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On the Proposed Wage Freeze See articles on page A7 Nation’s First Police Department • Established 1854
Volume 39, Number 1 • January/February 2009
PAXCENTURION Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, Inc. Boston Emergency Medical Technicians
Inconvenient facts: Woodman’s juvenile conduct resulted in his arrest, but his ill-health resulted in his tragic death By James Carnell, Pax Editor fter seven long months, the officers involved with the arrest of David Woodman following the Celtics’ victory “celebrations” have been completely cleared of any wrongdoing. The case had been touted by the well-known, cophating attorney Howard Friedman, some Woodman family members and friends, and several all-too-willing accomplices in the media as an example of “excessive police-use of force.” But in a thorough, 2-inchthick report, Suffolk County D.A. Dan Conley’s office unequivocally dismissed that false claim and found that officers used reasonable force and sound judgment during the arrest and subsequent cardiac arrhythmia suffered by David Woodman, who died 10 days later while at the hospital under the care of medical professionals when he suffered a second arrhythmic episode. The Pax Editor was allowed to view the final investigative report after it was publicly announced by the D.A. and the FACTS, though they are inconvenient for Attorney Friedman, the media and the Woodman family, are as follows: After the Celtics’ victory on June 18th, Woodman, who had been drinking alcohol for several hours with his friends at local bars and other locations, approached a group of officers stationed in the Fenway area to prevent rioting and crowds from gathering. He was holding an open cup of beer. Woodman then made a smartaleck comment with words to the effect of “Wow, a lot of crime around here, isn’t there officers?” When ordered to drop the beer, Woodman proceeded to take a sip, and then threw the beer down, splashing some of the liquid on one of the officers. Ordered to stop, Woodman began to flee and then resisted arrest, grabbing onto the railings of a fence and flailing his arms, requiring several officers to handcuff him. According to the report, he first questioned his arrest, and then began snoring and appeared to pass out. Reasonably believing him to be drunk, the officers laid him down on his side in case he vomited, and called for an ambulance for what appeared to be “an extremely drunk (continued on page A6)
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Layoffs loom, wage freeze awaits By James W. Carnell, Pax Editor s the Pax goes to print for this edition, layoffs and wage freezes hang in the wind. A meeting scheduled for February 11th between the BPPA bargaining committee and the city was postponed, but it is widely expected that the city will soon formally propose a wage freeze which will delay the 2009 negotiated payraise of 4.15% until at least 2010. Accepting that wage freeze will not prevent layoffs, but the city has threatened through their allies at the newspaper editorial boards (Globe and Herald) that layoffs could be worse if we don’t accept their wage freeze proposal, effectively placing the onus of blame for the fiscal crisis upon the patrol force. At this writing (2-9-09), it remains completely unknown how many actual layoffs may or may not occur and whether accepting the (expected) wage freeze proposal will defer any real number of those potential job cuts. Unfortunately, all information about these alleged layoffs has been funneled by the city through their consorts in the media rather than through meetings with the BPPA leadership and bargaining committee. Therefore, officially, we cannot report at this time exactly how many officers may be facing potential layoff. Whatever proposal is placed before the BPPA leadership and bargaining committee must eventually come before the governing board of the BPPA – the House of Representatives – and then, if the proposal amounts to a change or alteration of the current contract (as expected), the matter must be voted on by the full membership. (continued on page A8)
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President Nee goes to D.C. Seeks inclusion of federal funds, grants for police departments, personnel retention By James Carnell, Pax Editor PPA President Tom Nee recently was called to Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf on police officers and police departments for federal funds to provide much-needed monies for local policing efforts. A very-fluid and rapidly-changing political dynamic required Nee to fly to Washington DC as efforts to include funds for police departments appeared in danger of being excluded from the so-called national stimulus bill at the 11th hour. As President of NAPO (National Association of Police Organizations) as well as being President of the BPPA, Nee has been an outspoken advocate for federal assistance as local and state aid has dried up in a depressed economy. As Pax press time neared, Nee was hopeful that our political allies would come to see the wisdom of unburdening cash-strapped municipalities from
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many of the unfunded mandates they currently labor under. Since the overwhelming majority of any municipal police department’s budget is comprised of personnel costs, Nee was hopeful that any federal funds would include not just targeted grant money but might also be allowed to include items such as labor force retention. It is minimally anticipated and expected that the Mayor and the City of Boston will be indebted to the BPPA for our tireless efforts focused on securing funds for the BPD.
NAPO secures over $3B In funds for police matters See story on page A2
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