Where can I find more information
about this Rice Bill?
I am a new police chief in a Civil
Service municipality and would be very interested in hiring laid off
officers. Unfortunately, there is very little information available
about this process. I checked the PBA, FOP & DOP websites and can't
find anything. Let me make a suggestion to those of you posting here:
get the information out to the ones who WILL give you an opportunity-
the police chiefs in this state.
Some of you may not realize this, but
we're cops too.
Thanks
NJLAWMAN.COM
RESPONSE
Great email.
We are now in the process of putting together an article on the RICE
bill which will detail the whole process and include contact names and
numbers. Thanks for the suggestion.
NJLawman.com
I am a Recruiter for the Indianapolis
Metropolitan Police Department. We are hiring military, current and
former officers and would like to have a class of 80-100 officers. I am
an East Coast transplant and have enjoyed a great life here. If you are
interested email me at
IMPD_Recruiter@indygov.org and I will give you as much information
as I can.
I was given authorization to do a
two-day testing. Written, Oral, and Physical in one or two days
depending on how many are interested. Visit our website and fill out
an pre-application please go to
www.indygov.org then log under IMPD and fill out the application and
you will be able to test May 09th or May10th. It is very important
you put the code 21186 in the reference drop box. This will ensure you
can test on those days. We offer great benefits including take home cars
for all officers. This is another insensitive that a lot of City
departments don't offer. Email me if you are interested!
I agree with all of you and it would
be a great thing but your overlooking one thing. a rookie makes 25 to 35
for a couple years rehiring layoffs costs more then training a rookie
and keeping him for five years. they hope that by the time he makes what
you made the layoffs stop. making them take layoffs or nobody would just
mean not enough cops. just like any job if u get laid off you cost too
much on paper. I am not saying its nice but most things that need to be
done in business are not nice.
Yes you are correct in stating all the
laid off police officers need to get picked up by other agencies but you
can't force them. Most of these departments don't want them, they have
the people they want already. How can you force a police dept. to hire
you if they don't want you. To the laid off officers out there it don't
look good for some of you. In a perfect world that would be great, but
that is fantasy land. Do you really think that a police chief, or LT. or
captain of any department really cares about your plight? They only care
about themselves and you are the least of their worries.
Sorry folks but that is the brutal
truth. Good luck!
Well, like everything else, it seems
now that some of you are a year or six months or three months into your
layoff, people are already losing interest and sensitivity to this
controversial issue.
Time heals everything, but not when
the entire time it is you that is laid off. Shame on these departments
hiring and putting inexperienced people in the police academy while cops
with twelve, ten, eight and other years on the job are sitting home
trying to save their homes from foreclosure, their children from not
having health insurance and keeping the lights on and food on the
table. What are you chiefs and others thinking trying to hire off the
street or specials when cops who earned their way and proved themselves
are sitting at home. Maybe if it were you or your kid or the mayors
kid, somebody would give a #$%^. Shame, shame on you and shame on the
PBA and FOP and Chiefs of Police Assoc. and the Latino American
Officers, and African American Officers Associations and all the rest
with the hooo rah bull##$@ they display on the surface.
Why aren't you organizing fund
raisers, rallies, getting to your legislatures to fix the loopholes in
the Rice List? I know one thing, I don't just talk the talk, I walk the
walk and have helped many others when they needed me. I guess we were
only good enough to take our dues... The transit workers union and the
IBEW and teamsters would not let these injustices occur, because they
know you today, maybe me tomorrow...... That is why they get good
contracts, benefits and other perks or else they walk together. They
get the media in a frenzy and march with friends, family and coworkers
in large rallies to show them they aren't laying down as a welcome mat.
They work hard and dedicate themselves and show they are needed. Well
aren't police officers needed? You should all be ashamed of
yourselves, stop talking and start acting.
I was one of the officers referred to
in the article. I was laid-off and it took me almost a year to get a
job. Some departments that were good back then in terms of hiring
laid-off guys. West Milford, Pompton Lakes, East Orange, Palisades
Parkway PD. Most departments could care less that I was a laid-off cop
and wouldn't even give me the courtesy of sending me a response to my
resumes that I would hand deliver. Just remember who these people are
when you do get a job and these bosses refer to you as "brother".
