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Fact Vs. Fiction
A response to the Monrovia Police Officers' Association's recorded telephone message
What follows is an excerpted transcript of the recorded telephone message received by thousands of Monrovia households and businesses on Friday, March 7. The message confused and concerned residents and business people who did not know that the issue being talked about was money – salary and benefits – and not police resources.
Direct responses to the message are in red.
“Hello, this is Monrovia Police Officers’ Association President Phil Nelson with a very important message to ask for your help. As you know, there is a crisis in the City of Monrovia and your police officers need your help to make public safety a priority. The Police Officers’ Association has requested the resources to make our City more secure, but the City Council has ignored those request.”
FACT: The Police Officers’ Association has never requested more resources – more personnel, cars, weapons, etc. They have only requested more money in salaries and benefits. The City has been in negotiation with them over those requests for months.
“The result:14 of our experienced officers have left the department and currently, we are 12 officers short causing a shortage of 1/3 of our patrol officers.”
FACT: Of the sworn officers who have left the department since 2004, five went to other police departments and one went to the District Attorney’s office. Seven (7) were terminated for performance issues. Others either retired or left law enforcement entirely.
The Department is not 12 officers short – just four positions are open and recruitments are ongoing. The Association continues to claim 12 spots open, knowing that they are counting four spots that were eliminated several years ago when federal grants used to fund them were eliminated. They are also claiming that four current officers who are planning to retire soon should be counted in the 12. Those officers are still on the job and collecting pay checks, so the City does not consider those spots open. When they do retire, their positions will be re-filled.
“Our ability to protect the community has reached a critical juncture and is at its breaking point. In fact, violent crimes have increased so much the City has to call in police from other cities to patrol our neighborhoods.”
FACT: This is an outrageous exploitation of the community’s recent bout with gang violence. The Police Association knows full well that a mutual-aid program was put into effect several weeks ago with patrols from 18 neighboring communities assisting our officers to suppress gang movement on our streets – the show of overwhelming force that has kept the community violence-free for weeks. Just as fire departments from all over a region come to the aid of a community facing a wildfire, so too have police agencies responded to our call for help.
To use the recent gang violence as a lever to get increased compensation is wrong. Monrovia’s Police Department is NOT at a breaking point. To say that is to invite panic and is unconscionable.
The City Council will be discussing this matter at its March 18 meeting – 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 415 S. Ivy Avenue. We invite concerned citizens to speak that night and let the Police Officers’ Association know your feelings about this deliberate scare tactic.
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