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WE NEED YOUR HELP!
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!
For the third weekend in a row, our ability to provide public safety was pushed to the breaking point. There were endless fights, involving WEAPONS nonetheless, which resulted in numerous arrests. Individuals at the Trumbull Mall fought with as well as spit at/on Police Officers on scene.
Due to our critical staffing shortage, we were unable to provide public safety services by ourselves. We thank the Connecticut State Police, Bridgeport Police, Fairfield Police, Monroe Police and Stratford Police for providing assistance to the public and our officers in need.
During this time, we also received calls for service for an individual experiencing cardiac arrest and another call for a motor vehicle accident with injuries. Since we are first responders and respond to most medical calls, both of these calls required two police officers. Thankfully our midnight shift was able to respond into work early to cover these extra emergency calls.
This is what happens when money and politics are prioritized over public safety. This problem will continue and it simply CANNOT be sustained. We encourage town officials to act swiftly to rectify this issue, and we encourage residents to contact their elected officials. We hope and pray that in the future no one gets seriously injured.
We believe the Trumbull residents and taxpayers deserve to know the true cost of public safety.
Before Christmas, we posted a letter written by the Trumbull Police Commission documenting the Police Department’s staffing crisis. Trumbull Board of Finance member Isaac responded to our post by writing:
“thanks for posting this. Since you have the numbers handy, what is the specific incremental cost per employee to fund a pension? What is the annual contribution required per employee to fully fund the pension (and not create a future liability for the town). What is the present value to fully fund a pension for each employee (using a discount rate of 5%).”
This is the Union’s response:
Mr. Isaac, you’re assuming that we have the numbers handy.
Those calculations came from the Town’s own budget reports; which we hope you have read. Being that you are a BOF Member, you should know that this information is public knowledge. We took efforts to research those figures.
Secondly, the specific incremental cost per employee to fund a pension will balloon higher than it should since the Administration is adding non-police officer employees to its study; a political move that doesn’t make financial sense since the Town-side pension fund is dismally funded at less than 50% and since there’s no evidence of town-side employees leaving for pension towns as such with the police department.
Furthermore, the study will eventually identify the annual contribution required per employee with accuracy; and it will create a future liability for the town once those officers, should they get a pension, retire. But as we asked, what is the town willing to pay for its public safety?
Even if the ARC amount DOUBLES, which it won’t, we’re talking about 3%-3.50% of the TOTAL Town/BOE annual budget. Currently, the ARC funding sits below 2% at 1.75% over the last five (5) fiscal years. So we ask again, what is the town willing to pay for its public safety?
Lastly, you are assuming a discount rate of 5%; which, if you knew about the police pension fund, is not correct. The police pension fund discount rate is 7.25%, well within the normal rate for municipal pension funds. A lower discount rate that you’re assuming would arbitrarily balloon the cost to a level that doesn’t match reality or the experience our fund has ever had. Oh, BTW, the present value in actual experience, not theoretically, is about $13,000 - $17,000 per employee; which, the employee picks up a percentage of as contributions from their salary. Once again, these aren’t figures or calculations that we have handy; they’re calculated using actual experience of the police fund’s performance and actuarial studies. Prior to Jan 2022 and the dismal market performance this calendar year thanks primarily to inflation, the police pension fund was funded at 94%. Since then, it’s hovering around 82-84%, almost double the amount the town-side fund is experiencing.
Maybe the narrative that pensions for police officers are too costly for the town of Trumbull needs to be addressed with the public in a truthful manner. Since the town went away from pensions, a move that we brought to state arbitration and were forced to accept for various reasons, the ARC funding has INCREASED.
In the five (5) years prior to the pension being taken away, the Town’s ARC percentage vs. the total budget was an average of 1.11% from 2010-2015. From 2015-2023 it equals 1.75% (as we reported earlier). So, please tell us where the EXORBITANT amount of taxpayer’s money is being spent for police pensions?
2009-2010$134M budget$1.250M ARC 0.93% of budget
2010-2011$136M budget$1.350M ARC0.99% of budget
2011-2012$141M budget$1.450M ARC1.03% of budget
2012-2013$146M budget$1.600M ARC1.10% of budget
2013-2014$152M budget$1.700M ARC1.12% of budget
2014-2015$156M budget$2.050M ARC1.31% of budget
2015-2016$160M budget$2.907M ARC1.82% of budget
You can see that the largest percentage jump in this time-frame is from 2015-2016; the first year the police pension was taken away.
