We hope that today’s “READERS FORUM” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way? 

WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

Todays“Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that City Council shouldn’t release any funds to ECHO Housing Corp. until they are given a copy of the Forensic Audit report of that agency?

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The Fraternal Order of Police and the EVSC have been involved in a wage dispute involving 26 officers who work in an off-duty capacity for the school system.

EPD says the dispute has nothing to do with the administrations of the police department, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office or the current school resource officers contracted with EVSC.

In a letter to the EVSC community Superintendent, Dr. David Smith said the school board has already approved a $2.50 raise for the off-duty officers. He added the funding for the additional officers isn’t provided by the state, just planned out in the EVSC budget.

Officials with both EPD and EVSC want to reassure parents that the on-duty positions will not be impacted by the wage debate between the FOP and the school corporation. And if the off-duty officers do follow through on the threat from FOP leadership to walk off the additional shifts in January, the contracted school resource officers will continue providing safety and security at the schools.

EPD full statement on FOP wage dispute:

“In recent days, media reports surrounding the wage dispute between the Fraternal Order of Police and the EVSC have led to concerns about safety in our schools. There have been questions as to how the proposed actions by the FOP will impact the police presence in EVSC Schools. We want to clarify some points in an effort to reassure the community that school safety remains a priority for the Evansville Police Department.
The FOP represents members of the Evansville Police Department and Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office. Members of both agencies currently work in an off-duty capacity for the EVSC. The current conversation about wages does not involve the administrations of either agency.

The Evansville Police Department has several safety measures in place to ensure a safe learning environment. The multifaceted approach recognizes there are many issues to consider when dealing with the safety of our children. They include but are not limited to, School Liaison Officers in each high school district- including Parochial Schools. Our Crime Preventions Officers use schools in their assigned area as their primary office workspace. We have directed patrols for motor patrol officers during school hours. We also have trained school crossing guards who serve as eyes and ears who can alert us to issues as students arrive and depart their schools. In addition, all sworn on-duty EPD employees are available to respond to any incident in the city, including an incident at a school.

All of these measures consist of on-duty resources that will not be impacted by any decisions related to the wage dispute. In addition to these boots on the ground resources, we will continue to work with the EPD training unit, the EVSC Police Department, and EVSC staff to ensure school safety training needs are met.”

EVSC Superintendent Dr. David Smith:

“Dear EVSC Community,

As you may have heard, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) asked for a pay increase for officers choosing to work off-duty shifts in the high schools. At the November 13th meeting, our school board approved increasing the hourly rate by 10%, to a total amount of $27.50 per hour. We will continue to post schedules for these off-duty shifts. Officers and deputies who are interested in working may continue to sign up as they have for the past 8 years. We certainly hope the FOP leadership does not follow through on their message to officers that FOP membership will be revoked for any current off-duty officer choosing to work for us. The school board agreed to increase the rate of pay, and I firmly believe officers who want to work should be allowed to do so, without fear of repercussions.

Please understand, these six off-duty shifts are an additional layer of support we have utilized since 2010. This is in addition to the 26 current law enforcement officers who provide support to our schools on a daily basis. If off-duty shifts are not covered in January, as the FOP leadership has threatened, the 26 current officers will continue providing security and safety support without interruption.

Unfortunately, the State of Indiana does not provide funding to the EVSC for off-duty officers. We have found ways within our budget to fund this program, which is not a simple process in an era of limited school funding. The hourly rate of $27.50 is the point at which it makes better financial sense to add additional, full-time law enforcement officers to our EVSC Police Department. These uniformed, armed officers are specifically trained and certified as school resource officers.

We appreciate the great relationship we have with both the Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, as the leadership and officers from these agencies have been incredibly committed to school safety and security. We look forward to continuing this strong partnership as we work together to maintain safe learning environments for our students and staff.

Sincerely,
David B. Smith”