Another slice of tomorrow's story on Billdt and department
Here's another snippet, this one on from Andrew's interview with Mayor Pat Morris and Chief Michael Billdt, who opted to answer questions together on a conference call.
Police Chief Michael Billdt said he plans to stay at his post and attempt to resolve the divide between himself and rank-and-file officers who delivered a landslide vote in condemnation of his leadership.
"I'm committed to this town. I'm committed to this department," Billdt said in a telephone interview Friday.
"My plan is to stay the course," he said later.
Billdt spoke the morning after 135 of 178 sworn officers met in a police union meeting and cast votes of "no confidence" in his leadership.
*********
Mayor Pat Morris, interviewed at the same time as Billdt, still supports the chief. On Wednesday, Morris issued a press release in which he expressed support for the chief and declared, "Officer and employee morale is critical to continuing our success in public safety."
Two days later, Morris said the union's vote captures officers' views during a "snapshot in time," but does not signal an unbridgeable gap between Billdt and the city's cops.
"Tensions between management and labor rise and fall," Morris said. "These are moments of great tension."
Morris went on to say that regular meetings and conversations between police administrators and union leadership could resolve the present dispute. He also voiced his disapproval of high-stakes tactics.
"What you don't do is throw down the gauntlet and issue ultimatums," Morris said.
I like how everytime officers try to voice their concerns and complaints the mayor basically spits on them and downplays it like it is not an big issue. Thanks mayor, you really help the situation. Meetings don't help mayor, that has already happened, wake up!!!!!!
Hypotethically-- if Mr. (he no longer deserves to be called chief) Billdt had the POA vote in his favor, would he still be as concilatory to try and bridge the divisiveness between him and the POA membersip. No-he would be throwing them under the bus and backing up over them.
One of Billdt's many flaws is his inability to admit he is wrong............on anything.
Sleepless--you're right, Mr. Billdt no longer deserves the title or rank of chief. The title is associated with command & respect. The only thing Mr. Billdt has command over is a 24% vote of confidence in his favor.
Perhaps a vote should also have been taken from the civilian staff at the PD, or as far as Billdt is concerned do they even matter to him?
I find it telling that Chief Billdt's response to the no-confidence vote was to say that he is committed to "this town" and to "this department". Note, that he does not reference any sort of committment to the men and women of the department.
It is, quite clearly , the men and women, both sworn and unsworn, who make SBPD what it is, not Chief Billdt. Chief Billdt's loyalties seem to lie with:
A. an incompetent, inept mayor who runs this city like a judge, not like a political leader with realistic, achievable vision.
B. a command staff so indebted to him for their positions that they will help him "circle the wagons" to fend off any criticism of his leadership or their support of his leadership.
We used to think of ourselves as family there. No more. If we can't rally around the leadership of a chief, the we will rally around our own.
Billdt just needs to hold out til March, retirement. Robert is he paying his own retirement benifits this "last year"? It would give him an extra 9 percent in retiremnt benifits, that is, (30 x 3) + 9= 99 percent. Just wondering.
Oh yeah, i forgot.......99% plus deferred comp that can be taken out at age 50 without penalties.
Dear City Council,
I know you read this blog. It's amazing this mayor can so easily discount the views of men and women with whom the community places such great responsibility. Do you discount those views as well?
Let's see, when the City was really hurting, and crime was really high, the cops came out with "Buzzard" t-shirt, highlighting the fun of a high murder rate. This was because they were committed civil servants and wanted to highlight a problem, not an "F"-you to a town that most of them didn't live in nor care about as long as the considerable paychecks cashed. It might be interesting to document how many go out retired or otherwise on medical disability on the "buzzard" town, the "F"-you stuff.
Let's not forget those "spiked" into higher pensions.
To Buzzard T--shirt
WHAT????
You should check Redlands Disability/medical retirement program. 40% higher than average.I think they have the corner on fraud of the taxpayer.