San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore insists he has no plans to retire. To prove the point, Moore supplied San Jose Inside with the total number of sick leave hours he has accumulated during his career with SJPD.
According to Moore, the total as of Wednesday is 1,752.4 hours. The chief estimates that if he were to retire, the city would have to buy out his sick leave at a cost of $165,000-170,000, or “somewhere in that ballpark.” The City Council already eliminated sick leave buyouts for four of its 11 unions, and it is considering a cap or elimination of sick leave buyouts for the remaining seven. Public safety officials such as Moore could be hit hard a change in policy. But the chief maintains that he isn’t going anywhere.
“No, I’m not leaving this year,” Moore says. “I have plans for this place. We just finished a very difficult year and I’d like to see some good times or not as bad times.”
According to Public Records Manager Tom Norris, the city opposes releasing the number of sick leave hours for employees because of privacy concerns. However, when informed of SJI’s request for the information through the City Clerk’s office, Moore decided to supply the records to SJI personally and address the issue.
He admits the buyout value of his sick leave is “not insignificant, and I have shared that concern with those in the administration. It’s not a secret. But I choose not to spend my time thinking about it. I think the odds of me staying in the job are very, very high. I don’t want to give you a 100 percent because I don’t know what (a change by the council) would look like. I know they’ve looked at capping it.
“Even if (the council eliminated sick leave buyouts), and it was an absolute loss, the odds would be that I would be here at least through the end of the year.”
Norris says the city has no plans to “set a position” on releasing sick leave hours of employees, but he “would be loathe to put that out.” Norris added that the 2011 numbers for salaries and total compensation for public employees should be released by the finance department next week.
Correction: The original posting of this article had an inaccurate total of sick leave hours for Chief Moore. SJI regrets the error.
Josh,
Not sure how the Chief calculated his sick leave buyout –
even at $100/hour, the total would amount to $1.7 million. Unless the City pays ten cents on the dollar, I think the Chief would need a Brinks truck to carry that check to the bank!
Greg, you’re right. The correct number of hours is a little more than 1,752.
JK
Last POA/CFO had a 158,000 payout for sick time and O/T. Mercury News report employee payout for 2010. Imagine that. Apparently hasn’t worked as a police officer for years. Hmmmmmmmmm imagine that……. Guess he set the standard for the chief.
who cares how much sick time you have, it is public record if you want to take the time to research us. Might as well tell us how muck vacation time you have as well. Hell if I were a lame duck COP and a servant to Deb, I would sit in my office and get paid good bucks too, have a free car and gas card and have someone at your beckon call to drive you around. How about supporting your officers and maybe attend a briefing or two. Is that to much to ask. You are doing nothing for this department other than to watch officers leave daily for other jobs or retire.
You will soon reach Chuck’s goal of under 800 officers.
You have comma and decimal point in the wrong place. Correct number may be 1,705.24. City employees typically only earn a day a month so you would have to work over 170 years and not take any sick leave to get to 17,000 hours.
Who made the mistake you or the chief?
Our mistake. The article now has the accurate number.
Our mistake.
Suuuuuuuuure Josh.
Just to be clear, Public Safety Employee’s typically earn only 5 days a year…. not 1 day a month. That’s a big difference….
SJPD earns 96 hours per/year in seick leave which is the equivelant of (12) eight-hour days -or- one day per month in private sector terms.
SJPD works 10 hour days so they really earn 9.6 days per year.
You have plans for this department Chief?? No, Debra has plans you PUPPET!!!
that 11 unions sick leave buyouts were taken away and the remaining 7 gets to keep theirs? Isn’t that a little unfair?
Why doesn’t anyone ever remind the people of San Jose that, year after year, the city explained to their police officers that they could not be given raises like other police departments in the area because the city could not afford them? Instead, San Jose told their officers they could accrue sick time to make up for what other police departments were paying in salaries. Now the promised sick leave is being taken away and we find our police officers are still some of the lowest paid officers in our county.
Your assumptions aren’t quite accurate. In the early 2000’s the PD recieved an 18% raise over three years then were given a 5% special pay when firefighters negotiated a better deal. The 5% was given wihtout opening the contract. That was in addition to the 3% COLA which came about in the early 2000’s also. That is all ongoing money. The sick leave issue was a deal in the mid 90’s and improved what had already been in the contract. I just find it ironic that highly paid public safety cry they are underpaid, just look at the rest of the City employees.
““I just find it ironic that highly paid public safety cry they are underpaid, just look at the rest of the City employees.”“
AND they can get up to 90% pension after working 30 years. The rest of the City employees will get only 75% pension after 30 years. They get 100% payout on sick leave and the rest of the City employees use to get 60-75% payout on sick leave. When the City employees were asked to give up their raises a few years ago and took a true zero, twice…that money was taken and given to PD for raises. The rest of the City employees got no raises on both of those occasions and PD got raises. That was a REAL slap in the face. Why are things so unbalanced in this City? There is so much favoritism.
You are SO right. There is so much favoritism for the PD AND FD. I mean come on, all city employees do the same job, right? Gee, I think all city employees should get the same pay, benefits, and retirement across the board. Fair is Fair right? Better yet, I think everyone should get the same pay and benefit package as the City Manager, because really, she’s not out there tending to the parks, running libraries, scraping gum off the sidewalks, running into burning buildings or ending hostage situations, right? Hell, I’m a stay at home mom, and according to salary.com in 2011, I should be making $115k a year, but do I? Nooooooooo. Maybe I should ask the city to pay me to, cause that would only be fair right?
Whens the last time a maintenance worker was murdered in the line of duty? When’s the last time an IT tech had to take a human life to save their own or someone else’s? I’ve never heard of a city attorney getting hep C for giving mouth to mouth to save someone. How many council aides have held a dying child while at work? How many parks and rec supervisors have lost a lung due to toxic smoke inhalation fighting an industrial fire? What accountant has Ever been paralyzed direct traffic at the scene of a 4 car pile up at 3:00 am on Christmas eve in the pouring rain?
Yeah, all jobs have different risks. And all jobs pay differently. You should either grab a hose or put on a bullet proof vest and go help the community. Or just stop complaining.
Not complaining, just pointing out that the public safety employees have always received better raises and benefit packages than the majority of city employees. It gets old hearing how they feel they have been short changed in negotiations when they were the last to give the needed concessions. Each person chooses the job they aspire to and they all have risks, some more than others. Please stop the self rightous comparisions, there were some cement workers killed last year and other managorial people in the bay area. More than police and firefighters in area combined.
What’s the statement above have to do with benefits? I don’t see anything in that statement that mentions *how much* you make. That’s the problem with the likes of you. YOU ARE FULL OF YOURSELF. You think you are above and better than any other city worker or human being, for that matter. EX: I was driving down the street, one day, just at the speed limit. I was going a little too slow for the unmarked unit behind me, so on a blind curve, double line, he whipped around me and almost caused a head on collision. And, no, he was not code 3. After he corrected and got out of the way of the oncoming vehicle, he continued on his way, in no hurry to get anywhere. It was a very, very close call. But he was so full of himself…above the law, probably thought “I’m a cop. Who’s going to give me a ticket in my own city?” He could have killed someone just because I was in front of him, driving the limit.
ANY cop murdered is one too many. How much of your day is riding around in the car waiting for something to happen? How many times do you give CPR? How many dying children have you held? I KNOW the likes of you. I know you very well. I know what you do and how your day is spent. And it is just simply WRONG for the administration to take the raises from the other city employees and give them to you. If you think that is fair, then how you ever got through the psych exam puzzles me.
Yes, I believe that the pensions and benefits should have been across the board. You deserve higher pay for the job that you do and how much you make is not being argued…wasn’t even stated…but you had to turn that around, didn’t you? Just like creative report writing, huh? Benefits should have been the same for all. If that would have happened, maybe the city would not be in as big of a mess. Everybody should have gotten 75%, after 30 years and everybody should get no more than 3% raises, every year…across all departments. That is fair. Taking the other employees’ raises and giving them to you, is not…and you STILL whine. It’s shameful.
You tell me I should either grab a hose or put on a bullet proof vest and go help the community. Or just stop complaining. You don’t know WHAT I have done. But I guess you know it all, too, right.
Do you honestly think you deserve the same pay and benefits as the MERGE officers who rescued the 11-year old girl today while the suspect fired at them? Would you have put your life on the line to save that girl after the suspect already shot at you? You know the answer and so do we.
Tell that to the thousands of families who have loss their sons and daughters to war, who put their lives on the line, everyday, and died for their country and who did not get near the salary and benefits that you do. Tell that to their families. Tell that to any member of our armed forces who are still out their putting their lives on the line, today, and who do not receive near the same salary and benefits that you do. At least you get to go home at night. Many of them spend years away from their families…for less. Shame, shame, shame on you!!!!!! The more you speak, the smaller you sound.
“You know the answer and so do we.”
And you know this how???
I disagree, as a plant operator for the CSJ we do get Hep A and killed from toxic gas exposure and engulfment. We are also exposed to little known bacteria and viruses that go dormant for years and create anerobic infections that are almost impossible to treat.
Granted it not some psycho that wants to murder us but our risks are just as hazardous as those who serve in the police and fire departments.
How many soldiers were sent into battle in the last 10 years? How many police officers have ever even had to pull their weapon in the last 10 years?
Do some research on how many people are in the military and the odds of being killed in combat over a 30 year career. The vast majority of people who sign on the dotted line in a military branch never see combat and don’t suffer as much as a hangnail. In fact, most of them only do the minimum commitment and then use the military for education or other acquired skill sets. Those that do go into combat are subjected to horrific incidents but they are small minority of the total who serve.
Contrast that with police officers who are injured repeatedly across the board over 30 years, who see horrific incidents involving their own citizens, neighbors and friends, and who have an extremely high disability rate due to the non-stop injuries and wear and tear that comes with the job. I have the utmost respect for the military but using the argument that a grunt who signs up and who then returns home after one tour to quit the military and take advantage of the GI bill equates to a 30 year law enforcement professional.
Police officers are killed by the dozens each year, year after year. Combat losses come and go depending on who occupies the White House. Both jobs deserve the utmost respect and military people deserve better pay but the jobs are not the same by any stretch.
I found that I withdrew my weapon on average about once a week. Add to that being involved in a shooting, being shot at, being bitten a few times, sustaining multiple back and neck injuries from assaults, being in several car accidents, being spit on by HIV/AIDS and Hep C carriers, and the list goes on. Your view of police work needs to expand beyond watching Mayberry RFD.
What is a police officer worth? Is an officer worth what other agencies are paying police officers or is the officer worth only what San Jose say they can afford? San Jose Police officers are leaving the city in droves and are being welcomed by other police departments. I think most of us are concerned that if we are not careful San Jose may someday become another Oakland.. Remember the old saying “you get what you pay for”. Put on a bullet proof vest and ride along with one of them. You may change your mind. I did.
That is Reed’s biggest problem, he ignores the marketplace and encourages the citizenry to do the same. There are some agencies that are having financial difficulties. But, there are also many cities and agencies that are managed properly and financially solvent. These agencies are recruiting San Jose’s best officers away on a regular basis. There is a marketplace for talent and I agree, if San Jose wants the bottom of the barrel, that is what they will get. Problem is, Reed and Figone just do not care about quality public safety. They want to build a new stadium and claim fiscal victory no matter what the cost to the citizens.
We got the 3% COLA because we had been paying into it for years and hadn’t been receiving it. We simply called the City on it.
Let’s praise Chief Moore for his dedication to the resident’s of San Jose. The Chief, like all City employees, were promised that sick leave balances would be paid out at retirement. Now I am sure the Chief never considered the potential sick leave pay out as a future benefit as he continued to serve the residents of San Jose. In fact, I am certain there were many days the Chief wasn’t feeling well, would have preferred to call in sick, but recognized that public service is an honor and a privilege. I believe the City of San Jose has benefited by Chief Moore coming to work every day as San Jose continues to rank amongst as one of the safest City’s to live. Chief Moore thank you for your service.
I’m confused?
Did you write just? Maybe your wife or was it your adjutant / driver, Gina Tibaldi.
You are nothing but a puppet to deb. My goodness, “never considered the sick leave pay as a future benefit.” I hope you retract that when he backs the truck up to the bank along with his vacation payout and other untold benefits. Safest cities? You must have dementia! Check the rankings thanks to Chuck.
Its an honor and privilege to be known as “useless” and “riding the gravey-train”!!! Thank You 1st line officers for your ultimate sacrifices and making your chief look good with all the internal/external garbage you are forced to deal with….Per the Mayor…2012 will be a better year…hahahah
the city would have to buy out his sick leave at a cost of $165,000-170,000, or “somewhere in that ballpark.” Your not walking away from the cash cow. Did you cut a side deal so this money is still on the table?
