It's nice Eyes Ray.
Boston's news Radio.
Ohay, welcome back everyone. Thanks very miss Dan Watkins. My name's Dan Ray. I'm the host of Nightside. Not to be confused with Dan Watkins, the news guy you just heard. We get a couple of Dans here at the station. I've been here for a while and before that at WBCTV. You might remember me from TV Days and well, we're getting pretty close to finishing up year seventeen here on
WBC Radio. So we are going to talk about a subject that is I think incredibly important to the city of Boston, and that is adequate police staffing with us. As Larry called Rone, he's the president of the Boston Police Patrolmans Association. Larry, we have talked about this issue before. The police Department tells me today that they're making some progress on this. I have a statement from them that I can share with you. But where do we stand at this point in terms of police presence in Boston.
You go to New York, Yorks, a much bigger city. They have a much bigger police department. I think they have forty thousand police officers in New York or some figure like that. But where do we stand in Boston because the police are there, but they're not as visible as they are in a lot of other cities.
Well, you have that absolutely right, and I'd love to hear the statement that came from the department hierarchy. I'm sure you're going to share that with us before this night's over. But you just take a look around before you even tell me, I'll say my piece. Take a look around your neighborhoods. Look when you're driving down the street, do you ever see a police officer out there? The police officers you see are the men and women that are going by you with their licens iiring on going
from one call to the next call. The department is running below minimum staffing. They can't keep up with the amount of bodies that we need, especially through the weekend hours. I mean, I have some information that I that I want to share Again. It's I almost feel like every time we're here, we're saying something negative about about the
department staff in levels. But a couple of weeks ago, when you see the department finally coming out and admitting publicly that they've identified two hundred and fifty nine police officer positions that are vacant and available that they need immediately. That real number is around four hundred. Everybody knows it. If they're identifying in two fifty nine, that is an absolute minimum that they think they need to get to their minimum staff in levels, and we just can't get them.
We can't get the good candidates, you know, the residency. The residency issue here in Boston. I know it was needed at one time. It's in archaic system that we've been running with now for the better half of two and a half decades, and it's actually hurting the City of Boston. On I suppose I can say that's one side of the coin. Somebody will call in and tell you it's absolutely needed. I'm sure for different reasons we could argue both. But when we're talking about recruiting police
officer candidate, we just can't get them. The Commissioner is saying it, and I'm saying it.
Well, my understanding is that there was a real effort I think it was about a year ago, or maybe it was somewhere around a year ago, where the City of Boston basically appealed to police officers in other communities and recommended or proposed that they could transfer laterally from wherever you know, Brookline or Pittsfield or Springfield or Lowell
or wherever becoming to Boston. And my understanding that that effort, and I think it was about a year ago, only produced three new police officers, and that the vast majority of those police officers from other communities who were willing to come to Boston and wanted maybe the idea to be in the big leagues because you play for the Red Sox and the Big Leagues you work as a
Boston police officer. Not to diminish what goes on in other departments around the state, but that is it the vast majority of them who decided to withdraw their applications or chose not to actually apply. We're concerned over the requirement that they would have to move into Boston and live for ten years within the city.
Well, concerned is a nice way for you to say that. I'll say it a little bit more directly. Yes, we had about sixty candidates, fully trained, fully post certified police officers that came to an open house briefing by the Department for Lateral Transfers, and a little over fifty got up mid conversation because the answers coming from the department were you had to be a resident of the city of Boston, you had to move into the city.
And look, let's face it.
Men and women that have families that are in different school systems, that have friends situated, mortgages that are already a third or half the way into They're not going to uproot their families and move to the most expensive city in Massachusetts where the median house price is well up at eight and nine h grede thousand dollars or more. It's just not going to happen. And I'm hopping right away on the residency issue, not because I'm trying to
get rid of it in a totality. What I'm trying to do is gain some attention from our elected officials stand that we need to be treated just like the nine to one one operators in the police department. When they did their contract just a year ago, there was a waiver system for residency requirement until the police department, the Boston Police Department acquired enough nine one one operators to meet the minimum staffing. Now they won't offer that
to future police officers. My question is why I've asked the city councilors why our streets right now are less safe than they were a year ago. And I know it's not popular for me to say that. I'm not trying to scare anybody, but we had a police officer struck by a vehicle a week ago. We had a police officer today that was extremely injured by a dump truck on a private detail, but yet on a public roadway.
