Courtesy of Mish.
Many cities in New Hampshire use highly paid (overpaid) police officers for routine work like holding stop signs when utilities have to trim trees along roads.
A debate is now brewing in the legislature as to whether to use flaggers instead of police officers for such work.
Courtesy of the New Hampshire Union Leader, here is an image. Click on the link for an article and other details.
Police vs. Flaggers
For the third time in five years, a bill was introduced into the N.H. legislature requiring the use of flaggers instead of police where appropriate. The article noted that in many cities, police chiefs make the call.
The result is just what one might expect. Police cherry-pick the easy jobs, letting flaggers have the rest.
Police work pays in the range of $40 to $50 with an additional $25 or more per hour tacked on by the town for benefits and “administrative charges.”
The utilities have to pay this expense. Of course, utilities pass that expense on to local taxpayers.
The police unions object to the new bill. They use storms, utility work, etc., to pad hours of police officers, typically giving the work to officers in their last five years because pensions are based on salary made in the last five years.
These guys get to retire at age of 45-50 with half their maximum salary.
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