CORRESPONDENCE

After reading Johnny Mullins’ letter (“Police officers do receive good

salaries, benefits,” Nov. 9), I must admit that I felt sorry for him.

I also read the editorial (“It’s time for an agreement on police pay,”

Nov. 9). They have no conceptual understanding of what it truly is to be

a policeman.

Mullins stated that we have a cushy job with good pay and benefits,

and added that “I do not think that a single Huntington Beach police

officer has been killed in a shootout.”

To Mullins, I would say that despite Surf City being reasonably safe,

assaults on police officers are never pleasant. Just ask Nick Eckovich,

who was severely wounded in a shootout.

It is not only the assaults that make this a challenging job, but

traffic accidents injure officers often.

Now, the Independent and Mullins might say that the above

circumstances come with the job. I agree, they most certainly do. The

paper states that the “city’s proposal” would make the department fifth

in salary in the county for police officers. This, despite us being the

third largest city in county. The Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn.

is made up of detention officers, dispatchers and police officers. The

city has not attempted to negotiate or offer a new contract for two of

three factions the union represents -- detention officers and

dispatchers.

The Independent also states that the union should be reasonable and

accept the percentage increases “offered” by the city, as it may be

different from private industry. The police association is not private

industry. It does not receive stock options, year-end bonuses, engage in

profit sharing, etc.

They do not expect to because they are police officers. What they do

expect is a reasonable contract with good pay and benefits. But what they

have is less than the current standard in pay and benefits in Orange

County for similar occupations.

They need to be compared to other police agencies within the county.

Period.

The police union is public safety, and in the future, the Independent

might remember that when it attempts to compare apples with oranges.

BRANDON REED

Huntington Beach

As a police officer for the city of Huntington Beach, I am insulted,

enraged and hurt by the comments of Johnny Mullins insinuating that a

Huntington Beach police officer must die “in a shootout” in order to be

fairly compensated.

Just like many of my fellow Huntington Beach police officers who have

had to look down the barrel of a gun or have been struck by a criminal’s

bullet while protecting the citizens of Huntington Beach.

I find his comments just plain ignorant. And for the Independent to

print his comments, in my opinion, is irresponsible on their behalf. Only

by the grace of God, luck and good training have we all survived.

I only hope that Mullins’ feelings and ignorance is not shared by the

majority of Huntington Beach citizens; I don’t believe it is.

The irony of the comments made by Mullins is if his life (or any other

citizen) was threatened by a dangerous criminal, my fellow police

officers and I would not hesitate to get to them as quickly as possible

and put ourselves in harm’s way. And for that courage and attention to

duty, to save a human life, there is no price tag!

JOHN DOMINGO

Huntington Beach

It appears someone at the Independent feels this negotiation process

is getting old.

The Huntington Beach cops have been sick of it since it started in

1992. The Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn. asked to start

negotiations back in March so that we could have plenty of time to get

this done before our contract expired.

We are now six weeks beyond the expiration of the contract, and the

city of Huntington Beach still has not made us a completed proposal.

Their best estimate is they will have a proposal ready for us around

the end of December.

Does the city still need more pressure? The city is still offering our

detention officers a 0% (that is a zero) raise. They are still offering

our 911 dispatchers a 4.5% raise. (We are so short staffed in dispatch.

We are supposed to have 28.5 dispatchers, we only have 15).

And the city is claiming to be generous, offering the police officers

a 10% raise.

The police union is very vocal about their mismanagement, and they

[the city] think we need to get a little spanking and put in our place.

The only losers of this game are the citizens of Huntington Beach.

RUSSELL REINHART

President

Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn.

EDITOR’S NOTE: According to Huntington Beach spokesman Rich Barnard

there is a proposal on the table. Also, while it is true detention

officers, who rank first in the county in total compensation and salary

benefits, were offered a 0% raise this year, that’s because they are

being offered an 8% increase over the next three years. The 911

dispatchers offer of 4.5% would put them second in the county in total

compensation and salary benefits, Barnard said.