By the way, Larry, if you could share with us, and again I am I don't want to impinge on his or her privacy, but I'm just curious. The reports are that this officer was injured, but he will survive. Is that correct? Yes?
Yes, well, we very strongly believe that he will survive. He is recovering, he's doing as well as can be. I'm going to respect his family and his wishes as well. But we thank everybody for the quick response, the calls and the concerns that we've been getting from friends, family, neighbors and just citizens that we run into throughout the
afternoon today. So we thank everybody for that. But you know, I know I'm going to jump now from police officers answer to nine to one calls, but public safety details, that's where you see police officers on the street. The officers that you see in the middle of the roadway, that that's somebody performing a private a privately paid public safety detail for what reason, for the exact reason that
happened to our officer. Today, we can't have a family of six or eight, or people visiting from out of state in Boston getting struck by cars, getting hit by dump trucks, by getting knocked into construction zone holes like we had a couple of years ago on Congress Street.
There is a.
Reason why police offices are required at construction sites in Massachusetts, and this is a prime example of one, and that's when you see them Dan.
It also emphasizes that there are very few jobs in the world, and certainly very few in Boston, where you leave your house in the morning and you have no idea what you're going to face that day. Most of us, the worst thing we face is a boss who's mad at us, or some equipment that doesn't work, or some appointments that are canceled and missed. But we're not out there facing people with knives and guns or in mental distressful situations where officers can be badly injured, as even
on a detail. And that's The other thing that I think is so important to emphasize to people who might say, well, these guys they make too much money, and you know, they don't want to live in the city, and you know all the all the and nobody's happy. The only time people are happy with a police officer is when they need a police officer.
Well, yeah, you have that right.
And there's there's a lot of reasons that I can point about. The salaries that the Globe was just printing a couple of weeks back. They were talking about an eighty eight million dollar overtime budget.
Tom.
That's our topic tonight. We are extremely understaffed. I'm going to give you some numbers if and when you want them.
But let me we're going to we've got to take a break. I want to come back. I certainly am going to read to you the statement from There's probably no surprise there, but I want to make sure that we we're looking to have Commissioner Cocks come on. We've had that invitation out to him now since last fall. I can understand that the Commission is pretty busy, but I'd love to have him come on some night and
answer questions of citizens in Boston. But that's a story for I'll deal that out with my good friend maryell and Burns at some point, and I'm sure it will happen. But in the meantime, I do have a statement from mauryel and Burns, a former colleague of mine at Channel four, who's now her position is the chief of Internet and
External internal and external Communications. The Boston Police Department. Talked with her this afternoon and we'll be back if you're out there and you'd like to join the conversation with Larry Callderone, the head of the Boston Police Patrolman's Association, the president of that group that represents I don't know, fifteen sixteen hundred police officer in Boston. We'll nail that down with Larry. On the other side, we'll have some numbers for you and we'll have some good conversation. Feel
free to join us on night side. Six one seven, two, five, four, ten thirty is the number everyone knows, and then the other line, which some people know, some people don't. Six one, seven, nine three one ten thirty Back on night Side right after this.
Now back to Dan Ray the Window World night Sight Studios on WBZ News.
Radio with me as the president of the Boston Police Patrolman's Association, Larry called Rome. Let's go to some numbers first, Larry, right now, your membership that you represent of the Boston Police Department, approximately how many members?
Approximately sixteen hundred men and women answering the calls for service in the now.
Apart from those sixteen hundred men and women, those are all people who are below the ranks of sergeant or do you russo represent upwards what I would call the NCOs?
I know those are strictly patrol offices, that is, the rank and file out on the street answering those calls for service. It does not include the supervisors or detectives.
Okay, so let's assume we add in supervisors, detectives, and command staff. What's the balance, forget the administrative staff. What is the balance of the entire department in terms of numbers, which would include everyone from the commissioner run down to the newest recruit.
While the last numbers that I knew DAN were somewhere approximately around the twenty excuse me, the two thousand to the twenty one hundred number, and I don't know if those numbers are including non sworn personnel. You know staff, administrative staff or not. I can only absolutely verify the members in my membership.
