SERGEANTS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
Black History Month
In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month. He called upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
In the decades that followed, every U.S. President has continued this practice. In celebration of Black History Month, the SBA provides the following retrospective:
- 1867: African American police officers are appointed to the police department in the Selma, Alabama.
- 1870: New Orleans, Louisiana, has 177 African American officers, and 3 of 5 police board members are African American.
- April 1870: Officer William Johnson of Jacksonville, Florida, becomes the first recognized African American police officer to be killed in the line of duty. He was responding to a disturbance call when he was assaulted by the suspect.
- 1875: Bass Reeves is appointed as the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshal.
- 1911: Samuel Battle becomes the first African American officer to serve the NYPD.
- 1916: Georgia Ann Robinson joins the LAPD, becoming the nation’s first female African American police officer.
- 1941: William B. Lindsay is hired by the Illinois State Police, becoming the first known African American state trooper.
- 1963: Lloyd Sealy becomes the first African American NYPD member to command a precinct.
- 1966: Sheriff Lucius Amerson becomes the first elected African American sheriffs in Macon County, Alabama.
- 1972: The National Black Police Association is chartered.
- 1976: The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executive (NOBLE) is founded.
- 1983: Benjamin Ward becomes the first African American police commissioner of the NYPD.
- 2021: There are approximately 58,000 African American law enforcement officers in the United States.
- 2021: The NYPD’s executive ranks include First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin B. Tucker, Chief of Detectives Rodney K. Harrison, and Chief of Patrol Juanita N. Holmes.
Temporary Restraining Order Regarding Implementation of AETNA Medicare Advantage Plan
Dear Fellow Sergeant,
On May 31, 2023, the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees filed their Third Legal Action, Petition and Complaint, requesting court intervention in addressing the legality of the NYC Office of Labor Relations’ (NYC-OLR) implementation and mandated participation of most Medicare qualified NYC retirees and their families in a new AETNA Medicare Advantage Plan.
On July 6, 2023, Judge Lyle E. Frank heard legal arguments from all involved parties.
Today, July 7, 2023, a decision found in favor of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees and ordered a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
This decision STOPS all actions that advance the implementation and mandatory participation of all Medicare qualified participants into the new AETNA Medicare Advantage Program.
NYS-OLR is expected to file an appeal to the NYS Appeals Court, and it is likely that this action will not be heard until October 2023 at the earliest.
We will keep you posted on all future developments as they occur.
Fraternally,
Aetna Medicare Advantage Update June 21, 2023
Aetna Medicare Advantage Update
Dear Fellow Sergeant,
It is with much joy and relief that I report that Sgt. Hugh Barry was acquitted of all charges related to the death of an emotionally disturbed woman named Deborah Danner on October 18, 2016. The three-week bench trial was heard before Judge Robert A. Neary in Bronx Criminal Court.
Ms. Danner was shot while wielding a baseball bat with which Sgt. Barry believed she was going to use to attack him in her apartment. Sgt. Barry was assigned to the 43 Precinct at the time of the incident.
While I offer empathy and sympathy to the Danner family, I have nothing but outrage toward Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner James O’Neill, and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark for the malicious prosecution that was conducted for the most nefarious of reasons.
Just hours after this tragic incident occurred, Police Commissioner O’Neill stated that ‘we’ as a department failed in our quest to assist Ms. Danner. By the next day, the mayor was lambasting Sgt. Barry in the media, which all but guaranteed a politically motivated indictment. The Bronx district attorney continued to perpetuate this travesty of justice by indicting Sgt. Barry.
So many people were failed in this case. The police commissioner and the mayor knew the basic facts on the night of the incident, yet they had neither the courage nor the integrity to call this incident for what it was for fear of public unrest.
They blatantly lied to the people who they are entrusted to represent. They created a false hope for police detractors, and acted in a manner that was based solely on cowardice and a lack of personal and professional integrity. Their false narrative was put forth for no other reason than to politically enrich themselves. They owe an apology to the Danner family for misleading the facts, as well as Sgt. Barry, all of the hardworking members of the NYPD, and the people of the city of New York who were failed by their ineptitude and dishonesty.
Sgt. Barry committed no crime and was justified in his actions. I commend Judge Neary for recognizing that and acquitting Sgt. Barry of these horrendous charges.
I want to thank all of the police personnel who were in court each day to support Sgt. Barry, as well as the nationwide law enforcement community who offered their assistance in immeasurable ways during this ordeal.