I have spoken to my Chief, not the
same guy that hired me but still a very good guy and good cop. He is
well aware of you guys but we are a small dept (less than 20) and no
anticipated openings for another 2 years or so.
I think this article is great. There
are some departments trying to help, although there are more not
assisting and trying to hire off the street. The fact remains that
everyone is under the misconception that under the Rice List we are
first. Not true!!!
They need to write their legislatures
and get that bill amended now to force departments to hire cops with
training and experience without income and facing losing everything
first. Who can help? Voices aren't heard alone, everyone must do a day
in Blue maybe at the state house or something to gain recognition.
We shouldn't be forced to do and
submit the same applications as people off the street, we are already
doing the job. "United we stand, Departed we fall" Where is the honor,
respect and pride for your brother and sister officers in trouble. All
you hear is you have too much experience, you are too old, we can't
start you with more money, and on and on and on....
The rice list would be great if it
worked like everyone thinks it works.. All laid off officers accept
investigators should get a job before anyone gets taken off civil
service list... investigators got there jobs by who they know, take a
test like the rest of us..
IF YOU LOOKED INTO THE RICE LIST YOU
WILL SEE THAT YOU DO NOT GO TO THE TOP OF THE LIST.. EVERYONE WILL TELL
YOU THAT BUT IT IS NOT TRUE, I AM FROM PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT. AND
WAS TOLD THAT. AFTER I LOOKED INTO IT I FOUND THAT YOU GO ON A LIST AND
IF YOU HAVE A HOOK YOU CAN GET A JOB... THE WAY IT WORKS IS THERE IS
RICE LIST AND IF THE DEPARTMENTS WANT TO TAKE YOU OFF OF IT THEY CAN,
BUT IF THE CHIEFS SON IS ON THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST THEY CAN TAKE HIM
INSTEAD, ALSO IF YOU ARE A INVESTIGATOR (NOT CIVIL SERVICE) YOU CAN GET
A JOB AND GET PUT ON THE RICE LIST....
WHAT DO WE NEED CIVIL SERVICE FOR????
The reason many departments hire
people with NO training and do not reach out to those who are PTC
certified is simple. They don't want you and they don't care if your
laid off. They have the people they want already picked. As far as
sending new hires to the academy being a waste of money, remember when
you first got hired and had NO experience. Was sending you to the
academy a waste of money. It is very unfortunate that police are getting
laid off but the truth is a police chief of a municipality who has a
friend or relative getting ready to be hired is not going to give you
the job over that person. Folks don't understand how hard it is getting
a police job in the state of New Jersey.
In response to the person who stated
your department or town should find you a job if they lay you off, how
about they find you a job in fantasy land. It is very unfortunate that
police are being laid off but that's life. IBM,General Motors,Ford,ETC
laid off thousands of good people in the recent past. Now you know how a
GM or FORD worker feels when his assembly plant gets closed because
Americans are mostly buying foreign cars. The real reason that law
enforcement is laying off currently is obvious, money!! How can you
justify the police chief of a municipality getting a check for $400,000
when he retires for unused sick and vacation time, and police are
getting laid off. A waste of tax payers money. NJ police are among the
highest paid in the country and taxpayers are starting to notice these
six figure salaries, pension, benefits ETC. And yes "YOU ARE ON YOUR
OWN". This is a cut throat business. For the young guy out there who
completed the recent civil service test the pickins are slim. Unless you
have a hook getting a police job is very difficult. As far as going out
of state you won't make any money in police work. I know, been their
done that. To those laid off or getting laid off I just hope most of you
are vested for a pension. Good luck.
I am 22 years old and hoping to get
hired and begin my career. I thoroughly agree with the language and
thoughts contemplated by this article. I believe that it is the right
thing to do. Good Officers that have been laid off should be at the top
of the list for those agencies that are hiring.
Ron Rice Bill does not apply to civil
service officers who at no fault of there own, worked with a department
for years without being sent to an academy, only to be laid off less
then a year after the academy. Look it up. In addition the DOP stated
that if they received a letter from the Passaic County Sheriff, they
would most likely make an exception for the officers and put them on a
rehire list. But that never happened. Apparently in Passaic County
they would rather hire a pizza boy then rehire their own officers with
years of experience.
Its called the Ron Rice Bill. All you
laid off guys, find a department that's hiring, and you go to the top of
the list, what more do you want? Look it up.