Okay, So those are the numbers as of today. And if you compare those numbers to a larger city like New York or Chicago or Los Angeles, or even a comparable city like a Baltimore, which I think is a comparable in terms of size, where do we stand on that sort of spectrum?
Would you say, I almost have to control of my left that, Dan, I'm going to refer back to an ordinance from nineteen seventy nine and go way back when there is an ordinance file that requires even though the department never does it or the city leadership, but it requires twenty five hundred uniform police officers. Twenty five hundred. We don't even have that in the totality of everyone in the department, of every rank, never mind's want police
officer's answer and the calls for service. And you think about the amount of increase in population for city residents today compared to nineteen seventy nine, I mean, it's it's laughable.
Yeah, we were down around six hundred thousand, if I'm not mistaken at that point in time.
Yes, and currently We're up somewhere around seven hundred and eighty to eight hundred thousand the last time we were looking, So.
That's a thirty percent increase. Okay, So here's the statement from Mary ellen Burns.
Day I can I and I apologize I came right out of the box on fire at nine o'clock. Is that we had a very busy day. I'd be remiss if I didn't thank the men and women of all ranks throughout the entire department, including our civilian staff, from the Commissioner all the way through. You know that they work our day in and day out. Everybody's putting in a tremendous amount of hours. So I don't want to lose sight of the fact that we are working as
it's game as a whole, around the clock. So I want to say thank you to them and you and I. We have a very avid listener, supporter of your show, of what you do every day, and a supporter of police officers around the Commonweald. Her name is Joan Giannino. She is she has been listening to your show for decades. It's the nice way I'm going to say it. She is the mother of state Representative Jessica Giannino, who is a very strong supporter of first responders, police fire EMTs.
She's the state rep outier there doing a tremendous job since being elected up on Beacon Hill, so I know she listens every night. I know both her and Mom take the opportunity when they can to be together to listen to your show. So hopefully she's listening because I want to say thank you to the both of them.
No, I have a new favorite state representative now.
My boss reps are going to be upset at that one, but they're great too. But Jessica, Jessica has really been a strong vocal voice for all first responders, especially police officers, So I want to say thank you to her and Mom as well.
That's great. Now we got the good stuff out of the way. Now we'll go to what the city's saying. So the city saying that Mayor Woohren Commissioner cogs have highly prioritized the recruitment of sworn officers. Large diverse classes of officers have put on each year since two thousand and two. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct?
Okay, another will graduate this fall. Correct, that is correct? And two more slated to graduate in twenty twenty five. Approximately five hundred candidates who took the most recent mass Civil service Exam attended in orientation session last week. I assume that's correct.
It's funny you didn't ask me correct on those other two classes, so I have no knowledge. I cannot verify that there are one or two classes there will be graduating next year.
Okay.
My understanding, at least from what I saw in the department is they did transfer it a handful of detectives to two recruit investigations, which they normally do to stop background checks. So I will agree that something is in the work. I just don't know those numbers down.
Okay. So then the police Spokesperson's Day writes, approximately five hundred candidates, now that's not officers the most recent mass Civil Service Exam attended an orientation session last week. We returned this weekend for interviews and next steps closer to becoming part of the BPD.
Now.
I don't know if those people are included in the previous references, but we'll let that go. These large numbers were the result of an intentional recruitment effort by the BPD to not only increase numbers of new officers, but to ensure that they reflect the residents we serve. Our officers are dedicated to our mission of community policing, and they are very well trained. Their great work continues to make Boston one of the safest major cities in the country.
All of that, you know, we we support and we agree with. Obviously you're concerned is the I assume that that part of the problem is not only the entrance to the department, but also the end of the pipeline. How many officers every year now are retiring. These would be police officers who came on anytime in the early nineteen nineties. They're all hitting thirty years at this point, right. I mean, if one in in nineteen ninety four, you're celebrating thirty years as a Boston Police officer. Yeah.
You know, you know, Dan, I as well as you, I have a found respect for Mary ellen Burns. So when I say this, it's not to tan of hearn anyway. But if I had my media guru, Jamie Kinneely, sit down and write a statement, it would sound it would sound great and fabulous, just like that. It would talk about all the things that we do from a union standpoint, to help the department and the citizens of Boston, and it all be true. So her statements, yes, they are true.
