Public Employee Press

Civilianization drive in high gear
Mayor pledges support at DC 37 Community Association in Co-op City

By JANE LaTOUR

DC 37’s drive to document, expose and oppose the use of uniformed officers in civilian Police Dept. jobs went into high gear in September with community association meetings citywide and public hearings at DC 37.

At the Sept. 22 hearings, members testified about the abuses that result when full-duty Police Officers perform the jobs of DC 37 members. They spoke out as expert witnesses describing the NYPD’s large-scale use of armed and uniformed cops for clerical, computer, custodial and other work outside their job descriptions.

The grievances of the members who testified made it clear why civilianization is such a burning issue. Police holding non-law enforcement jobs block civilian promotions, freeze hiring, stop civil service tests and limit opportunities for advancement and career development — leaving the civilian ranks frustrated and demoralized.

One year ago, in September 2004, an arbitrator ruled that cops should be moved out of NYPD desk jobs and replaced by civilians, yet limited progress has been made.

Members got to voice their frustrations directly to Mayor Bloomberg Sept. 22 when DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts brought him to a DC 37 Community Association meeting at Co-op City. Before a full house of union members, he admitted that getting the NYPD brass to implement civilianization has been difficult, even for him. “It’s like pulling teeth,” he told the gathering. He said his administration is committed to pushing for more civilians in clerical and custodial jobs within police precincts across the city.

The hearings at DC 37 brought forth a stream of members who spoke passionately about the problem. Participants in the hearings were guaranteed anonymity.

“If they took all the cops in the 75 precincts who are doing civilian work, they wouldn’t have a shortage of police,” said one woman who has spent almost two decades as a NYPD employee. “My paycheck is suffering and that’s why I came here,” said another witness. “I am still making only $28,000, after all these years in the department,” she said.

The DC 37 Civilianization Committee is planning a campaign to bring the issue to the public. “This is a public safety issue,” said Oscar Alvarado, assistant director of DC 37’s Political Action Dept. “They do have the Police Officers. They’re just not out on the street.”

While the average salary for a veteran cop is between $50,000 and $60,000, a typical civilian worker makes about $30,000 a year. A serious effort to implement civilianization could save the city millions, with some estimates at about $127 million a year. But the number of civilians continues to drop.

“There used to be 5,000 civilian employees working within the NYPD,” said Lenora Gates, executive vice president of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549. “That number is down to 3,000. With the exception of 90 new clericals hired in July, there has been no new hiring within the last three years,” she pointed out.