'Exodus' continues at the Dallas Police Department

[TheNewbie]

Are you talking about a prior service academy or the new trooper school?

Prior service. I think the regular academy is 22-26 weeks.

[Rex G]

I am not sure of the details, but it is how the pension stuff is done and with contributions from the employees. Most of the officers who i employee off duty are to old and vested to leave, but not enough to retire, and are getting shafted hard,

Dallas essentially has three pensions at the moment.

Hired before Jan 1, 2007

3% per year of service at age 50, 4% annual COLA, unlimited years of DROP at 8-10% interest, 5 years vestment, and average of highest 3 year salary to calculate benefits. Active members contribute 8.5% and the city contributes 27.5%, DROP participants contribute 0%. Reduction in multiplier for retiring before the age of 50.

Hired on/after Jan 1, 2007 but before Jan 1, 2011

Same as above but COLA became "Ad Hoc" so basically no cola.

Hired after Jan 1, 2011

2% per year for the first 20 years of service, 2.5% per year for year 21-25, 3% per year for years 26-37. "Ad Hoc" COLA and vesting at 20 years. Vesting was later reduced to 10 years. Also, DROP participants statrted contributing 4% and DROP interest was reduced.

Starting September 1 2017.

Accrued benefits are maintained
2% per year to the age of 53, new hires will have a minimum retirement age of 53. Scales up to 2.5% per year of service at 58. Average 5 years highest pay to calculate benefits. "Ad Hoc" Cola of 2% but not to exceed CPI-W. DROP capped at 10 years and will be paid out in monthly installments over the life expectancy of the account holder with no interest. All Member contribution raised to 13.5% and city contributions raised to 28.5%.

Combine a pension that's significantly worse than any other in the metroplex, worse pay, higher workload, and more liability. There's a major credibility crisis with the city over the pension. It's not a surprise that a lot of the people passing through the academy are just using it as a stepping stone to get a TCOLE license. We get some turds, but we are missing out on the opportunity to retain a boat load of great officers. There's always been this little game where agencies would tell officers to go through the academy in Dallas and then the officers could get hired at said agency, we used to be able to retain most of those officers, not so much anymore. 10-15 year officers are jumping ship and retention of 2-5 year officers is around 50%. I wish I could leave before Sep 1, but I can't walk away from a boat load of sick time this year.

DPD is definitely being shafted much worse than HPD. The significance of the HPD exodus, up to the end of June, was largely driven by those who had promoted after starting DROP, beating the deadline to re-calculate their pensions, an option disappearing effective July First. The resulting nearly-complete exodus of the command staff, and significant thinning of captains, lieutenants, and sergeants, is having some interesting effects, with plenty of surprises, some good, and some bad, as previously-unknowns are suddenly the movers and shakers.

Since 2004, when we got significant raises, Houston PD has tried to remain reasonably competitive with other larger Texas departments, in salary and benefits. DROP stopped being an option for HPD officers hired after a specific date in October 2004. Some of the officers hired after that date have expressed envy or resentment, but I remind them that politicians and "pension reformers" want to get their hands on my DROP account, and are working at the local and state legislature levels to seize the DROP funds. The 2019 session of the Texas legislature will be another battle.

[andre3k]

Wow, sounds like the pre-2007 DPD retirement plan is what did them in. That was a pretty sweet package at 8.5% contribution.

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[willie]

When reading the thread, I've not seen mention of professional organizations hired to lobby on behalf of DPD officers. If Dallas and other big departments pooled money, it seems that they would have more control over isues concerning them. I may be naive, but does not mony buy clout?

[txdpd]

DPD is definitely being shafted much worse than HPD. The significance of the HPD exodus, up to the end of June, was largely driven by those who had promoted after starting DROP, beating the deadline to re-calculate their pensions, an option disappearing effective July First. The resulting nearly-complete exodus of the command staff, and significant thinning of captains, lieutenants, and sergeants, is having some interesting effects, with plenty of surprises, some good, and some bad, as previously-unknowns are suddenly the movers and shakers.

Since 2004, when we got significant raises, Houston PD has tried to remain reasonably competitive with other larger Texas departments, in salary and benefits. DROP stopped being an option for HPD officers hired after a specific date in October 2004. Some of the officers hired after that date have expressed envy or resentment, but I remind them that politicians and "pension reformers" want to get their hands on my DROP account, and are working at the local and state legislature levels to seize the DROP funds. The 2019 session of the Texas legislature will be another battle.

There's definitely a feeling around here that some of the changes were punitive. The officers and firefighters that broke the pension with DROP all retired in the 90's and early 2000's. The command staff, city council and mayor will all tell you that most of the police departments problems come from being too top heavy and keeping officers too long and the solution they come up with is to keep officers around even longer.

I'm more concerned about Houston than Dallas. A lot of Houston's problems had to do with the city not paying the bills, and the city got off with little more than a slap on the back of the hand for that. With the current property tax crisis, I can see a lot of cities in the future going in front of the legislature and pulling out empty pockets and saying that they can't pay the pension bills and expect to get a pass too. They'll do a little song and dance about greedy cops and teachers breaking the back of tax payers and the need for reform. I'm not talking about little towns in BFE, places like Addison or Frisco are up to there eyeballs in debt and have given the away farm on corporate tax breaks. That what concerns me about TMRS, there 800 some odd members and a lot of them are like Greece in the Eurozone.

https://comptroller.texas.gov/transp...&citysubmit=GO
https://comptroller.texas.gov/transp...&citysubmit=GO
https://comptroller.texas.gov/transp...&citysubmit=GO

[willie]

My primary income is from Texas' teacher retirement. We have an ongoing battle with legislators wanting to raid our fund.They say they'll pay it back. My wife and I both retired the same year. She too was a teacher. We get along ok as long as we don't spend money. People criticize us occasionally for being on the tit. I never reply. I know that these same folks would have never made it where I worked. It's the same with law enforcement.

[willie]

Today we received a letter from the Teacher Retirement System explaining that cost saving changes to our medical coverage are necessary because costs exceed revenue. We already pay a lot of money for this insurance. I shouldn't bitch, but I may anyway.The state made a deal with us, and they keep changing the rules.

Law enforcement retirees will have a problem that some may not yet know. When they retire after 20 years, they will find themselves without access to group insurance and will be at the mercy of the private market until they qualify for medicare.
Those who have job related injuries or disability might even be uninsurable. If retired police persons can not get the same deal as do teachers who retire early, then their lobby is not doing a good job. These comments would apply to firemen.