The department did hire one hundred and twenty five last year, another one hundred this year. They probably are looking to hire next year. But what's missing in those statements is a year ago, we hired one hundred and twenty five and we lost one hundred and ten plus another twenty odd bodies to the fire department. Just recently, we graduated another one hundred and one hundred, one hundred and ten police officers in Our attrition rate that year was ninety seven,
so we're netting thirty bodies at a time. So when a statement comes out like that, a written statement to say that, hey, we hired two hundred and fifty in the last few years, the neglected to tell the general population that the net count was more likely fifty or sixty bodies, Which is why we doubled our forty four million dollar overtime budget the budget that were actually granted to eighty eight million this past fiscal year. Because we
don't have the bodies to put on the street. We're taking we're taking band aids and putting it over the gaping wounds that we have in the department, and we're sugar coated for good reason. We don't want to scare the general public. But the reality is, I'm men and women are being ordered eighty ninety hours a week. Last just a couple of weeks ago, we had an eleven
year old that was shot at a party. Seven people were shot, one was eleven year old, two of my belief passed, and just a couple of nights later, one of the stations very close to ran ran the midnight shift with six bodies on the street, half of what the minimum internal staffing level is. That is completely unsafe.
It is, well, it's unsafe for the officers, Larry, but it's also unsafe for the public. Yes, if you're making all the chances of someone getting there in a timely fashion or heck, a watt left less when the when the staffing is fifty percent of what should be.
Yeah, and Dan, you have an incident like the police officer that was that was struck by the car just last week, they call out, as you know, what's called the emergency deployment teams. That is two to three offices from every station in the city on that shift. So if we have a major incident and they take two or three bodies from a station that's only operating with six or eight on the street. You're now you're down to thirty thirty five percent capacity, And people should be
worried about that. Taxpayers should be concerned, and they should be outraged that they're not being told the truth and that their men and women in uniform are being way overworked. I mean, from what I understand, the supervisor made a good call. I and I agree with that supervisor. They didn't order a third shift, they didn't order a police officer to work twenty four hours that night because it was unsafe for them in the public, but yet they
ran at half staff. Now, when you talk to Mary ellen Burns or anybody in the command staff, I'm sure they're going to tell you we don't have minimum staffing levels. We absolutely do. And I understand why they don't want to tell the general public any given time, date, or specific station what those levels are, because public safety is important and we should keep the upper hand. I've been doing this for thirty years myself. But what we're putting
off says in the general public at risk. That's where I'm gonna draw the line. And that's where I'm gonna come on this show and say so, Dan.
Guess Larry cal Larone, he's the president of the Boston Police Patrolmans Association. We're gonna go to phone calls right after the break. I'm sure Larry has more to say, but I'd like to get some questions from both police officers, family members of police officers, as well as citizens of Boston or elsewhere. This is important, particularly if you either
live in Boston or visit this great city. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty to phone calls right after this news break.
It's Night Side with Boston's News Radio.
My guest is Larry Calarone. He's the president of the Boston Police Patrolmans Association. So let's get to phone calls. Larry, I'm sure there's probably some other things you want to cite, but let's let's let's incorporate some callers into the control.
Absolutely all right, Great.
Here we go. Let's go to Dave up in New Hampshire day first tonight here on Side with Larry called Arome go ahead.
Dave, Yeah, thank you for taking citizens phone calls. I got to ask if you have if there's not security in bostments, it's not if the DPD is not able to you know, keep Boston safe, then I have a suggested solution.
Can you just by the way, just.
For just for clarification date. I don't think that's what Larry said. I don't think he's saying they can't keep Boston safe. I think he feels that they need me more resources not only to keep the city safe, but to cut back on the amount of forced overtime that police officers have to work, which is potentially dangerous for them as well as citizens. Go ahead, Dave, you know, with that premise clarified, what's your question.
Yeah, police departments have discretion in who they arrest, So can't you exercise your discretion to make fewer arrests for victimless crime laws like carrying a firearm in Boston without a license or drivers.
Or it's a pretty serious crime. I would think let's get Larry's response to the so called victimless crimes. Marijuana possession is no longer a crime, you know that, Dave. But carrying an unlicensed firearm I believe is an arrestable offense. Larry.
Yeah, I mean, Dave. First off, thanks for taking the time to call and to listen into the show, because it's an important topic and I'm not buying any way, shape or form saying that Boston it's not safe. We are one of these safest cities in America, and it's because of the hard work that the men and women in the police department do day in and day out.
