, officials said. The lengths of the deals are themselves problematic. Under the agreement, county employees will pay 2% of their salaries toward health coverage, which will increase incrementally until reaching 2.5%, county officials said. Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk, Inc. A Limited Scope Report of Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk, Inc. Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Procurement Procedures, A Performance Audit of The Departments Forfeiture Funds, Time Reporting Practices and Related Payroll Payments of Selected Employees of the Suffolk County Board of Elections. He wore a badge and walked a beat. It was true. County Executive Steve Bellones administration has said that the county wouldsave $40 million annually by requiring all employees to pay into their health care for the first time. Theres no other feeling than knowing we have the love and support from our elected officials and students. Those contracts, however, were never filed with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), as required by state regulations, nor were they posted on the county website. Anyone can read what you share. We needed to rein that in, said Deputy County Executive Jon Kaiman in an interview Tuesday. Police officers testified that they feared for their families safety or that theyd be framed for crimes if they blew the whistle on their boss. Bellone, who is running for a third term this year, issued a news release claiming the deals together secure $40 million dollars in new health care savings and result in the lowest level of raises for Police Officers in decades. But his office produced no details to support this claim before he sent the measure to county legislators for approval. Since then, the average salaries of the police and firefighters have risen far faster than other government employees, and well above the rate of inflation, according to E.J. Under the agreement, county employees will pay 2% of their salaries toward health coverage, which will increase incrementally until reaching 2.5%, county officials said. If, for any reason, you can not access, view or download these listings, please contact PERB at 518-457-2676 and arrangements will be made to provide them to you. LIU is the only university on Long Island with a veterinary medicine school. Other unions didnt get that. Then he added one that made Mr. Trotta smile: Investigate the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation. **JUST MY TWO CENTS***, at the end of this year apparently about 50-60% of the department is eligible for retirement. Empire Center for Public Policy The healthcare savings will come in part from having all employees pay 2 percent of their earnings (between $1,500 and $3,750) toward the cost of premiums. Sign up to receive updates about Empire Center research, news and events in your email. It is not a donation, its an investment, the statement read. Newer detective investigators will reach the top salary step in nine years instead of 10 as set out in the union's previous contract. Protesters began demanding that politicians stop taking money from the police. Yet the police union still holds great sway. Donald Trump gave a speech there in 2017, encouraging officers to rough up suspects and drawing cheers. The County Legislature released a single-page analysis of top-line costs for each of the three deals, without providing a cost breakdown for specific provisions. 31-2022 Change in Mental Health Providers, Annual Notice of Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, AEM 25-2021 EMHP - Important Changes Regarding Infusion Site of Care, AEM 23-2021 EMHP 24/7 NurseLine & Sydney Health App, AEM 05-2021 Extended Weekly Schedule for Drive-Through Rapid testing.pd, SPECIALIST CO-PAYMENTS AND OUT-OF-NETWORK DEDUCTIBLE FOR MEDICAL/SURGICAL BENEFITS, IN-NETWORK PROVIDERS UTILIZING OUT-OF-NETWORK LABS, HEALTH BENEFITS ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD October 15. Mr. Spota was once a police union lawyer. The Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service is responsible for overseeing personnel actions taken by some 241 employing jurisdictions including towns, school districts, villages, library districts, water districts, etc. In 2001, he busted a cocaine trafficker, in a case that recovered a million dollars in cash from a safe hidden under a bathroom rug. General Inquiries: Info@EmpireCenter.org Wow this scared me for a second. At least one officer was charged with systematically robbing undocumented drivers he pulled over. If one person smokes in the building, everyone smokes, said Paulette Orlando, who works for the American Lung Association Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island. The cards allow residents access to county parks and reduced fees for park activities. The Suffolk County Legislature approved a new police detectives contract Tuesday that will cost the county an additional $40 million while giving 11.25% raises over six years. New Yorks most populous suburban county has just ratified a trio of labor deals with its largest unionsand, in the process, showcased some of the worst aspects of collective bargaining across the state. Detectives promoted before 2013 will keep their four-step system. Mr. Trotta was skeptical: What if a mentally ill person turns violent on a dime?. Its becoming a young department and these last two tests were a lot of people being hired. Nowhere is that dynamic more clear than in Suffolk County, N.Y. Its a place where the residents are well off, crime is relatively low and the Police Department has made national news for a huge corruption scandal. Theyre still processing candidates on the old lists for upcoming class. . Late Thursday, as hailed in this space, Mayor de Blasio finally made a decisive moveor at least seemed to make a movein the direction of actually saving some money on labor costs by getting tough with a powerful (and powerfully self-entitled) municipal union. He touts a new district attorney who set up a conviction integrity bureau to investigate wrongful convictions. Fiscal conservatives and liberal activists both want to curb the power of