Originally Posted by Rex G
And sometimes the pension is retroactively renegotiated -- or changed with little or no negotiation.
Fortunately, my father managed his assets well enough that he and Mom are doing well despite the fact that his Detroit PD retirement is now essentially non-existent.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
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FWIW, appears that March 2017 has set a new record for the number of retirements, within one month, from Houston PD, slightly exceeding the number of December 2016 retirements. It may be bad manners to post an exact number, though not an actual violation of PD policy, as I see it. Let's just say that it takes an entire academy class to counter the attrition of the folks retiring in March, alone.
March has traditionally been a high month for retirements, because the pension COLA is added each April. This year, however, will the last COLA for at least three years, as a moratorium on COLAs will take effect after this one.
The next big month for retirements may well be June 2017, to beat a change scheduled to take effect in July, which will mostly affect supervisors who have promoted late in their careers.
The rest of us, who are retirement-eligible, but not really wanting to bail-out just yet, are waiting to see the final outcome of HB 43, and a related senate bill, in the state legislature.
Last edited by Rex G; 04-10-2017 at 05:55 PM.
To be absolutely correct, I should have specified that the above would apply to HPD's recent history. Before civil service protection was enacted, decades ago, a change of mayors could potentially result in massive and immediate turn-over. Even in 1982, when civil service existed, the hiring of an outsider chief, with a mandate to reform the department, might have prompted massive retirements. I do not have easy access to records from that time, but heard plenty of anecdotes as a cadet and rookie in 1983 and 1984.
Last edited by Rex G; 04-10-2017 at 07:42 PM.
Texas House committee passes Dallas Police-Fire pension fix
Under State Rep. Dan Flynn's proposal, the city would contribute an extra $11 million dollars each year to the pension. The retirement age would also go up, depending on when the employee was hired.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Looks like the retro active multiplier was dropped, probably to staunch the current wave of retirements.
Over the next 30 years the city will contribute about $600 million extra into the fund. Police and Fire will take about $1.25 billion in benefit cuts and pay about $1.4 billion extra in contributions. That doesn't include the loss COLA for who know how long. The bulk of the burden will be carried by officers with less than 15 years on and those that haven't even been hired yet.
Dallas PD new recruiting motto: Worst pay, worst benefits, worst management, worst working environment, worst pension in the metroplex. We will need hire 2,500 officers in the next five years and at the current rate we will hit 20% of that goal. Seems like a legit strategy for success.
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right.
Maybe DPD can look to the south along I-45, and recruit one of the several Assistant Chiefs that are leaving HPD by the end of June.
The ACs are largely leaving because effective July First, they will not be able to retire with AC-level pensions, having to settle for a smaller pension based upon their Captain or LT rank held prior to being named AC. Several left in December and March, with more presumably to follow by the end of June. For reference, an HPD patrol captain may command officers serving a population the size of Portland, Oregon, so even at Captain level, there can be a great degree of police management experience.
Last edited by Rex G; 04-14-2017 at 06:54 PM.
We were hoping to send a couple your way.
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right.
I think Chief Acevedo is settling in well. I remain hopeful that he can be effective, without ruining anything. He promoted one of my old trainee rookies to AC, and it is good to have a friend in a high place. (Unfortunately, one AC, who was a former regular partner, just retired; it was REALLY comforting to have him sitting in one of those high-altitude offices.)
Last edited by Rex G; 04-14-2017 at 07:06 PM.
The exodus is also occurring at the fire department.
http://www.wfaa.com/news/dallas-fire...ency/432359679
I don't think much of Acevedo from what I've seen from him on the news and heard from a couple of Austin guys. It'll be interesting to see how he does in Houston, and see how he does when he's separated from Austin politics.
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right.
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