the broward centurion centurion... · 2015. 3. 23. · the broward centurion january 2013 january...

2013

The Broward Centurion

The Official Publication of The Broward County Police Benevolent Association

January 2013Volume 16, Issue 1

PBA Honors Pat Hanrahan.......... 4

Injured Offier Update .............. 5

Hollywood Chief Retires ............... 6

Board Meeting Attendance ....... 8

In This Issue:

Happy New YearAudit Shines Light On Hollywood’s Money Mismanagement

An audit by the Florida Attorney General’s office takes the City of Hollywood to task for ineffec-tive budget management, how it runs some of its business and for some potential illegal expenditures by the city’s CRA.

Hollywood has twice declared “financial urgency,” laid off 10 employees and slashed pay by 7.5 percent for civilian employees and by 12.5 percent for police and firefighters.

The audit’s preliminary findings include:

The city’s coffers shrunk between 2006 and 2011 due to “declining revenues, ineffective management and budget practices and increas-ing pension costs.”

There is no formal plan for replenishing the fund bal-ance reserves, regardless of Hollywood’s policy to keep those reserves at a certain level. The city raised millage rate for the 2011-12 and the 2012-13 fiscal years.

There is no funding policy that ensures that sufficient resources are available to pay pension benefits for em-ployees.

There are problems with the city’s systems for track-ing fuel use and maintenance of its fleet of about 750 vehicles.

Expenditures from the city’s two CRAs were called into question. It is unclear whether or not certain expen-ditures were in accordance with the law. Additionally, the CRAs did not

carry over funds left over from year to year, failing to count them

when determining amounts available for new appropria-tions, a practice the audit calls “contrary to law.”

The chairman of the Joint Legislative Auditing Com-

mittee, Senator Joe Abruzzo (D-Wellington), is meeting

with legislative staff and leader ship to determine the committee’s next course of action.Source: Sun-Sentinel

The Broward Centurion January 2013

bcpb

a.or

g

President’s LetterThe Broward

CenturionThe Official Publication of the

Broward County PBA (A Charter of the Florida PBA)

2650 West State Road 84Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312

Telephone: 954/584-7600Fax: 954/583-0405

Megan Gordon, Editor

E-mail: [email protected]

The Broward Centurion is published by the Broward County Police Benevolent Association for the sole benefit of its members. The Broward Centurion is dedicated to the advancement of the law enforcement profession through better and stronger community relations. The opinions expressed in the publication of The Broward Centurion are not necessarily those of the Broward County PBA, its Executive Board or the Board of Directors.

Members or readers submitting letters to the editor or articles for publication are requested to adhere to the following:

• Submissions should be sent to:

Broward County PBA Attn: Centurion 2650 West State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312

• Letters or articles must be accompanied by the writer’s true name and address.

• All articles submitted for publication must be accompanied by a statement giving permission to publish.

• All submissions must be legible.

• The Broward County PBA reserves the right of the Executive Board or Editor to amend or to add an editor’s comment to any article or letter submitted.

• Advertisement in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Broward County PBA unless otherwise specified.

2

Jeff Marano

The Executive Board and staff of the Broward County PBA hope you had a wonder-ful holiday season. We are all looking forward to a new year and a fresh start.As we enter this new phase, we are faced with the challenge of how to fill the void left by Pat Hanrahan. Pat’s political influence and connections in Pompano Beach, with the Broward County Commission and in Tallahassee, all nurtured over the course of many years, have been invaluable. His dedication to the PBA and our membership has been extraordinary. I firmly believe that Pat was instrumental in keeping Pompano green and white. The level of credibility, respect and trust that he earned with elected officials is not easy to replace, but it is crucial. The PBA is committed to maintaining and strength-ening those connections in the coming years.

There’s also a new sheriff in town, and we will be working closely with Scott Israel to move the Broward County Sheriff’s Office forward.

And please remember to keep Hollywood Officer Armando Silva and BSO Deputy Scott Nida and their families in your thoughts and prayers as they recover.

It is an honor for us to serve those who protect and serve. Thank you for standing with us.


