FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2013
TO: All Media Outlets
Berry Syphon's 45 Million Dollars from APD and creates a Financial Crisis
Upon taking office, Berry essentially froze or reduced the hourly wages of those officers to where they are now which is $25.18/hour. With 950 officers making $25.18/hour the base personnel budget out of APD’s operating costs would be (and was projected to be) around $50 Million. This does not include overtime expenses. However since Berry took office, the population count of these officers has fallen to about 750 which is where it stands today. Therefore, the base personnel budget for this actual number of officers is about $40 Million. So over three years, by the departure of almost 200 officers and detectives, Berry’s city budget has not had to spend close to $30 Million in APD personnel costs as the actual costs fell below the amounts budgeted because of manning level shortfalls.
On July 1, 2010, by contract with the city these officers were supposed to get raises to $28/hour. This would’ve meant an increase of $5.6 Million/year in personnel costs for those 950 officers as their wages jumped by 11.20%. However, as we know Berry breached that contract despite there being tens of millions of dollars available for discretionary expenses that Berry preferred over contractual obligations. Because Berry did not honor this increase in pay, he again departed from budget forecasts and did not have to spend approximately $16.8 Million over the last three years for this pay increase.
Because of Berry’s policies, he has diverted over $45 Million away from the police department. But in doing so he has created a personnel crisis. This has not been an accident, this has been by design and these numbers prove it.
APD is understaffed and has all but lost its most seasoned and experienced officers. APD’s recruiting effort is hampered by DOJ’s ongoing scrutiny and investigation into the department and its lack of competitiveness with other departments. And by the officer’s own assertion, morale cannot get any lower.
However APD’s budget has continued to grow to where it is today: $153 Million. So even with actual personnel costs plummeting because of a 25% reduction in staffing, the department is rife with expensive boutique projects that look great, but accomplish little –especially when you are the person trying to get an officer to respond to an ongoing crime.
Berry’s actions like this are not limited to APD, but include all departments staffed by employees working under collective bargaining agreements. From Fire to Solid Waste, Berry has diverted funds from the very employees that make this city great to outside interests wanting the city’s business. Ironically, while RJ Berry promotes his management of the city as being thrifty and consistent with conservative values, he’s been anything but. The funds I describe here have not been “saved,” they’ve been spent elsewhere and a majority being used to pay outside vendors. That’s where all this money has gone. Under RJ Berry APD, for instance, costs 5.5% more to operate now, than it did under Martin Chavez’s last year but with 25% fewer officers.
--Paul Heh
THIEVERY
DIS-HONESTY
NO INTEGRITY
ANTI-UNION
27 comments:
Were those Berry's panties in that luggage?
God bless Vecinos united! You guys have real balls unlike our APOA! Silvio, keep taking it to these clowns. Bravo on the 1st amendment win! I will do anything to protect citizens like you who have the guts to fight like you do. Real officers know your problem is with the corrupt admin. and officers who don't know how to treat people right or have the balls to be men. City hall has been red tagged!
You guys are making wine out of Berry.
This onslaught is unprecedented.
I don't think I have ever seen the EYE wreck house like this before!
Simply amazing EYE. You all are doing justice a solid!
Be proud of what you are doing because if your hard work was not being done, these criminals would be running amok. If the DOJ isn't sitting down to the Eye with every cup of morning coffee, they are remiss.
You all deserve medals. A true insurgency against corruption if I've ever seen one.
And APOA Vice President Willoughby wants to spend our time and money on a fucking bat?! Ooops, I mean "lodge." Give me a break. This is craziness. All the 34s i work with want Berry, Banks and Schultz GONE. And I put money where my mouth is, an annual amount of union dues to Heh's campaign. Bring it to them Paul!!!!!
Funny you guys said, Red-handed...He also has a pair of RED panties that was left in his suitcase..,J.st sayin'
Add DISGUSTING to your list for Berry.
where is the city council on this? why aren't they screaming? are they all on the take? this is a balance sheet issue so, show the expenses and the real allocations.
show us these accountants' numbers.
quit making unsubstantiated allegations because if this is real Berry and his department heads should be indicted.
How is this an "unsubstantiated allegation", looking at the city's CAFR's for the last four years all this and MORE is there. The numbers are what they are. APD's budget has grown, Grown, GROWN while 25% of its work force left.
