President’s Message 7/28/2023

For years, the Association has been advocating for a large-scale event pay, such as those held at Gillette Stadium and other venues.  Normally, large-scale events require our members to remain on post for long hours at a time. These long hours equate to time away from family and friends.  Additionally, many of the posts require crowd control. Often, many of the patrons may become disorderly and sometimes violent due to intoxication. Our members do an outstanding job mitigating and managing the large crowds. In years past, our members have made numerous arrests and have sustained personal injury in the course of these arrests. The Association places an extremely high value on your personal safety and time. We appreciate all that you do for our Association, Department, and the citizens of the Commonwealth. Moreover, you should be compensated appropriately for putting yourself, sometimes in harm’s way, to ensure the safety and security of these private events.

Last week, the Colonel requested that the Association encourage our membership to volunteer to work the Luke Combs event at Gillette Stadium to ensure these events remain adequately staffed and safe for members of the public.  The Association respectfully obliged as we understood the public safety implications if this large-scale event was not adequately staffed.  When the Association sent this message, we also understood that the Colonel was seeking an increase in wage for these critical public safety events.

This is what you need to know: Yesterday, I was personally notified by the Colonel from EOPSS that if the “Union” is unable to adequately staff these events, then EOPSS will just hire deputy sheriffs to work our jobs. After the Colonel, the COA and our Association worked together to ensure the most recent event was properly staffed, I am greatly disappointed with this development. Decades of experience cannot be readily or easily replaced. I have since contacted the Governor’s Administration and the Office of Public Safety and Security. These events have operated smoothly in no small part due to our members and the Department spending countless hours planning and working them to ensure the large demand on public safety is met. As of today, there are numerous conversations and meetings occurring regarding this very issue to increase this event rate. We will keep you advised.

As always, stay safe and take care of each other.