3


bcpba.org

Executive Board

Board of DirectorsBSO (Support)

Paul WeissBSO – At Large (LE)

Michael Joseph CatalanoJames DeMato

Ian DoriotArmando Enrique

Robert LahiffJay Leiner

Chris PalamaraJim Pendergast

Jeff PooleBSO – District (LE)

Ken BoveChristopher Bradley

Chris CaldwellCarlo Cardarelli

Kelli CovetRich EngelsJohn HerreraDean MirraArt Perry

Robert PetoskeyVictor Rivas

Ivan RoizRalph RombGuntis Treijs

Jerry VosburghBSO (Lts)

Linda Canada-Stuck

Broward Schools Investigative Unit

Bobby SpenceCoconut Creek

Dan EberlyDarren Karp

Coconut Creek (Sgts)Kirk Carlson

Hallandale BeachMarc Dady

Ed DiazEd McGovern

Thomas Montellanico - Alt.Hillsboro Beach

David Clark

HollywoodSteven Bolger

Chris ChristiansonRick Losenbeck

Keith WadsworthWilbur Fernander - Alt.

Lighthouse PointChris Oh

Carmen RoldanMargate (Spvrs)

Andy ZettekMiramar

George MankowskiThomas Tiberio

Scott UntchPeter Bermudez - Alt.

Jason Fox - Alt.Pembroke PinesAndrew Brooks

Adam Feiner Chris Grant

Sea Ranch LakesRon Stabile

Mike Tarr - Alt.Sunrise

Joel SchillerSunrise (Lts)

Bob DornWilton Manors

Shawn ChadwickNicholas Fiacco

Gary Blocker

Welcome New Members

Senior Vice PresidentDebbie ReggioVice PresidentRodney Skirvin

TreasurerDrew Brooks

SecretaryLee Martin

Immediate Past PresidentPat Hanrahan

Legislative ChairmanNeil Vaughan

PresidentJeff Marano

Office StaffCharter Secretary/Detail Coordinator

KimReceptionist/Membership

LynnMembership

LindaLegal Assistant

MaryannCommunications Director

Megan

Reinstated

Nikkole Cox Wilton ManorsMichael S. Kruse Lighthouse PointLance Seltzer Davie P.D.Lashay Singletary Miramar

Jon P. Rappa Lighthouse Point

4

The Broward Centurion

bcpb

a.or

gJanuary 2013

PBA Honors Departing PresidentPat Hanrahan retires

The December 10th Board of Directors meeting opened with the presentation of lifetime membership to outgoing PBA President Pat Hanrahan. Pat is only the third president the Broward County PBA has had since it’s inception.

After receiving his Bach-elor of Science from FSU, Pat became a sworn officer in 1975 with the Pompano Beach Police Department. He became involved with the PBA in 1976.

In addition to his term as president, Pat has been an Executive Board member since 1983 and has held every position —only member ever to do so.

We thank Pat for his years of dedicated service to our members. He is not one to brag about his accomplishments, but he worked behind the scenes in getting things accomplished.

The Board of Directors and staff wish him a long, happy and healthy retire-ment. He will be missed.

Meet Your New SecretaryBSO Deputy Lee Martin joins Executive Board

Pat Hanrahan’s retirement left a vacancy on the Broward PBA’s Executive Board and BSO Deputy Lee Martin was elected to fill it. This month he begins his term as the Board’s secretary. His responsibilities include maintaining the minutes of the quarterly Board of Directors meetings and the PBA’s business records as well as ensuring that various filings with the government agencies are completed and up-to-date.

Lee was a member of the 151st Broward County Police Academy. He joined the Davidson County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Office in 1987 and served that community for three years. In 1991 he came back to Florida and began his career with BSO, where he has been for the past 22 years. He has been a member of the Broward County PBA

since he began his career at BSO, and has served on the Board of Directors for four years.

In addition to his duties as a police of-ficer, he has coached high school football in the county for 21 years, currently at Dillard High School. He’s also pursu-ing a degree in Management at Broward College.

Lee and his wife Heather have two chil-dren: Lee Jr.(17) and Chandler (12). An avid sports fan, he loves the Miami Hur-ricanes, Dallas Cowboys, NY Yankees

and the Miami Heat.

Please help us welcome Lee to the Executive Board; we look forward to working with him.


5


bcpba.org

Florida Legislative UpdateAs of December 7, 2012

Tallahassee is gearing up for the 2013 legislative session, and the Florida PBA, as always, is right in the middle of the action, keeping us updated on the latest.Pensions and pension reform will continue to be big topics in 2013. The Florida Supreme Court will be deciding on FRS case, probably in March. Rumors abound, but we’ll have to wait for the actual decision to see how this plays out.

