I recieved the following from former town of Ulster Supervisor Nick Woerner:
Letter to Editor - Kingston Police 02-16-2011
Dear Editor:
In following the news coverage regarding the issues surrounding the Kingston Police Department Double Dipping Probe, I felt it would be prudent to point out a potential solution that may have stopped this from occurring. The Town of Ulster Police Department regulations require that officers seeking outside employment obtain the approval of the Chief of Police prior to engaging in such employment.
The request for approval is made on a form on which the officer is required to indicate the name and address of the proposed outside employer, the hours and dates the officer proposes to work and the nature of the employment. Any approval given is valid for a period of one year. The policy also provides for an appeal of a denial of approval to the Police Commission.
This policy is consistent with New York State General Municipal Law 208-d which specifically authorizes police officers to:
In following the news coverage regarding the issues surrounding the Kingston Police Department Double Dipping Probe, I felt it would be prudent to point out a potential solution that may have stopped this from occurring. The Town of Ulster Police Department regulations require that officers seeking outside employment obtain the approval of the Chief of Police prior to engaging in such employment.
The request for approval is made on a form on which the officer is required to indicate the name and address of the proposed outside employer, the hours and dates the officer proposes to work and the nature of the employment. Any approval given is valid for a period of one year. The policy also provides for an appeal of a denial of approval to the Police Commission.
This policy is consistent with New York State General Municipal Law 208-d which specifically authorizes police officers to:
“engage in extra work for another employer outside his regular hours of duty for not exceeding twenty hours a week provided that such extra work does not interfere or conflict with his regular duties as a member of the force or his availability for emergency duty nor affect his physical condition to the extent that it impairs his ability to efficiently perform such duties and further provided that the type of employment shall first be approved by the appropriate police department or police commissioner.”
I would urge the members of the Common Council of the City of Kingston to consider the adoption of a policy similar to that of the Town of Ulster.
Respectfully,
Nicky B. Woerner
Former Supervisor
Town of Ulster
2 comments:
Good point!
I find myself choking on my own words, but what must be said, must be said.
Nicky, you are 100 % correct. A simple resolution from the common council ends this right now. Most major municipalities have similar restrictions on their officers. It is a shame that it takes Tim Matthews to bring this issue to light.
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