Oshiel Hand, a Police Administrative Aide and Local 1549 member, has shared responsibilities with her coworker for eight years. Side-by-side, they type police documents and do the clerical work that helps Manhattan's 13th Precinct run smoothly.

Both are good workers and do the same level of administrative work - with one major difference: PAA Hand, a civilian with 18 years on the job, makes less than $30,000 a year. Her coworker is a cop. Police Officers with five years on the job earn $52,260.

"If the police department civilianized, it could hire two PAAs for the money it pays one cop to do clerical work," Ms. Hand said. She has no gripe with her uniformed coworkers; in fact, they get along well.

But in precincts throughout the city, too many cops are filling civilian posts instead of patrolling the streets, protecting the people and fighting crime.

"They should put Police Officers back on the streets to protect the community. We can save over $125 million by having members of Local 1549 do the clerical work at the New York City Police Department." — Eddie Rodriguez Local 1549 President

DC 37 and Local 1549 say civilianization - putting non-uniformed employees behind the desks and redeploying Police Officers to the streets - would save the city more than $127 million in 2003 alone.

The problem intensified in the 1990s when the city downsized its civilian ranks and hired thousands of cops to stop rising crime. To cover the resulting backlog of clerical work, the NYPD yanked cops from the streets and put them in offices from Parkchester to Police Plaza.

These officers are not on a temporarily disabled list, say Local 1549 members. They are part of a two-tiered system with gaping disparities in pay, overtime and opportunities for advancement. It's like comparing apples to orange pits.

The NYPD "hook"
NYPD clerical workers are on a dead-end career path. But hundreds of Police Officers with "hooks"- inside connections to higher-ups - are tucked safely behind desks as they climb the uniformed career ladder. They advance from Police Officer to Captain, eyewitnesses say, studying for exams while answering phones and doing other office work.

When Ms. Hand works beyond her normal 35-hour week, she only gets compensatory time off. "I have 18 years on the job. I have plenty of time," she said. "But I can always use more money. I don't make a lot."

"Clericals can't seem to get a dime of overtime in cash without asking God," said Alvin Carter, a Supervising PAA and Local 1549 Chapter Chair. Management has a tighthold on overtime money for cilvilian staff. On the other hand, Police Officers earn unlimited overtime. And in 2001, the NYPD went to the City Council for an extra $300 million for overtime expenses.

"We applaud the officers who are out on patrol," said Mr. Carter; his coworker Ms. Hand agreed. "It's when they are brought in to do clerical jobs - our jobs - that we have a problem."

— Diane S. Williams