Santa Rosa to Pay Police Officers to Put on Uniforms. As a result of a settlement stemming from a federal court suit, Santa Rosa will be paying police officers for the time they put on and take off their uniforms (including holsters and bullet proof vests.) The settlement is estimated to cost the city $240,000. City attorney Caroline Fowler said police officers will not be doing any police related work beyond their normal working hours, such as reading e-mails, washing motorcycles and getting dressed.
Some of the responses from the public:
· Others in businesses are dressed in business attire that they put on at home on their own time.
· In the old days, inmates washed police vehicles.
· Does the ruling mean they do not get paid for their donut runs?
· It's bad enough that the rest of society is sue happy, now it is the police.
· Are we going to pay them to drive to work?
· Will other city employees who have to dress to go to work get paid for the time?
· This leads to more lack of respect for the police and the law.
· These cops get paid more than enough already.
(Source: Santa Rosa
Press-Democrat, July 9.)
Cal-Taxletter July 11, 2008
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