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No guys half cocked is right. I mean we already pay them, why force anyone to actually work?
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fingerprints
- Thread starter garyz
- Start date
That is along the lines of how I feel. Public servants already get paid with our taxes so why do we have to pay additional fees to get them to do their job?
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I already stated that I agree with this point. The original post did not state what the prints were related to. Since the OP clarified...I agree.
Soo.....where do these services stop though? Do you also want the police to do the backgroiund checks for these positions as well?
What about WalMart and other large private corporations that require senior executives to be printed and background checks done?
At what point does the private corporations need to pay up?
I have no problem with an agency providing the service..but should it be free when it applies to applications other than firearms?
Again...I am happy to do it and my agency does it...but should we?
That law applies to officers assigned to crime scene. It is not applicable.
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So...should the police escort every employee from every store in the city to the bank when they make a deposit?
Where is the line drawn?
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Your high horse is so tall you don't even have a clear view of reality. I want one.
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Where do you even come up with these analogies and think they apply here? *rolls eyes*
Couple-a thoughts here.
1) I hate paying taxes
2) I suspect all politicians are, to a degree, currupt.
Now, with those givens, I've never showed up at my town's police station and seen officers lazing around. The times I've been there it's been staffed with the dispatcher and MAYBE 1 officer, often just the dispatcher. I haven't observed people - at least there - sitting around doing nothing. Maybe your town's different - YMMV.
I've some experience in staffing models. You staff based on the work expected to be performed. Extra jobs require extra staff. Towns operate on a budget. Services over and above aren't figured into that budget. Now, I am NOT talking about fingerprinting for an LTC, FID or other police job related activity - I am talking about someone walking in off the streets asking for a print card for their on use and purposes.
I see no problem with a fee for such card. Sure you 'pay their salary with your taxes'. Your property tax rate is based on a stated level of services. If that's not figured into the level then you're not paying for that service. You want it, you pay extra. It's like towns that go to a fee-based trash collection - you want your trash picked up at the curb, you pay a fee. It keeps the property tax rate down.
Is there waste in a town's budget? I don't know, go to your town council meetings and find out. They've got to post the budget. I know there is in mine. We just blew an obscene amount of money to put in an astroturf football field at the HS while the building's falling apart and they're laying off teachers. Tell me that wasn't wastage. Does that mean the local cops are at fault? No - I blame the council and vote accordingly.
1) I hate paying taxes
2) I suspect all politicians are, to a degree, currupt.
Now, with those givens, I've never showed up at my town's police station and seen officers lazing around. The times I've been there it's been staffed with the dispatcher and MAYBE 1 officer, often just the dispatcher. I haven't observed people - at least there - sitting around doing nothing. Maybe your town's different - YMMV.
I've some experience in staffing models. You staff based on the work expected to be performed. Extra jobs require extra staff. Towns operate on a budget. Services over and above aren't figured into that budget. Now, I am NOT talking about fingerprinting for an LTC, FID or other police job related activity - I am talking about someone walking in off the streets asking for a print card for their on use and purposes.
I see no problem with a fee for such card. Sure you 'pay their salary with your taxes'. Your property tax rate is based on a stated level of services. If that's not figured into the level then you're not paying for that service. You want it, you pay extra. It's like towns that go to a fee-based trash collection - you want your trash picked up at the curb, you pay a fee. It keeps the property tax rate down.
Is there waste in a town's budget? I don't know, go to your town council meetings and find out. They've got to post the budget. I know there is in mine. We just blew an obscene amount of money to put in an astroturf football field at the HS while the building's falling apart and they're laying off teachers. Tell me that wasn't wastage. Does that mean the local cops are at fault? No - I blame the council and vote accordingly.
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If one were to actually attempt to follow along and have an intelligent debate instead of throwing insults you would understand the analogy.
Here is the question.
To what extent do the police offer "services" to private companies?
Pretty simple.
Answer please.
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I would say a reasonable request can/should be accomodated. I mean it takes 5 minutes and they have the equipment right there. What's the big deal? Even if they charged $5 to $10. No biggie IMO.
I too am a Brockton resident and recently posted the same thread. I would have no problem paying a fee, even $50?? Brockton will not give any other options or consider even discussing it, we don't do that. (unless of course you're special). I did find a local town to do it for a small "donation to their charity". It shouldn't be this difficult.
Living in Brockton I am "lucky" to even have a LTC!
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You are right! It should be done for a small fee. That is what I have been saying.
Private companies and people should not be able to "use" the police to by-pass their own financial responsibilities.
Well I'd be ok with it being done for a small fee, but I really feel it could be done as a courtesy. So long as people aren't lining up out the door for fingerprints, I see no reason it couldn't be done for free. That said, if I needed prints, I wouldn't bitch about paying 5 or 10 bucks.
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you are funded by the public, I don't think you realize that. Either that or you don't want to serve OR protect.
How are people using the police to "bypass" financial responsibility??
Just admit it, you don't wan to work and would rather jus collect paychecks. G ahead, you know you wanna.
F
Finalygotabeltfed
Looks like its time for a new piece of legislation to force PDs or some other entity to take prints, even if for a reasonable fee. Every city and town and the state crys poor mouth but when given an opportunity to raise revenue via a public service, nobody steps up.