Prospective Sergeant
Dear Prospective Sergeant,
Congratulations on successfully passing the competitive civil service test and being placed on the Promotion to Sergeant list. You should be both proud of and excited about your accomplishment. Being a New York City Sergeant can be one of the most challenging but fulfilling positions in all of law enforcement.
Achieving a promotion to Sergeant is not easy. You faced tremendous competition and will experience a difficult transition. As a Police Officer or a Detective, you are a “worker.” As a Sergeant, you are both a “worker” and a “supervisor.” You will now be called upon to answer radio runs as you did previously, but seconds later you will be called upon to be the “Boss.”
No other rank in this Department wears both hats like Sergeants do. My father, who joined the Department almost 60 years ago, always said, “Sergeants run the Job,” a saying that still rings true today.
You are now in a position to choose to become frontline supervisors in charge of policing the most culturally, ethnically, economically, and politically diverse city in the world. You will be called upon to make split second decisions that could make the difference between life and death. Your decisions can have long-term, life-changing ramifications for the officers you supervise, as well as the public you serve.
Your actions will be critiqued and second-guessed by your superiors, as well as elected officials and the media. If you are involved in a controversial incident, your actions or inactions will be broken down frame by frame and second by second.
With this amount of responsibility, you would think that your employer, the City of New York, would recognize and fully appreciate the enormous magnitude of your new job responsibilities. You would assume that the City would compensate you accordingly for achieving this hard-earned and well-deserved promotion.
Sadly, and inexplicably, that is not the case. As things stand now, depending on your promotion date, you will earn between $15,000 and $25,000 less than the Police Officers or Detectives that you will be supervising. This disparity does not even include overtime, which is usually less accessible for Sergeants. It is also possible that someone who has a higher list number than you and is promoted 6 months after you will be earning more than you.
You must be thinking “How is that possible? I passed a competitive test, and will be assuming a greater workload, more responsibility, and increased scrutiny and I am being paid less?”
These egregious disproportions are a result of what is called “attrition bargaining.” This municipal sleight of hand makes New York City the only place in the free world where a law enforcement promotion comes with a decrease in pay.
As SBA President, it is my duty to be straight and honest with you, regardless of whether the news I’m delivering is good or bad. As happy and proud as I am for you, I urge you to seriously consider whether accepting the promotion to Sergeant and/or the timing of the promotion is most beneficial for you and your family.
I assure you that the SBA is doing everything in its power to rectify this unfortunate situation. If this promotion is going to cause financial hardship to you and your family, or there are other areas of concern, it might be worth considering other options at this time. The City and the Department expect a lot from you. One thing they should not expect is for you to take a cut in pay, especially when it is directly related to a promotion.
CLICK HERE to view the Pay Differential Chart to assist in you in deciding if you should elect to be promoted and what dates would be most advantageous for you to accept a promotion. I realize this is a difficult decision and I wish you the best in assessing what is right for you and your family.
Fraternally,
Vincent J. Vallelong
President
Sergeants Benevolent Association
Empire Dental
As you know effective October 1, 2022, Empire Dental will be our new provider for dental benefits, Empire Dental is a subsidiary of Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Empire Dental provides a large “national” network which boasts over 137,000 participating dentists nationwide, including a significant increase in the number of local dentists in the NYC metropolitan area. For more than 50 years Empire Dental has provided organizations, such as ours, with customized and state of the art dental coverage, outstanding customer service, and innovative plan designs. The complete dental brochure is available on the SBA website, sbanyc.org.
Please carefully read the attached literature that provides details to our new Dental Program and the answers to the most common questions. Most members will not have to take any action, they will automatically be placed in the Preferred Provider Network (PPO). If you do have questions concerning the enrollment process, transitional coverage and or if you require assistance logging onto the Empire website, please call Empire at (844) 852-1553 Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO READ THE FULL FAQ.
We are always committed to providing the best possible benefits. We hope that you enjoy these improvements that we have made to the Sergeants Benevolent Association Health & Welfare Fund Dental Benefits.
SBA Phones Currently Out Of Service
|
Dear Fellow Sergeant,
The SBA’s phone service is temporarily unavailable. In an emergency only, you can call (888) 548-2290 and select option 1. You can also contact us by email at tashton9@verizon.net. Thank you for your patience.
Fraternally,
Ed Mullins |
