An e-newsletter of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel for the SAISD Police Dept.
January 5, 2009
Consultation Report
On December 16, a Police Department Consultation meeting was held. Present were Toni Thompson (Human Resources), Jeff Ward, Tony Martinez, Cindy Janicke, Shelley Potter (Alliance President), and Rachel Martinez (Alliance Executive Vice President). A regular schedule of Police Department Consultation meetings was established for the first Tuesday of each month (with the December meeting substituting as the January meeting). This schedule will allow the group to be ready to report at the Classified Consultation meeting, which takes place the first Wednesday of each month.
Those present agreed on the following shared goals:
- Student safety
- Avoiding privatization of the department
- Efficient operation of the department
Discussion then focused on possible ways to meet these shared goals.
Campus coverage: (Goal – student safety) Discussion occurred regarding what system or procedure is in place regarding the coverage for campuses when a campus officer is out due to injury or other reasons. The Chief noted that there are various factors that come into play such as length of the absence, history of the campus, etc. He and Ms. Thompson agreed to work on a draft procedure to bring forward for discussion in Consultation.
Budget and overtime: (Goals – avoiding privatization of the department and efficient operation of the department) The Alliance presented some statistics and information regarding overtime. Chief Ward reported that overtime expenses have been reduced by about 15% per year for each of the past three years. He also reported that coordination of vacation is in the works and that he is managing overtime. The Alliance noted that the Plant Services Department has a formula they use that allows them to know exactly how many people can be on vacation or non-duty at any one time without incurring overtime expenses and that it might be useful to look at this sort of model. There was a question about whether Fair Labor Standards guidelines prohibit changing schedules to avoid overtime. Ms. Thompson committed to research this issue with the SAISD attorneys.
Vehicle Replacement Plan
Two years ago, in Classified Consultation, the Alliance, under the goal of safety, raised the need for a vehicle replacement plan for all classified departments, including the Police Department. Due to the Alliance's work in Consultation and the work of SAISD Board Member Doug Sellers, a committee was formed, with representation from all classified departments, to develop a vehicle replacement plan. Once developed, that plan was initiated with amounts of funding determined for each department. The amount of funding available for the Police Department will pay for four to five cars this year depending on how they are equipped.
Consultation Process
Consultation is a process set out in SAISD Board Policy as a "means by which the Board of Trustees of the District will consult with District employees on matters concerning educational policy and conditions of employment." The District has three Consultation units – one for teachers, one for paraprofessionals, and one for classified employees. The Alliance is the elected Consultation organization for all three Consultation units. The District includes the Police Department in the Classified Consultation Unit. Classified Consultation meetings are held monthly. Additionally, in order to meet the varying needs of the different departments that fall within Classified Consultation, "offline" meetings are held to address issues specific to particular departments. |