What I'm complaining about, and when i want to make sure that I'm stressing to everyone that's listening, is that we are concerned not only about protecting the citizens of Boston and our visitors, We're concerned about the health of safety and the mental wellness mental wellness of our officers in general. No one should work twenty four hours a day. No one should work ninety or one hundred hours a week. That is what my membership is being faced with week
after week after week. It's unsafe. It's unsafe for everybody, but especially a police officer. So that's what we're stressing over here. As far as victimless crimes, I'd like to suggest that and then I'm going to show my age here, Dave. But William Bratton, I don't know if you know former commissioner here in New York LA very well respected as a law enforcement guru. When he came to Boston thirty
years ago, he touted a book called Broken Windows. I would ask you to read it and then if you want police, call me at the Boston Police Patrolman's Union Hall and we can discuss it. Because it's exactly what we're talking about. Simple. What you would say is a victimless crime. The victim is actually the people that live in the neighborhood. The people are the citizens of Boston.
We don't want unlicensed gun owners walking around. We don't want shoplifters stealing out of the store, preventing from mom and pops to us from making a living. We don't want crime in the city of Boston of any nature. And as police officers, we are going to uphold the law. But please read that book and if you want to discuss it, I'm always available to do so.
You're going to follow up question Dave, No, thank you for the transparency.
All right, You're more than welcome, appreciate your call. Good question, and I understand the question. You know where Dave is coming from on that question. Let me go next to Joe and Boston. Joe, you next on Nightside.
Welcome, Hey Dan, thanks taking my call. Matth and Cast is being picked up again when the mayor first go like that, she's going to clean it up. She didn't get the tenth out last year. But it's worth now than it's ever been. The table was never the best area in the city. Wasn't Beacon Hill, but you could always walk through that neighborhood. You couldn't walk through that year right now without get an assault or whatever. Is there anything we see that the Bible can do about.
That, Pete?
Thanks for calling mass and Cast. Big concern of our membership, of everybody that resides comes through in business Boston as well as well as our elected officials and the police Commission. I'm going to give them kudos to here, Pete. But I I myself actually was there this past Saturday morning. I was down there because we have police officers stationed
at various locations surrounding massing Casts. We have them there around the clock, and I was down having conversations about are we still being effective, what can we do better?
Etc.
But the problem really lies in bodies the offices that are down there. They're down there on overtime. They're filling those ships around the clock. Like I said, on overtime and the minute ware in the police about we are making a difference. Not only for the people that do need our assistance, that be in the mass and cast occupiers. I guess I would say they need assistance and we're providing along with other mental health professionals, but so do
the surrounding communities, the residents and the store owners. And we just don't have enough police officers to go around. And that's one of the things that we're talking about here, Pete. So I appreciate your concern and you're calling in.
Thank you, Thanks you, Joe, appreciate your calling. Let's get another one here before the break. Let me go to Lamar in Boston. Lamara, next time, I side with Larry called their own president of the Boston Police Patrolman's Association.
Go right ahead, Lamar, Well, good evening, Thank you for taking my call. And Officer Calderona. I do want to emphathize with the officers, you know, working extraordinarily long hours. That's not healthy for the human body, you know, working seventy eighty ninety one hundred hours, you know, I've experienced some of that, and it's and it's not healthy. Number one. Secondly, regarding shortages, the best explanation that I've heard heard over the years has been due to demographics. I'm of baby
boom generation. After my generation, there was a baby bust general, not enough people being born. As a matter of fact, the Cato Institute puts out the Cato Journal, and during the spring summer of twenty eighteen, they had an issue that an article that said Demographics and their implications for the economy and public policy. One of the sentences in there says that in twenty eighteen, the US fertility rate
was one point eighty eight births per woman. That's less than the replacement rate of two point one babies per women. So you know, and so part of what you're experiencing is a demographic downturn that is experienced in many professions. Many praise And I'll just say one thing, you know, regarding first responders in the healthcare industry, it may have I read it may have.
Can we deal with that first with Lamar? Lamar? Can we deal with that? Because you threw a lot at him there. Okay, So I think what you were trying to say, is that because of a down draft in the birth rate, there are on as many people who were coming into the workforce. I think that's essentially what you were saying.
