T police defend new high-salaried supervisors
BOSTON—MBTA management is defending the hiring of three high-salaried police supervisors at a time of tight budgets and fare increases even though an expert on police staffing questioned their need.
Transit Police Paul MacMillan said the moves, which took effect June 12, reflect the department's growing homeland security and emergency preparedness responsibilities and additional duties he has asked of his deputy chiefs.
MacMillan tells The Boston Globe ( http://bo.st/NaBohM) the six-figure salaries would be absorbed within the department's budget for the 2013 fiscal year, which started Sunday, partly through unfilled vacancies.
Maria Haberfeld, a professor of police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, says it's "very rare" for a department of about 250 employees to have five deputy chiefs.
T acting General Manager Jonathan Davis says he supports the changes.
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe
