28 Pgh police officers and OT (edit: Mayor Luke gone?)

[JS©]

PITTSBURGH —Twenty-eight Pittsburgh police officers made more money last year than their own chief and even Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

They did so by logging extra hours, some of it overtime for the police department. Some of it while working special details, like security outside bars.

The cops are on duty, but their pay comes from the bars after it goes through the police department’s special events office.

But all of it is listed as premium pay on a police salary report from the city of Pittsburgh Law Department obtained by Channel 4 Action News investigator Jim Parsons.

Related link: Highest Pittsburgh police premium wage earners

“We had issues with just the way we understood the accounting was occurring,” said city Controller Michael Lamb.

Now, it turns out the FBI apparently has issues with it, too, after authorities seized more Pittsburgh police-related records from the Greater Pittsburgh Police Federal Credit Union earlier this week.

The amount of money paid out for special details, department overtime, and other premium pay topped $13 million last year.

No. 1 on that list was Sgt. Eugene Hlavac. His base pay was $66,000, but his premium pay through early December was more than $100,000, bringing his total compensation to more than $171,000.

Second on the list was Lt. Thomas Atkins, who had more than half his $168,000 come from premium pay.

Sgt. William Haines and officers Michael Burns and Paul Abel also made the top 10 in premium pay. Each of them more than doubled their salaries and took home $120,000 or more.

Also in the top 15 was Sgt. Dominic Sciulli, one of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's police bodyguards. He made $56,000 just in premium pay.

Article: http://www.wtae.com/news/local/investig ... z2Ldo2YH7h
List of the top 30 earners: http://www.wtae.com/blob/view/-/1856996 ... arners.pdf

[mac5155]

Is this why we're broke?

[Rylan]

I should become a cop...

oh wait, I can't

[shmenguin]

i'm not sure i follow...they work extra hours doing other types of work and then make more money? seems pretty legit, no?

[Idoit40fans]

Why are they paid overtime for working a second job?

[Letang Is The Truth]

Yea not sure why this is a story

[JS©]

I'm not saying they don't have the right to overtime. When OT is offered at work, I take it any chance I get. Of course, my OT might hit 4 hrs at best and it's not gonna match my salary.

It's this line that stuck out:

Now, it turns out the FBI apparently has issues with it, too, after authorities seized more Pittsburgh police-related records from the Greater Pittsburgh Police Federal Credit Union earlier this week.
The amount of money paid out for special details, department overtime, and other premium pay topped $13 million last year.

I'm kinda curious what the amount of salary vs premium pay is though.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Premium pay is a good way to hide fraud. It could be that these cops are not actually working the hours they are getting paid for.

[Troy Loney]

I mean, with everything else going on with the pgh police and harper...this is the story that gets a thread?

[mac5155]

Weren't the Pittsburgh Po refusing to work the winter classic because it would be considered OT?

[newarenanow]

Is it me, or does Mayor Luke seem to be connected to a lot of shady things?

[newarenanow]

Weren't the Pittsburgh Po refusing to work the winter classic because it would be considered OT?

I may be wrong, but I think they didnt' want to work it because it was OT, but they were going to be paid less than the OT rate.

[mac5155]

Is it me, or does Mayor Luke seem to be connected to a lot of shady things?

Yeah, im wondering why his bodyguard needs to be (presumably if his base salary is at least $44k) making 6 figures.

[pittsoccer33]

This thing will be the end of Ravenstaal and might end with him in prison.

A slush fund is set up with "overtime" money that these guys have access to. Free to blow the money on "party favors" and trips like the Super Bowl the he just had to attend.

[Letang Is The Truth]

Mayor Luke will find a way persevere

[shmenguin]

i mean...guys either work OT and get paid extra per hour or they hire more people and have to pay the overhead for benefits and whatnot.

[Troy Loney]

Ravenstahl better lose the primary

[newarenanow]

i mean...guys either work OT and get paid extra per hour or they hire more people and have to pay the overhead for benefits and whatnot.

I haven't really been following this, so I could be completely off here, but I think the issue is not these guys working actual OT, it's the amount/ getting paid a premium for working side jobs at bars and what-not that is the issue.

[pfim]

Seems a bit crazy, no? I mean, get paid $66k for 40 hours of work, yet still have time to work the premium shifts and make another $105k?

“I mean, he's making $60,000 a year, and then he ends up with $160,000 in total salary with overtime. That means he's putting in a lot of hours. Is he giving me what I’m paying him to be as a police officer?

Very good question.

[shmenguin]

i mean...guys either work OT and get paid extra per hour or they hire more people and have to pay the overhead for benefits and whatnot.

I haven't really been following this, so I could be completely off here, but I think the issue is not these guys working actual OT, it's the amount/ getting paid a premium for working side jobs at bars and what-not that is the issue.

i'm not clear either...maybe the issue is that when they're working bar, they shouldn't make as much as when they're patrolling the streets? but from the article, that pay is subsidized by the bar itself, so there's no problem that i can see.

or maybe it's just people getting fussy that some people make a lot of money

edit...

what does this mean..."The cops are on duty, but their pay comes from the bars after it goes through the police department’s special events office."

the office pays the bar that pays the cop? or the bar pays the office that pays the cop?

[Letang Is The Truth]

seems like city is acting like a contracted service with their officers. the bars pay this special event service which then pays the officers

[Idoit40fans]

If I could work a second job but get paid that time as ot pay, I would get a second job. This sounds really questionable.

[BigMcK]

If the city factors earnings as a factor of pension benefits, the more you make in total, boosts future pension earnings. Locally, it is not uncommon for a senior officer to pull as much OT as possible for the final three years before retiring, thus showing a six-figure salary as the baseline for pension benefits. Doing this, your base salary may for example be $80k, but if you add another $80K in OT, future earning are based on $160k, and you could receive a pension check equal to your base salary.

The city may be compensated for your services protecting a bar, but your salary is your salary regardless of how the money was earned.

[pfim]

If the city factors earnings as a factor of pension benefits, the more you make in total, boosts future pension earnings. Locally, it is not uncommon for a senior officer to pull as much OT as possible for the final three years before retiring, thus showing a six-figure salary as the baseline for pension benefits. Doing this, your base salary may for example be $80k, but if you add another $80K in OT, future earning are based on $160k, and you could receive a pension check equal to your base salary.

The city may be compensated for your services protecting a bar, but your salary is your salary regardless of how the money was earned.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

I am a certified fraud examiner, and this whole thing smells really bad. There could be a lot of shaddy actions going on related to this.

What relationships do the bar owners have with the police staff or mayor's office? Is the officer or person in charge of making the assignments to the bars get kickbacks from the officers? Why do the bars need police officers to run security? Why not just hire a security company? Is the city charging a fair value to the bars for the services of the officers? Are the officers actually working the hours claimed,? Are they drinking at the bar, or submitting hours they never worked?

That is just some of the questions I'd be asking.