Finally, we are aware that three (3) more officers will be leaving in the next month or two; one to Darien PD and two more to Norwalk PD (both towns with pensions). This could strongly lead to the reassignment of the Trumbull High School SRO to the Patrol Division.
CRITICAL STAFFING SHORTAGES/PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN:
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Since December 23, 2018, eleven (11) police officers have transferred to other police departments with defined benefit retirement plans (pensions). More police officers are intending to laterally transfer in the coming months. The department is currently understaffed with 14 openings (approximately 20% of department) which is causing severe strains on our existing officers. This retention issue can not be sustained.
We are at one of the lowest levels of staffing in the Trumbull Police Department’s history. Three (3) police officers recently retired, and six (6) additional officers are eligible to leave at a moment’s notice. At the same time of this staffing crisis, our officers are responding to the most calls for service than any other time. This shortage has caused officers to be pulled from the schools, traffic unit, the Trumbull Mall and other critical public safety roles.
We support and thank the Police Commission and Chief Lombardo for continuing to fight for this department and the safety of the residents of Trumbull. Attached is a letter from the Police Commission to the Board of Finance and Town Council documenting this issue.
Please contact your elected officials and voice your concerns.
It’s a good thing that the town’s police officers don’t hide behind the scenes during emergencies like the majority of the town’s elected representatives hide behind politics when it comes to ARPA uses.
Your elected officials should be ashamed of themselves. They represent their party’s initiatives rather than the people that they’re elected to represent.
Thank you Mike Buswell and Carl Massaro for trying to restore funding to support Veterans and Police Officers.
🖤💙🖤
In honor of our fallen Bristol Police Department Brothers, Sergeant Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy, the Trumbull Police Union sends our thoughts and prayers to their families. We also wish Officer Iurato a fast and speedy recovery. We honor our Brothers and Sisters who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Please pray for the families and for the Bristol Police Department.
🖤💙🖤
💙💙💙
The Trumbull Police Union is pleased to announce its endorsement of Bob Stefanowski for Governor.
On September 20th, Bob addressed our membership and listened to our concerns in a question and answer session.
Topics of the evening included the dramatic increase in crime, severe staffing shortages within the department, and liability concerns related directly to the passage of the police accountability bill.
We also want to thank other endorsed candidates that attended - Laura Devlin for Lieutenant Governor, Jayme Stevenson for U.S. Congress, and Dave Rutigliano for State Representative.
Bob Stefanowski Jayme Stevenson Dave Rutigliano For Trumbull Laura Devlin
The Trumbull Police Union is happy to once again donate turkeys to the Trumbull Food Pantry at the Senior Center. This year, we were able to donate 21 turkeys for families in need. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 🍽 🍁
Pictured (left) is Union President Robert Coppola and (right) Union Treasurer Joseph Dzurenda.
“No day shall erase you from the memory of time”
🇺🇸NEVER FORGET🇺🇸
Have a happy and safe 4th of July!
A day to remember and honor all the brave heroes who served to hold our flag high 🇺🇸
The Trumbull Police Union wishes to thank our First Selectman Vicki Tesoro for the Proclamation that she sent to the department last week during National Police Week. Thank you for the support! Town of Trumbull Trumbull Police Department
A Trumbull Citizen hand-made this blanket for K9 Officer Lee in remembrance of K9 Storm. Thank You for the support.
We, The Union, decided on our own to remove our post from yesterday after it turned personal against Ms. Figueroa. Personal attacks, especially ones that should remain private, we believe does not improve dialogue. It only adds insult to injury. We received an email letter from Ms. Figueroa explaining her position and we thank her for doing so. We will be having an in-person, face-to-face meeting with her in regards to the issues that we brought to light, in a forceful, yet civil & professional manner with the benefit of
our Members and Town residents in mind. It remains our Executive Board’s position that Ms. Figueroa must resign; her posts, no matter when made, goes against the stated mission statement of the E.D.I.T. Commission. Thank you for your understanding. It has always been our organization's position that we wish to make this town better. Town of Trumbull
