Police chief fights to avoid layoffs
Chief Kenneth Coye is seeking a stimulus
grant to help with payroll.
By Travis Andersen
Town Correspondent
Malden Police Chief Kenneth Coye is seeking a $1 million federal grant to avoid 15 layoffs in his department in fiscal 2010, but he now concedes the force may receive as little as $250,000 from Uncle Sam.
In April, Coye applied for a grant from a $1 billion stimulus program designed to keep police officers on the job in a recession. He applied for a three-year, $3 million grant that would pay out $1 million annually, provided the force maintained its current staffing level of 79 patrolmen.
This week he told city councilors on the Finance Committee that because the feds have received $7.2 billion in requests from police departments across the country, the Malden unit could get between $250,000 and $500,000 per year.
"That was kind of like cold water on your face," said Finance Committee chair Greg Lucey after the meeting. "Before it was a million."
And theoretically, it still could be, according to Coye.
"Will we get everything we looked for?" Coye said. "I would be very surprised if we did."
Coye expects to hear from Washington in August. He insisted that even if the award came in on the low end, he would fight to avoid layoffs through a variety of cost saving measures. He said that in fiscal 2009, which ends on June 30, the department spent $16,000 on medical pay-outs for line-of-duty injuries, while budgeted for $41,000.
Police cruisers are apparently as durable as the officers. The force spent $19,000 on motor vehicle repair in fiscal 2009, while budgeted for $53,000.
"We rarely use sirens at intersections," Coye told councilors. "We only use them in life or death situations."
He said the department was also looking into IdleRight, a device manufactured by the Havis company that claims to save large amounts of fuel in idling vehicles. Councilor Paul Condon noted that the department has tried a similar device.
"That hasn't proved too successful," Condon said, prompting a sharp reply from Coye.
"I'm not going to tell you it's the home run, but it's worth exploring," Coye said.
Mayor Richard Howard has proposed an $8.1 million budget for the police in fiscal 2010, down from $8.7 million in the current fiscal year. Coye said much of that comes from a $500,000 reduction in payments for the Quinn Bill, a state law granting pay increases to officers who receive college degrees.
The City Council has to send a final budget to Howard for signing by June 30.
"I feel good about this budget," Coye said.
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Chief Coye has done a fantastic job managing the police department in very difficult times. You hear complaints from the officers, an unfortunate reality of any chief willing to make the tough decisions needed to run a department with some balance. You can't give the union everything they want or the city will go broke, and this chief recognizes that. Keep up the great work Chief Coye.
I witnessed most of the department presentations for the Efficiency and Budget Council meetings and Chief Coye had by far the best plans to save us money. Also, I wonder how the other surrounding cities that fit our demographics (based on the State's Cherry Sheets) spend up to 1/3 more than our City.....just a thought......
This article left something out or the Chief is a moron :
"Police cruisers are apparently as durable as the officers. The force spent $19,000 on motor vehicle repair in fiscal 2009, while budgeted for $53,000.
"We rarely use sirens at intersections," Coye told councilors. "We only use them in life or death situations.""
What does not using the sirens at the intersections have to do with the durabilty of the vehicle? Also the writer of this article should ask the patrolman what they think of the current vehicles they use. I hear there are "frontline" cars down all the time. The heat and/or A/C does not work in some of the vehicles. When the A/C doesn't work and it's raining out it becomes a safety hazards since the windows fog up. Also when the frontline cars go down that means there is one less patrolman on the street doing the job.
If saving money is a concern shouldn't this man retire? According to channel 5 news Coye got a 7% raise on his $130,000.00 per year salary. When the safety of the public is less of a concern over what money can be saved we as a society have gone backwards. How much money did the police chief give back to the city in previous years when times were not as bad? This city stinks of something wrong. Looks to me like someone is trying to repair their public image. Too little too late.
Do the people that work to provide you a safe community think this administration has done a wonderful job? It appears they don't. It appears that the Police commisioner does not either. The wonderful job of giving the city money back for years has consequences. Several things are obvious when you are a police administrator first being responsable for the safety of the city you provide this service for. Second is that the people who provide this safety the administrators delegate this task to are given every opportunity to provide for their families and work in a safe environment. Budgets are decided by city officials and this money is to be used to hire the people it is budgeted to have and buy equipment is is budgeted for. Giving this money back has become a badge of honor and has negative effects on not only the city but on the people that work for you.
Trim frrom the top. Start in the big brick building that ruined our beloved square. After that go to the heads of all these departments that were appointed by the man himself who do whatever he wants when he wants how he wants. Putting all of your ducks in a row is great til they all start to stumble.
"We don't use sirens at intersections." ?????????????????? Isn't that what sirens are for? Chief Coye continues to bedazzle the citizens of Malden with his silver tongue. According to Chief Coye, everyone needs to make sacrifices during these tough times, yet he was the first person in line for his 7% pay raise. He leads the people of Malden to believe that he does all the work, when in fact it's the hard work put in by the patrol officers. Chief Coye is no longer a Police Chief, he is a Politician. Coye is a master at laying the blame for his problems at the feet of others. Police Commissioner Spadafora and the Patrolman's Assoc. have realized this for some time. The fine citizens of Malden need to do the same thing.
Saving money is great but why is it always coming out of the police officers pockets? What do sirens have to do with saving money? When a police car crashes without its siren on I hope its into my car. LAWER TIME ! Emergency vehicles are required to use sirens this is a ploy so people think malden is a perfect city with no problems. Malden like everett chelsea lynn etc... has problems. Hiding or lying about them is not the solution. What was the outcome of the woman on Fox news that was crashed into by the malden police car?
Is this guy for real?
The people of this city are sick and tired of these stories. Does the Globe or any of the local papers ever research what is being said by these politicians. That is what the police chief in Malden is, not a police officer. Support your officers and stop trying to make yourself look like a hero to the mayor. Enough with the lies, the truth needs to come out.
This is a response to Bob Miller. Stick to your trash bag war Bob, you do not and have never worked for this city and have no idea what the city employees who aren't politically conected have been put through. You will lose peoples support if you chime in on how much money the police chief has saved or is trying to save. He gives the mayor money back from the police budget to be used somewhere else. Does that make sense. If you think the money saved by taking money away from the police budget goes back to the people of Malden you are wrong.
What a great legacy the chief will have. His men reallty love and respect him. He has made some great decisions. He is clearly interested in public safety and not the interests of the politicians. I hope when this great administrator retires that another genuis will take charge.
Dont go away mad... You know the rest.
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