Correct, That's one of the things. And let me let me you know, I'm glad you interrupted because like well, like Lamar, I.
Didn't really interrupt. I'm just trying to understand your question, what your comment is. I just want to make sure I understand what you just saying, and Larry understands. So you're saying, is that, okay, this there are fewer people who are applying to become police officers. Is that what your your theory? Because there's been a drop in the birth rate at some point twenty or so years ago.
You know, I cited one source, the Cato Wins too. I know that, Okay, there are many other sources that address the issue of demographics.
I'm not Lamar, I'm not disputing your source. Trust me. I'm simply trying to understand in normal language what you're saying. I think I understand it, but I want to make sure that I understand it. I think you're saying is that there's been a drop off in a birth rate. A baby bust generation, whatever you want to call it, and that therefore there are fewer people entering the workforce for which police departments can choose.
Correct, that's it, That is correct.
Okay. Let's first of all Larry to respond to that if he sees that as a factor in their their their concern, Okay, and then we'll get to your second point. Fair enough.
That's fine, Dan, go ahead, Larry Lamar, thanks for calling, and thanks for doing the homework and the insight on it. What's what's the Cato Institute's knowledge and numbers? But I agree with you that we definitely all of that attributes to where we are today in policing. There are a lot more reasons as well. One I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about our own department. That that means me included. We need to do a better way. We need to make this job more attractive. We need to do something
with our residency policy. We need to do something to make younger men and women want to be police officers. There's plenty of people lining up to join the fire department, to be nurses, to get into the medical field. We need to as police officers, department staff unions. We need to work together to find better ways to recruit candidates to put the uniform on and serve others.
Uh.
You know, we were just talking about math and CAS and I don't know if you were able to hit that, Lamar, and I was talking about low staffing there and how we had visited. But we're all the social work. What we've heard the past couple of years is how social workers want to be working hand in hand with law enforcement to handle the mental health crisis down at Mass and CAST. But there's none there. So my question is why, I'm not blaming anybody, but why not have more medical
professionals there? Where are EMT's. How come we don't hire more of them? So I think you're onto something, as I'm getting long winded myself, but we need to make this job more attractive and come up with ways to recruit more bodies.
Let me get Lamar's second point. Lamar said you had a second point.
Go ahead, Yes, well again, this demographic trend is affecting so many professions. You mentioned EMTs. There is a shortage of nursing teachers. Okay, I would imagine that possibly there is a shortage of teachers for or e mts you know, we see periodic, we hear periodically that various schools are closing because of declining enrollment.
You see.
So what my point is, you know, and I'm not disagreeing with you know, I agree with everything that you say, Officer called the Rome, you know, but I what I'm you know, pressing for is a greater understanding of the dynamics of the forces that influence us.
Okay, so Lamar, let's let lamar, let let's say that you're absolutely right. I'm not trying to argue this with you at all. Let's assume you're absolutely right. What's the solution that you could come up with or is there just a situation where we got to say, until the baby boomlet occurs ten of fifteen years from now, that we have to deal with fewer police officers and you know,
maybe fewer college students. Harvard and BC and BU there, they're still getting thirty thirty five, forty thousand applicants every year. In terms of colleges. There are some colleges that have gone out in recent years. You're correct on that, but the biggies are still draw on that big crowd. So what's the solution, Lamar?
Well, I'm glad you raised that question because what I have read from various law enforcement sources, okay, that how law enforcement is progressing the shortages is that they are some in the law enforcement community would say lowering their standards. For instance, they're allowing officers in some jurisdictions, we're tattoos.
They are allowing officers to we're longer here, okay. And also many departments had educational requirements, such as college requirements, and what I've read from law enforcement sources is that those educational requirements are being relaxed.
Okay, let me pull a marble gone eight minutes here, and I'm five minutes past by break, so I'm going to get a quick comment from Larry. And I wish they would you would called early because I got pack lines and I'm five minutes past my break and we've been doing this now for eight minutes. So, Larry, are they relaxing certain? I mean, you know, cops can police officers wear tattoos, longer hair? Is that the answer?
