Thursday, August 07, 2003

By Jonathan D. Silver and Timothy McNulty, Post-Gazette Staff Writers

Minutes after Mayor Tom Murphy wrapped up a news conference yesterday announcing unprecedented police layoffs, one of the affected officers stood in his Downtown union office angrily punching number after number into his cell phone.

Following Mayor Murphy's announcement that more than 100 Pittsburgh police officers will be laid off, John Rouse, Jason Disibio and Bill Watts listen to a union officer during a gathering at the Fraternal Order of Police headquarters on Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. All three officers expect to be laid off as Pittsburgh attempts to cut costs. (Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

Each call went to a different colleague as soon-to-be-ex-Officer John Rouse spread the word among his brethren: I'm losing my job, and so are you.

"Devastating," said Rouse, an 18-month veteran of the force, when asked about the impact of being laid off. "We've given everything to do this job for the city of Pittsburgh."

As part of an effort to balance the city budget, Murphy said he would lay off 102 police officers, close one of the city's police stations and eliminate some services provided by the police.

Although no officers had been told to turn in badge and gun as of yesterday afternoon, the Fraternal Order of Police said layoffs would occur in order of reverse seniority, with the most recently hired and least experienced officers being the first ones fired.

That will likely mean the dismissal of nearly every recruit who graduated from the police academy's three classes since June 2001, and probably a number from the prior graduating class in October 2000. It will also take off the street officers who tend to be young, aggressive and with the least amount of vacation.

As well, the bureau will disband SWAT and its mounted unit and call back all officers assigned to multi-jurisdictional task forces.

"We're kind of disappointed with the city, that they'd go so drastic with the layoffs," said Officer Michael Havens Jr., second vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police. "I think this is a big hit to morale."

Murphy said he believes the cuts will not compromise the city's safety, a marked contrast to warnings from the FOP that mass layoffs could result in "mayhem" on the streets.

	Police Chief Robert McNeilly Jr., left, watches as the mayor announces the layoffs during a news conference yesterday. (Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

"What we have tried to do, to the chief's credit, is try to identify positions in the police department that would not impact the street coverage we have in our zones," Murphy said.

The union disagreed about the impact of the cuts. Members predicted that response times for 911 calls might increase and worried that there would not be enough officers to provide adequate backup in dangerous situations.

"It's going to be like the cable company -- we'll be there Wednesday between 12 and 3," quipped Jason Disibio, an officer at the Squirrel Hill station with a year-and-a-half on the job, who said he will probably return to the automotive business when he loses his position.

Earlier this week, Cmdr. Edward Kelly of the North Side station said layoffs might result in "longer waits for certain things," such as minor complaints about noise.

There are 1,023 sworn police officers --about 600 rank-and-file uniforms, 200 detectives, and about 136 sergeants and lieutenants. The union noted that the layoffs do not take into account 60 or so officers who are expected to retire this year and another 35 or so who are on extended desk duty and being phased out.

During the news conference, little light was shed on the details of the police redeployment. What is clear is that in some cases, up to half the officers working a given shift are new hires, which will likely mean major disruptions in switching schedules after the layoffs take effect.

Havens said the public should not fear that by losing younger officers, the force will suddenly age overnight.

"Most of us try to stay fit and work out," Havens said. "We have a pretty young police department. We've done most of our hiring since 1997."

It is likely that the dozen or so SWAT officers will be assigned to the zones. The union speculates that some detectives will be reassigned to the street in uniform. However, Havens said, such a move might result in investigations taking longer because of decreased manpower at the detective branch.

"There may be some detectives reassigned, but not wholesale," said Chief Robert W. McNeilly Jr.

Murphy said the decision about which station to eliminate had not yet been made. It was unclear whether the Strip District headquarters of the traffic and SWAT divisions might be on the chopping block.

It was also not known how quickly the layoffs might take effect if officers need to be juggled around to compensate for the lost positions. The police contract calls for a two-week notice for "permanent, involuntary transfers," but that same clause negates the notice in case of emergencies or "as the needs of public safety require."

Throughout the bureau, officers reacted to the news with dismay, disgust and resignation. While anticipated -- and not as severe as earlier reports that stated 150 officers could be laid off -- the reality of the announcement nevertheless cut deeply.

"What are you gonna do?" sighed Joseph Simunovic, 35, an officer at the Hill District station who was hired in October 2000. "I'm getting married Aug. 30, and I just bought a house. I know some other guys who are having kids, building houses."

Layoffs affected other aspects of public safety by eliminating 203 crossing guards and 27 Emergency Medical Services employees.

A couple of hours before Murphy's announcement, about 60 school crossing guards and their supporters marched around the City-County Building, Downtown, carrying signs with slogans such as "Every Child Deserves Safety" and "What is a life worth?"

City Council President Gene Ricciardi is lobbying the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and other private schools to help pay crossing guard costs. The Murphy administration pegs the overall cost at $2.6 million in salaries plus $1.1 million in benefits.

Marlene Lamanna, president of the crossing guards' union, said some of the guards, even if they are laid off, may still go to their street corners out of a sense of duty.

Following Murphy's news conference, Jeffrey Vesci, president of the paramedics union, lambasted the mayor.

"This man [Murphy] has no honor," Vesci fumed. "He has the nerve to eliminate front-line public safety units -- our EMTs -- and not notify us or the public that they're going to do this."

The only public safety branch unscathed by cuts are the 849 city firefighters, who are protected by contract and statute. Murphy's announcement will likely increase pressure on the firefighters -- from within city government and outside -- to agree to a merger with paramedics, which the administration says will save $15 million annually.

"This is a bad day; this is a damn tragedy that it had to even come to this," said fire union President Joseph King.

Simunovic, the police officer, said he already made a sacrifice by leaving jobs in pharmaceutical sales and the cellular phone industry to become a police officer. The prospect of trying to restart a career in the private sector after four years without any business contacts is daunting, he said. Similarly, being laid off when Pittsburgh is home to a host of tax-exempt organizations and new stadiums is "disheartening."

"When we were in the academy, we were told, 'You'll never be laid off. There'll always be crime,'" Simunovic said. "I made my commitment that every time I put my uniform on, I put my life in danger and I might not come home to my future wife. I made that commitment, and I got no commitment from the city in return."

Jonathan D. Silver can be reached at jsilver@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1962. Tim McNulty can be reached at tmcnulty@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.

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