police unions in Suffolk County. In June 2019, while in office, the prior presiding officer of the Suffolk Co. legislature claimed that he was threatened by corrupt individuals, that he spoke with the FBI about corruption in Suffolk Co. and that the FBI acknowledged it. The total cost of the contractwas not available Tuesday night. Its sometimes said that the county doesnt run the police; the police run the county. He said some elected officials visibly stiffened when police union representatives walked into county meetings. Please help support the brave men and women of the Deputy Sheriffs PBA and the great work they do for the people of Suffolk County! There might have been enough money, too, for the social workers the activists wanted. Unlike the anticipated healthcare savings, the new costs from raises are. Departments > Public Works > Bids and Contracts. Mr. Trotta and the activists did not see eye-to-eye on much. 0000002313 00000 n Susan Berland (D-Dix Hills) and Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). Legislators and residents also debated bills that would restrict smoking in apartment, condo and co-op buildings to limit secondhand smoke. Members of the 175th Suffolk police recruit class celebrated their graduation Thursday. Suffolk County Legislature Evans K. Griffing Building 300 Center Drive Riverhead, New York 11901 Phone: 631-852-1700 Fax: 631-852-1707 Directions Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. Suffolk County Government > Departments > Public Works > Bids and Contracts. But his reasoning the police unions political donations caught the ear of an activist named Emily Kaufman. CO make more than a nypd cop..safer and just a better job (done both) corrections out suffolk is a great job,,easy work if you can even call it work 97k without OT and bonus's is around 110k with new contract(12 years) downfall vs NYPD is 25 years to retire instead of 20. Historically, in Suffolk County, you cant win a major office without the police unions endorsement, said Gus Garcia-Roberts, a journalist with The Washington Post who is writing a book about Mr. Burke. Please click here for access to Suffolk County Bonfire Portal: https://suffolkcountyny.bonfirehub.com/. About 30 people came to the legislator to support banning the box. In 2013, the department agreed to oversight from the Justice Department over its treatment of Latinos, which mandated the department to collect data on racial disparities in traffic stops, forcing the department to admit it had a problem. It seems the P.B.A. That base pay does not include other pay benefits, such as overtime and longevity pay, which are expected to add thousands of dollars to salaries.The deal approved by the County Legislatures government operations committee Wednesday would ensure that superior officers are paid between 3.59% and 17.97% more than police officers, whom they supervise, documents show. They also approved a healthcare cost-sharing agreement with the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees (SCOPE), a consortium of all 11 county employee unions. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/opinion/police-suffolk-county-unions.html, Illustration by Erik Carter. He was one of just two county legislators, both Republicans, who took no police money. The Suffolk AME, which had been without a contract since January 2017, will receive an average raise of 1.5% each year through 2024, officials said. P.O. Curious to hear some of your weekly routines to stay sharp for the PAT, It was said on another forum it would be 2 weeks prior to Christmas we would be mailed results. Andrew Cuomo for communities that want to remain eligible to receive state funding. This officer is a brother of all law enforcement professionals and the Suffolk County PBA is praying for him and his family during this trying and difficult time. This page was generated at 08:27 PM. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. A longstanding prohibition on police officers soliciting political donations from the public remains on the books, but appears to be rarely enforced. But its not getting at this, he declared, holding up printouts about the unions political donations. State law forbids the police from soliciting political donations from the public. He reminded them of Jimmy McNulty, the quirky detective from the TV show The Wire.. But I dug around and found articles about the power of the Suffolk County police unions from the . Unless legislators were presented with all four documents, they had no way of seeing what they were actually committing to. Copkiller Invited to Speak at Suny Brockport. 0000002407 00000 n New Yorks most populous suburban county has just ratified a trio of labor deals with its largest unionsand, in the process, showcased some of the worst aspects of collective bargaining across the state. Across the country, police commissioners who have attempted to hold police officers accountable for killings have seen their authority undermined by police union leaders who get fired officers reinstated. All times are GMT-6. Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), questioned how the county would pay for such expensive contracts. The revelation that officers lied shocked many on Long Island. No figures were projected for 2024 or 2025, but given that more than a third of PBA-represented employees have been on the job fewer than six years, its likely police pay costs especially will surge in the out years. They also approved a healthcare cost-sharing agreement with the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees (SCOPE), a consortium of all 11 county employee unions. But the headwinds are stiff. On March 11, the county unveiled its long-awaited plan for police reform. Amongst his other reprehensible conduct, Legislator Trotta threatened the Suffolk County Police Commissioner with a secret recording he made. The deals were negotiated outside public view by County Executive Steve Bellone, That leaves a lot of questions yet to to be answered. Mr. Burke was still a powerful police chief that year when Mr. Trotta decided to run for office. Everyone should be able to breathe freely in their own home..