I agree, and if towns are hiring, they
should start with laid off list!
Well written editorial and an
excellent point.
I am an Officer in one of the
Departments making lay-offs. Fortunately, I am not one of them, but
they are my Brothers and we are all going to fight tooth and nail for
these 45 days to see that they stay here or are picked up elsewhere.
I am also one of the laid off officers
from Passaic County Sheriff's Department. It was basically came down to
one thing, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN... If you try to call the department for
help, all you get is please hold why I transfer you. The only advise my
department gave me was to take the State Civil Service Test again. What
kind of advise is that.
Don't be afraid to look at federal law
enforcement jobs. You might find that your agency did you a favor by
laying you off and giving you the opportunity to work for a federal
agency. www.usajobs.com
Go out of state! There are plenty of
jobs out of state. If NJ didn't tax people to death, have a corrupt
government and greed fueled the system then maybe there wouldn't be this
lay off problem. I grew up in NJ and got smart and moved out. I work as
a LEO in northern VA making just as much as I would in NJ. I pay less in
taxes and have job security since we have numerous vacancies through out
the area. Its tough to be out of work and having debt over your head and
not knowing how your going to take care of your family. Start looking
outside of NJ, who knows how long the lay offs are going to be. One
thing about the northern VA area, it takes me 3 hours to get to my house
on the Shore to see my family and friends when I want to come up and
visit. Not a bad ride at all and the majority of people I run into here
are transplants from NJ and NY anyways.
Fully Certified Police officers at
least have a chance of getting picked up. When a corrections
officer gets laid off there are not many places to go and most police
departments wont pick up even the most experienced CO because NJ makes
you take the whole academy over instead of just the classes we don't
receive.
Should colleges stop holding classes
because accountants and teachers are getting laid off? Or should the
trucking schools stop training people because Jevic just closed shop?
It is a horrible situation, but I
think it is being taken a little far not hiring anyone and closing the
academy. Public safety should be the last thing affected by the
financial problems of this State, but it's quite obvious that some
people's double dipping and 6 pensions are more important than the
working man. I really feel for you guys that are laid off and I hope
that you find employment soon, but I can't say that I agree with the
article above. Every one experiences a tough round in their lives, but
you personally have to make the decision whether you are going to throw
in the towel or answer the bell. Good luck guys and remember this
nonsense when you place your votes.
As one of the officers laid off at the
Passaic County Sheriffs Dept. I will tell you that especially for a
Corrections Officer who has been laid off it is especially hard to find
a job. So that everyone on this site knows....
For one year after your completion of
a police academy, you are in a working test period. So if you were
hired as a civil service officer and were working as a CO for one or
three or five years before you graduated the academy you are NOT
PERMANENT. Therefore you do not hold the full rights of a Permanent
officer. You have to get permission to do IGTs from the DOP and do not
have a lot of protections from layoffs.
In addition remember that Sheriff
Investigators stay while you lose your job. In fact three Investigators
who never had to pass the Civil Service test graduated the night before
at least 11 PTC certified COs were laid off.
To top it off experience as a CO is
not generally accepted as law enforcement experience.
I agree, the fact that newbies are
getting jobs while we in blue cant find employment because of no fault
of our own is insane. These men and women served their cities with
professionalism and what they get in return is a kick in the teeth. Come
on now
Hands down these Officers should be
picked up by other Dept's before they drop there gear from the one there
at. My buddy is getting the boot from a town in Sussex Co. He's lucky
enough to get picked up right away by another PD
Absolutely, your hired and if your
town lays you off, they should find you a new dept, they caused the
layoff, they should fix it.
The NJ Department of. Human Services
Police has some openings for IGT's.
This idea of freezing academies is
hypocritical to the whole basis of the editorial. Here we are fighting
for those that have been laid off and want to combat that by hindering
thousands of future police officers from gaining employment. The amount
of employment generated from police academies far outweighs the amount
of officers who have been laid off. One suggestion would be, instead of
waiting for a department to come to you, check which departments who are
hiring, most are more than willing to accept fully certified transfers.
Don't get me wrong, this is unfortunate and absurd that we are cutting
public safety personnel, but we should not, in turn, eliminate the
opportunity of employment of future police officers. There are other
areas of government that should be decreased before we even think about
police personnel. The thin blue line is getting even thinner, hope
things turn around fast!!!