Well, I got to tell you she's spot on, Lama, spot on a lot of things. He's saying. I think we could do a whole show around his point of view, Dan, but it's not something that I can start commenting on department policy and who can wear tattoos and long hair. It's that that's secondary to what I'm looking to accomplish tonight. And what I'm looking to accomplish is making sure that we're keeping Boston safe. How citizens, I'm men and women in uniform, and that really needs to be the topic
that I I want to stay on it another time, Lamar. Again, you can find me at the patrolman disposition if you want to give me a call on I'm interested in everything you say, but I just think we're losing valuable time here for any other callers that might be trying to get a word in.
Lamar, Thank you much. I did nine minutes. I got to run. Thank you very much. Keep calling the show.
Thank you.
Back on Nightside right after this break.
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
By the way, Larry, in some communities in this country, I just follow up on what Lamar said, amongst others, Illinois will allow some non citizens to be police, but only those authorized to work and own a gun. So we have non citizens not only in Illinois, but in Los Angeles, I believe in Port Lan, Argon and elsewhere. Let me go to Penny and Lowell Penny next on Nightside with Larry Calderone. Go right ahead, Penny.
Hi, my dad was a police officer for thirty two years in California and things are definitely different.
Thank you for your service. What city did you work in in California?
What town with community, Marine County, California.
North of San Francisco. Nice area?
Yeah, yeah, So what is stopping them from getting rid of this ridiculous archade rule that you have to live in Boston to be a police officer?
All right, Harry, go ahead.
That's a great question, Penny. Feel free to call Police Commissioner Michael Cox and ask them why. I'm not quite sure. Along with a good majority of our city council that won't even entertain at least waving it for a short period of time, I want to make sure I'm clear. I'm not sitting here trying to be cute on a collective bargaining platform and say, hey, this is a sneaky way to get rid of it. I'm asking for what they've already done for the police department, for our nine
one one operators. They've waived it until they get back to their minimum staffing. They won't even consider it. They won't even have a conversation about it. And clearly that is an obstacle that we just encountered last year. We could have had roughly sixty fully trained, certified police officers to lateral right over here and start taking calls for service and believe some of this overtime, but they wouldn't do it. Yeah.
Yeah, and I should.
Thank Dad for the service too. I apologize it in the lead with that.
Yeah.
Also, have they done some out of the box thinking, like using some of this eight and eighty million in overtime to buy up properties as incentives to get police officers or first time home buyer help, benefits that you know, may help them come to Boston, because let's face it, police officers do not make enough money for what they do. There is no a police officer can afford to live
in Boston. That's ridiculous. And Lamar was right, there is a shortage of people having kids because they can't afford them. That's a whole nother conversation.
All right, Thanks Benny, appreciate it, appreciate you calling you in Okay.
Thanks Penny, Sure, thanks Penny.
Let me go to Steve and you make a plane. Steve, you're the last call of the hour. You got to be quick for me and making an exception trying to get you in here under the work.
Go ahead, Steve, big fan of the show. Just called to say thank you to Larry. Larry, thank you and the selfless, hard working men and women of the Boston Police Department. I'm a Bostonian. I appreciate you guys. Keep up the great work. Thank you, Dan, You're more.
Than welcome, Larry Kahn. And on a more.
Positive note, that's that's a great call. Yet, you gotta love my fellow JP resident. No, that's fantastic. That's what we're looking ahead, Dan. We want residents to to say Hi Diddy. Police officers on the street. We want them to wave and be part of the community. We want them calling your show and saying things like that. And really, I appreciate the kind words to me and what I'm doing, but it's really about the.
Men and women in uniform I represent, Steve. They're the ones answering the calls for service, they're the ones getting ordered eighty ninety hours a week. I'm putting in plenty of hours myself, but I am not the guy that's being told they can't go to their kids ball game, and can't make their vacation and can't take a day off. That's the men and women in uniform, not me. But I very much thank him for that call and the people I represent him.
Larry, thank you for your time tonight. And this is a story. We'll continue and if we can get the Commissioner to come on some night that would be that would add to the conversation and we'll keep in touching this, that's for sure. Appreciate your direct answers to my questions and questions from calls. You do a great job. Thank you. Larry called around say hi to everybody in uniform for us, So here at.
Night Side, we'll do it.
Thank you, Dan.
Thanks. All right, we get back. We're going to change topics and we're going to move into a direction that we need to talk about, and that is those insane demonstrations yesterday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin not net Yahoo and we'll talk a little bit about how the national media covered those demonstrations. We'll be back on Nightside right after the ten oclock News,