Pension reform will again be the watchword. The House of Representa-tives is going to look at changing the Florida Retirement System for new hires while the Sen-ate is going to examine changes to local pension plans.

The Florida PBA has laid out three guiding principles in its position on pensions and pension reform:

1. Do no harm to active and retired members—take nothing away from anyone.

2. Do not jeopardize the solvency of the existing pension systems—make sure the systems receive the necessary funding levels to pay for the exist-ing benefits.

3. Do not change the systems for new employees if it is not financially necessary.

We’ll keep you informed of developments as we get the infor-mation.Source: Florida PBA

Update On Injured Officers

Two PBA members were seriously injured in traffic accidents late last year. We’ve been keeping you updated on their prog-ress and are happy to report that both men have been released from the hospital.

BSO Deputy Scott Nida went home on Decem-ber 11th. While he is still in a lot of pain, he doesn’t appear to have any brain damage. He will be going back to the hospital for treatment several times a week.

Hollywood Officer Armando Silva left the hospital on December 21. He is going through reha-bilitation and has begun to walk and talk again.

We are thrilled that Scott and Armando were able to come home for the holidays. They have a long way to go in their recoveries, but are making great progress. Our prayers remain with them and with their families.

Both were home for the holidays

6


bcpb

a.or

gJanuary 2013

Letters & Thanks

January 2013The Broward Centurion January 2013

7


bcpba.org

will be mailed In mid-January.

Please make sure your address is

up-to-date!

Hollywood Chief RetiresChadwick Wagner served city for 30 years

This month, Chief Chadwick Wagner will end his 30-year career with the City of Hollywood. He announced his retirement on December 21.He began his life of public service after high school graduation, when he did a three-year tour of duty in the US Army’s 42nd Military Police Group in West Germany. In 1983 he joined the Hollywood Police Department as a patrol officer. Later he worked in the traf-fic unit and the detective bureau.

Chief Wagner’s supervisory career began in 1993. He worked his way up the ranks, becoming a major in 2000, then assistant chief in 2002.

PBA Membership

Cards

In 2007, Wagner was appointed interim police chief; in March 2008 he took the helm as the

chief of the Hollywood Police Depart-ment.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Manage-ment from St. Thomas University and has received numerous awards, including the US Attorney General’s Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer and MADD’s Officer of the Year.

We wish Chief Wagner a long and happy retirement.

Lawmakers To Tackle City Pensions

A key issue in the 2013 Florida legislative session will be pensions, specifically municipal pensions. A Senate panel will be looking into revamping state law, possibly giving cities the authority to rein in pension funds for police and firefighters.

The Florida PBA has been open to changes in pension policies, but there has been much disagreement as to what needs to be changed, complicating the process. Two years ago the PBA agreed to changes that would have altered the way cities were able to use a portion of taxes collected on insurance premiums so that they would be able to maintain their pension funds’ viability with those funds. Legislators were only able to agree on smaller changes, like capping pensionable overtime at 300 hours per year and removing unused sick and vacation time from retirement calculations.

A Florida Supreme Court ruling on the three percent employee contribution to FRS could derail this discussion—if the Court rules against the state, the

legislature would have to repay em-ployees $1.1 billion in back pay and find

$861.2 million to finance the pension fund, which would effectively table the

discussion over city pensions for the year.Source: Palm Beach Post

8

bcpb

a.or

gThe Broward Centurion January 2013

Oct. 2012

Nov.2012

BSO (Support)

Paul Weiss X X

BSO – At Large (LE)Michael Joseph Catalano E X

Ian Doriot E XArmando Enrique E X

Robert Lahiff X XJay Leiner X ELee Martin X X

Jim Pendergast E XJeff Poole X X

Mark Trudel UBSO – District (LE)

Christopher Bradley E XKen Bove E X

Chris Caldwell X XCarlo Cardarelli X E

Kelli Covet X EJames DeMato E X

Rich Engels E XJohn Herrera U UDean Mirra E XArt Perry X E

Robert Petoskey X EVictor Rivas X X

Ivan Roiz X XRalph Romb X EGuntis Treijs U U

Jerry Vosburgh X XBSO (Lts)