The outright refusal is bullshit and was never the case until the last ten or so years.
If PDs don't want to do it then maybe it should be assigned as another function of the registry of motor vehicles who also issue state IDs or maybe a town clerk or other sworn administrator.
Not having the service available to the public is just plain unacceptable under any excuse.
The outright refusal is bullshit and was never the case until the last ten or so years.
If PDs don't want to do it then maybe it should be assigned as another function of the registry of motor vehicles who also issue state IDs or maybe a town clerk or other sworn administrator.
Not having the service available to the public is just plain unacceptable under any excuse.
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I will attempt to make this simple for you.
If you are in the process of being hired by a private corporation i.e. Walmart, Raytheon, General Electric etc....and they are conducting a background check on you which requires fingerprints why should the local Police Department do this for free.
It is the corporations policy, they are responsible for the background check. It is not mandated by the government. They should be paying to have the prints done and not the taxpayer.
Pretty simple.
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Police Departments weren't in a position to have to lay people off until the last few years or so.
The OP is from Brockton. This Police Department is severely under funded and understaffed. The Brockton PD does not even respond to minor "crimes". If they do not respond to minor "crimes" then how can they justify taking the time to take finger prints for a private company.
garyz
NES Member
mark056 and alien pm's sent
i have no problem paying a reasonalbe fee for this service.
i have a major problem w/ brockton just flat out not offering this service. the hard part should have been getting the sign off, but that was easy
i called 2 more locat pd's today and got the same answer, only for town residents. these are pd's that have a firearms officer on site
and don't want to take a few extra bucks in. while i don't believe they are sitting around doing nothing, 10 minutes to make $20 bucks almost all profit,
garyz
i have no problem paying a reasonalbe fee for this service.
i have a major problem w/ brockton just flat out not offering this service. the hard part should have been getting the sign off, but that was easy
i called 2 more locat pd's today and got the same answer, only for town residents. these are pd's that have a firearms officer on site
and don't want to take a few extra bucks in. while i don't believe they are sitting around doing nothing, 10 minutes to make $20 bucks almost all profit,
garyz
A couple of points here:
- I agree that for firearms or other LE-mandated reasons, the PD should accommodate people to do prints.
- If private companies demand prints be done, they should pay for it, plain and simple. Probably as a paid detail (OT or other way revenue streams to departments, hopefully, see below).
- One must understand that under MGLs, all permit moneys (LTC/FID, fire department, building department, etc.) MUST go into the "general fund" . . . it then gets allocated mostly to the public schools (70-80% seems typical of many towns). The PD gets essentially nada, zilch, nothing for any permit/fees that they charge. I've confirmed this with my town's financial administrator and town manager. So there is no incentive to do extra tasks and charge you a fee . . . the money doesn't stay with the department and the schools don't even say thank you to the PD for the extra funds.
![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
- I am unaware of any PD that has a FT "firearms officer". See above, they make nothing on the LTC/FID fees . . . I know because I was going to recommend a Town Meeting article to create a "revolving fund" for gun licensing fees (that would stay with the PD) . . . can't do it legally. Some hapless officer is roped into doing firearms applications ALONG WITH his/her other duties . . . that's the way it works in the real world. [I know of one town that brings in a retiree to do firearms applications on a PT basis, everyone else is making due with the added task on already understaffed departments.]
- Officers do go back to the station on occasion for anything from filing reports, bathroom break, researching a case, etc. They aren't usually hanging around for no reason unless it is close to end of shift.
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
garyz
NES Member
firearms officer
Lens, actually, every town i called has a part time firearms officer on staff, while they probably handle other things, they have set hours for gun related issues. as far as the money, wasn't aware it went to a general fund,
either way, i still need to find someone to do my prints
garyz
Lens, actually, every town i called has a part time firearms officer on staff, while they probably handle other things, they have set hours for gun related issues. as far as the money, wasn't aware it went to a general fund,
either way, i still need to find someone to do my prints
garyz
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to whomever neg repp'd me and said "at this point youre just trolling"
I have 2 things to say:
1. man up and sign your negative rep point, and
2. I firmly believe everything I have said, just because you disagree doesnt mean Im a troll. Use a frickin dictionary.
I have 2 things to say:
1. man up and sign your negative rep point, and
2. I firmly believe everything I have said, just because you disagree doesnt mean Im a troll. Use a frickin dictionary.
F
Finalygotabeltfed
Really? I've seen several layoffs and rehires in the past twentytwo years in both police and fire departments.
If Brockton is so mismanaged that it doesn't respond to "minor" crimes, the first people arrested should be those in the offices of the PD.
Every company I've worked for that required fingerprints (banks and whatnot) had people come in at orientation and do the prints. If a company ever told me to go get prints at my own expense i'd tell them thanks anyway for the job. I can imagine how shitty a company treats employees when they make new hires basically pay to join the company. f*** that. Same with piss tests. You want me to piss in a cup, you can pay for it. Although to be honest I'd only take a job that requires drug testing if I was desperate beyond belief. Sorry to threadjack, back OT.
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That's been done before too!
