Middletown PBA Local 124 Facebook Post: "...township committee shows little to no thanks at all..."

Actions speak louder than words as they say, and it seems that members of the Middletown Township PBA are tired of all the lip service that they have been receiving from township officials. Take a look at the Facebook post for Middletown Township PBA Local 124 that was placed on the page a little while ago.

According to the post, which has thus far been "liked" by over 250 people and "shared" by nearly 140,  Middletown officials are quick to give "kudos to the police" as long as news outlets are there to publicize the their efforts and accomplishments, while behind closed doors the tune changes.

I believe the police union is in the middle of contract talks with the township. Reading this posting you can't help but get the sense that many officers are frustrated with the proceedings and as a result have displayed the dirty laundry list for others to see.

For the past few years, I have heard from various retirees that have stated much of the same feelings to me that have been expressed in this Facebook post, I'm a little surprised that the level of frustration has finally reached this point and has boiled over into the public domain.

Township employees generally won't speak out against their employer because they're afraid of retaliation, I wonder what kind of effect this will have on others.

Just in case the post is taken down I've copied it below:

Please take a moment to read...

I am a police officer in Middletown Township. I am proud of my profession and privileged to work with the many great men and women of The Middletown Twp. Police Department. We work hard for the good people of Middletown. Our efforts have paid off for the residents. According to MONEY Magazine, "Middletown, one of the best places to live." The NJ State Police Uniform Crime Report puts our crime rate at 8.57 incidents per 1000 residents. This number represents a 15% decrease in crime from 2013. This 2014 number is the lowest in 25 years according to past records.

The governing body of Middletown Twp., including Mayor Stephanie Murray, has been using these accomplishments of the police department to show how great it is to live in Middletown. They will put blue lights on in support of the police department... as long as news outlets are there to publicize their support. They will give "kudos to the police," as long as it's printed in the papers. Behind closed doors is a much different story.

They thank their younger newer officers by freezing their pay. Young men and women are buying Middletown homes and starting families in the very same communities they protect. Many newer officers have chosen to flee the township and go south and east where home prices are cheaper. They thank us by not honoring our contract during negotiations. They choose the costly route of interest arbitration instead of continuing civil negotiations. They look at us with contempt. They ignore offers to save the township hundreds of thousands of dollars. The PBA has offered minimal raises, longevity freezes, retirement payout caps and has an open mind about implementing a more cost affective health care plan. They forget that we chose to pay into our health care years before it was mandated by state law.

They want to take all the benefits away from the current and future officers of this township. Mayor Murray could care less if Middletown Police Department turns into a revolving door of new officers every year. These benefits are as small as a space for a gym; a gym that is maintained by the members of PBA 124. They thank us by refusing to pay officers salaries but have no issues giving themselves 20% raises outside the 2% cap police officers are held to by the state legislature. They pour money into fields that aren't used and enormous "smart boards" for their conference room. However they can't pay the salaries of the officers that constantly make sacrifices for them and the town.

We drive patrol vehicles that have well over 100k miles on them. We dress in a locker room that will flood with the smallest rain storm. We have roll call in a room that is smeared with dirt, broken windows, and lights that house more dead bugs then light itself. Our cars are filled with equipment that is broken, missing or never made available.

Truth be told, our township committee shows little to no thanks at all. So I wish to truly thank the officers of Middletown Township for their consistent sacrifices. As for the residents, know that we keep vigilant and give them the protection they deserve. As for as our leadership... You're welcome.

For the record, I fully support Middletown's "men and women in blue". They deserve more than lip service from the township and our elected  officials. There's no reason why we can't pay them and support them enough to keep them working and living in the town they protect.