Linda Canada-Stuck X XBroward Schools Investigative Unit

Kathleen Anderson X N/ABobby Spence E U

Coconut CreekDan Eberly X XDarrin Karp E X

Coconut Creek (Sgts)Kirk Carlson X X

Hallandale BeachMarc Dady X X

Ed Diaz X XEd McGovern X X

Thomas Montellanico - Alt. X U

Oct. 2012

Nov.2012

Hillsboro BeachDavid Clark X X

HollywoodSteven Bolger X X

Chris Christianson X XRick Losenbeck X X

Keith Wadsworth E XWilbur Fernander - Alt. E X

Lighthouse PointChris Oh E X

Carmen Roldan E X

Margate (Spvrs)Andy Zettek X E

MiramarGeorge Mankowski X E

Thomas Tiberio X XScott Untch X X

Peter Bermudez- Alt. X XJason Fox - Alt. X X

Pembroke PinesAndrew Brooks X X

Adam Feiner X XChris Grant X X

Sea Ranch LakesRon Stabile E X

SunriseJoel Schiller E X

Sunrise (Lts)Bob Dorn E X

Wilton ManorsShawn Chadwick E XNicholas Fiacco U U

Gary Blocker E X

Immediate Past President

Dick Brickman X X

Legislative Director

Neil Vaughan X X

Board of Directors Meeting Attendance

X = Present E = Excused U=Unexcused N/A = Not a rep


9


bcpba.org

Stress Vs. PoliceCops often lose the battle

A recent issue of the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health contains seven ma-jor reports on the adverse health effects linked to common daily stressors in police work. The find-ings come from a multi-year study of Buffalo (NY) police officers.

The study found that overall, police officers are nearly twice as likely as civilians to suffer from depres-sion, with 12 percent of officers diagnosed as opposed to 6.8 percent of the general population. Cops are also more likely to have symptoms of metabolic syndrome, believed to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes (25 percent vs. 18.7%). Addi-tionally, LEOs are nearly four times more likely to get less than six hours of sleep a day (31 percent vs. 8 percent).

What’s the culprit in these statistics? Stress. Sleep problems are likely to worsen as stress increases.

There is also a connection between stress and depression and stress and metabolic syndrome.

The toll of this stress can be devastating. It’s a long-held belief that retired officers are at the greatest risk of

suicide, but a study of 3,200 officers and 55 years of statistics show suicide rates are 8.4 times higher in working officers than in retired ones. Another study, which followed over 2,200 officers over 30 years, found that although LEOs have overall cancer rates similar to that of the general white-male populations, they are at elevated risk of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After 30 years or more of service,

officers are also at significantly increased risk of brain cancer.

The solution lies in changing police culture so officers do not fear asking for help, and do not experience a loss in financial status or professional reputation.Source: Force Science Institute (forcescience.org)

10


bcpb

a.or

g

Are You Up To Date?

To update your personal information, please contact the PBA office Monday

through Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm at 954.584.7600 or stop by in person.

Michael Braverman, P.A.2650 West State Road 84

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

954/791-2010For Broward PBA Members

Prepaid Legal

Services

Prepaid Legal

ServicesFor Broward PBA Members

What’s Up? Births

Congratulations to Hol-lywood Officer Derrick Mears and his wife, Chantel, on the birth of their daughter, Alyssa Leanne, on No-vember 22. Alyssa was one month early and weighed in at 4 lbs. and was 17 inches long. Despite the early arrival, both mom and baby are fine.

BSO Deputy Mario Pot-vin; his wife, Sandi; and big sister Ella welcomed a new member of the family, Ava Leigh, on October 31, which is also her grandfa-ther, “Popito”’s birthday. Ava weighed in at 6 lbs., 15 oz. and was 20 inches long.

Congratulations and wel-come to the PBA family!

Hollywood Officer Of The Month

Officer Anthony Flores was se-lected as Officer of the Month for October 2012. Congratulations!

Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending. —Carl Bard

Ava Potvin

The Broward Centurion January 2013The Broward Centurion January 2013bcpba.org

Member MarketplaceOpen to Active PBA Members

11

Broward County Police Benevolent Association

2650 West State Road 84Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

©2013 Broward County PBA

NONPROFIT ORG.U S POSTAGE

PAID WEST PALM BEACH, FL

PERMIT NO. 1946

the broward centurion centurion... · 2015. 3. 23. · the broward centurion january 2013 january...

Documents