Chief you know to the penny what you will get because retirement services tells you as well as the rest of what the city will pay you in pension as well.
I must admit I’m a bit confused by all this. Why is Chief Moore being targeted like this when a bunch of City employees, and Police Officers are retiring before changes are made to their benefits? Let us be real here. All of these folks, including Chief Moore, have to make decisions based on what is best for their families and their careers. Every one of us does this, so why is this being made into such a big issue?
Whether Chief Moore leaves or stays is his business. If you look at what he has taken on since Chief Davis left, I might call it a day and leave too! If the Chief decides he wants to leave, that is his right, but for now he’s saying he is staying so, I personally, am going to take him at his word.
It is not an attack just common sense. He has almost reached 30 years of service, hence, he has maxed out his pension. He can’t increase his pension by staying. Unless he has a secret handshake with Deb he will leave 175 thousand on the table if he doesn’t leave sooner than later.
Another reason is officers hate him for a lack of leadership, but I doubt this will influence him. It would be best to back up the brinks truck take his money and seek another COP job or go to Washington where he spends most of his time so he can start to make a second income. This is not double dipping because he has fulfilled his obligation to SJ and has a right to make additional income.
Other officers and leaving as soon as possible for several reasons. 1 salaries are being cut. 2 Pensions under attack. 3 They don’t want to lose the sick time buyout as well. 4 Hated by mayor. 5 due to layoffs are being over worked. I could go on.
Hope this helps you to understand!
Retired,
The fact that the Chief is not liked by many of you, has nothing to do with his right to do what is best for him and his family. As you so aptly put it,“He has almost reached 30 years of service, hence, he has maxed out his pension. He can’t increase his pension by staying.” “It would be best to back up the brinks truck take his money and seek another COP job or go to Washington where he spends most of his time so he can start to make a second income. This is not double dipping because he has fulfilled his obligation to SJ and has a right to make additional income.”
Secondly, I don’t fault Officers for leaving to ensure their families are taken care of, any more than I’d fault the Chief if he left for the same reason.
Please keep in mind that the POA is supposed to catch your backs and ensure you get a fair deal, not the Chief.
We never fought for a thing. We gave it away. More and more of the rank and file are starting to see we have NO Voice. Funny how the voice for the IPA was loud and clear by our Pres. We have not stepped to the plate in years. People are leaving do to the lack of fortitude by our Association. “O yes IPA I will get money to re publish your book on how to report officers.” No worries we will give back 10% The once the proud the now beaten.
Retired?????
The IPA’s booklet helps the Police. It is co-authored by formed Chief Rob Davis and former IPA Barbara Attard. It is not anti Police.
It comes from a department that is seen in the community by many as anti Police, and yet tells youth to respect cops and answer the questions they are asked without an attitude. The booklet ends by telling youth the IPA’s complaint process if they are not satisfied with their interaction with said Police Officer. I don’t see this booklet as a bad thing at all, quite the contrary.
If the POA helped the IPA by donating and collecting funds for the booklet then they did the SJPD a favor.
Retired?????
You said, “We never fought for a thing. We gave it away. More and more of the rank and file are starting to see we have NO Voice.” That is very true. It is the responsibility of the POA to ensure you get a fair shake in bargaining for pay/benefits, not the Chief’s.
As to the IPA getting new books made on “how to report cops,” I disagree on your perception of what this book is about, and how funds were collected to re-print it. I have read, advocate for, and strongly support this IPA booklet for youth. The booklet makes it very clear that youth should be respectful to Officers, and how to comply with directives given to them by an Officer who stops them.
While you are correct in your statement that it explains the IPA complaint process, it is not a booklet that is anti Police by any means. Of course it would contain the IPA’s complaint process! Citizens voted to have said office for just that purpose!
And finally, the funds that were collected for the re-printing of the booklet came from the Mayor’s Office, many Council members, private donations, and from non-profits. (By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I helped ask for donations for the re-printing of this booklet.) If the POA assisted the IPA in collecting funds for the booklet or donated to it, and you disagree with that, then your beef should be with them because they would have used your dues/funds to do it.
Don’t you guys vote on POA expenditures before the money goes out the door? Or does that only happen if the expenditure is more than a set amount?