Kudos to the five that voted for Paul Heh. Fuck you worthless sheep who continue to tarnish the image of good cops by standing with Berry. Please go ahead and buy that piece of shit real estate so every dues paying member can claim partial ownership of it and sue your ass into bankruptcy when you don't cash them out when they retire....
Rumor has that Berry isn't the only one with their hands in the cookie jar...It seems that Willoughby was sharing the cookie jar with Joey...Did they investigate that?????????
Of course fat boy (lol...which one is that?!) had his paws in the cookie jar, look at the disgusting wannabe cop. Does two bids in the field and then runs inside. When all of burglary left bc of the bullshit, guess who remained. Yep, Shawn Willoughby.
This has been going on for decades, with the budget. AND YES, the city councilors know. They themselves divy up the "salary savings" and other unused monies from other department budgets for their own lil projects. People have stood up in the council chambers and got laughed at for trying to get this money back into their budget shortfalls. People its YOUR government, stop complaining and vote out the incumbents every election year if you want real results. No more CAREER politians!
Not only red handed with red panties,but red blood dripping off his hands!!!
I though city council was the ones that requested DOJ to do the investigation on APD. Soooo wouldn't that mean that they are involved?
The Journal reports today that our AG finds that the APD screwed up the Mary Han death site by having a parade of high level cops including Darren White interfering with the scene and destroying evidence. I look forward to The Eye's commentary.
August 15, 2013 at 10:35:00 PM MDT
Prety harsh stuff to paint the entire department with the same brush. Are you kidding me. I worked with men and women of intergrity in all divisions. Most cops and fireman come to work and put their lifes on the line everyday whether or not YOU have a big mouth or who is mayor. Cant do much with the people at the top who stand in the way.
Time for a shift in gears come election time.
Save us the "we put our lives on the line" bullshit. We don't his job because it's powerful and fun. There are risks, so what.
Damn straight Ken!
Yea, save it! Bus drivers on the Central route risk their lives just as much and don't get to shoot people with ash trays butter knives lotion bottles cell phones and the best of all.... Nothing in their hands.
You're all gonna think my comment here is lame but believe it or not librarians and library clerical have been spit on, punched, and shoved by public customers. We are threatened, cursed at our vehicle have had Windows broken and keyed.library admins. DO NOT WANT US TO INVOLVE POLICE. A prior librarian was disciplined because she called the cops after being punched in the arm by a male customer.
To the "I put my life on the line everyday" chickenshit pussy. I hope to God you're not a cop because we don't need little girls like you out there shooting people with sticks of gum, combs, ashtrays, cups of coffee, but knives, or Elmore dolls in their hands. Grow a set or go home.
He probably is a cop. One of the new ones who think that working for APD you can still be a cop. It must be good having all those time outs and milk and cookie breaks in the academy where they teach you to tell everyone your hiney hurts when the shit hits the fan.
8:00,
It's not lame at all. Comments like yours are welcome here because it put's a healthy perspective on reality and how bad things really are. I am sorry that you have to tolerate that because if I worked your area command I would make sure that that work place policy ended along with the disrespectful behavior you are forced to tolerate. Nobody deserves that. It seems libraries are suffering from the same dickish assholes that permeate what are supposed to be leadership roles in every city department. I am sorry about that. I truly am.
@8/15; 6:17pm: It's not common knowledge, but rumor has it that Berry has a sailboat moored at Elephant Butte. A freak gust of strong wind came up and ripped the main sail off his boat and took it somewhere south of the border. (Here's where the carry-on bag with the red panties come in) The lady seen in the video delivering the bag was an anonymous messenger. She was delivering the bag to Berry containing a pair of red panties donated by LDH so that he would have enough fabric to get a new sail made.
Where is wifie? Seems a few people can't be seen in public together right now but their wives, people don't recognize their wives. Their wives have been keeping interesting company. Interesting clothes and jewelry they can't afford and interesting company
10:52,
Lay it out!
Why is it that Berry can reduce employee pay without going through negotiations and now he is saying the $2.5 million can only be given if negotiations are done. He is attempting to take more via negotiations and not even make whole what he took away. Give the money back that you took away first, then we can talk negotiations.
He we go again certain folks are up for re election and OH LOOKIE HERE we found some money so we can give you all a raise... I say keep the money and let's vote all those A HOLES out.....
Post a Comment