Pharr cop pay raises tied to fitness?

By G. Romero Wendorf

PHARR -- Pharr police officer got a pay raise this year, which was approved by the city commission last month. Question is, what did the city get in return?

The pay raise amounts to a 12.5-percent bump in dinero spread out over the next three years, based on a collective bargaining agreement hammered out between Pharr Mayor “Amos” Hernandez, who also serves as the city’s chief negotiator, and the police union.

This fiscal year, the annual base pay for police officers will increase by seven percent, from $37,500 to $40,500.

The remaining 5.5 percent will be spread out over the next two fiscal years.

The new agreement includes education incentives: for having an associate’s degree, an officer will earn an additional annual $1,600, up from the previous $600; and for earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree, an additional $1,500 or $2,000 will be respectively added to the office’s annual pay.

Hernandez now faces hammering out a new agreement with the fire department in the coming weeks. But for now, he’s satisfied with his work with the PD.

“I think the most gratifying part for both is that we have a pay raise. Plus, we have accountability and transparency built into it (the new agreement).”

Asked in what ways the accountability and transparency are made manifest, Hernandez said:

“We already have a good police force. We want to make it great. We will give them the tools necessary to achieve that. But we also expect them to be healthy, to be prompt and courteous, be fair to all citizens. We expect them to get an education, and (if) they anticipate getting some money for their educational endeavors, we expect them to get a degree, not just get (college) hours. If you're going to be the example in the city with P.A.L. (Police Athletic League) as well, of caring (for kids), then you need to be involved with P.A.L.s; not just 15 officers (participating). We expect 50 percent or greater participation from the police force. Otherwise why call it P.A.L.s?”

According to the mayor/chief negotiator, the health of the police force is also of primary concern:

“We all want our officer to be healthy for their own sake and for the sake of our community.”

There are national physical fitness standards set by the police officers national state committee. Hernandez said he expects Pharr police officers to meet those standards. 

“The civil service board is going to implement that these are our expectations. We abide (by them), and we agree that we're going to live by them, so if (some police officers) are unwilling to become healthy or live a healthy lifestyle, then they need to move on to another city that would allow them to be unhealthy. We're not going to allow it.”

Hernandez said he doesn’t mind if the city hands out raises to police officers as long as certain conditions are met.

“I don't mind giving raises as long as (the officers)are held accountable and (the police department is) transparent. We will reach fair market value for our police force because we're not going to lose our police officers and have them leave to other sectors because they have better benefits.We want the healthiest, most intelligent, and most confident police force, and we'll pay, but we need to get a return on our investment.”

The mayor said that with regard to health, it’s not really an issue of weight, but rather physical fitness.

“What a 20 year-old can do, I don't expect out of a 40 year-old. It's different by age. It's also different by your skill set. There are pencil pushers versus the people on the street. It's not one size fits all. It’s based on the recommendation at the national state levels, and if they don't abide by them, whatever those are going to be, which we're working on, then ... it's their choice.”

Hernandez said the city isn’t forcing any officer out of a job.

“We're not forcing you out of a job. We want to keep you at your job, but you have to perform (at a certain physical fitness level). We will implement changes that we see as necessary to keep us all safe and healthy.”

Meaning of transparency

So first health, but what about police transparency? How does the new police contract address that?

“Number one, we would say we have an open-door policy,” said Hernandez. “That's why when there have been certain accusations made about our police department we've hired a third party to come and look at every accusation to be sure our citizens are treated fairly with an outside auditor. That's being done, number one.”

In fact, that’s being done now, according to the mayor, but the audit hasn’t yet been concluded.

Next up, are all the Pharr cops drug free? Or are they busting people for pot possession and then going home to roll up a big fat doobie, so they can relax and chill from the stress of busting druggies?

Or worse, are they snorting coke on the weekends when their primo drops by?

“The biggest thing (about the new contract),” said Hernandez, “is that everyone gets (drug) tested randomly in the police department from head to toe. Random means different things to different people. For me, as the mayor, I will pick a particular day for random drug testing. On this day we're doing it. Everyone in the police department has 72 hours to comply, and I mean everybody. From the new entry, all the way to the chief. Everybody gets tested. That’s called random.”

Does the mayor mean drug testing via urine or hair follicles? With some drugs, the hair is considered more reliable because illegal drugs may remain in the follicles longer than in the urine. Cocaine is one example.

“Well we’re still talking (about that),” Hernandez said. “I haven’t decided.”

On average, according to www.drugaddictionblog.org, cocaine may be detected in the urine for two to four days for light users; up to 10 days for heavy users.

In hair follicles, cocaine may be detected up to 90 days.

For pot smokers, in a urine test, moderate users will register positive for up to 7 to 13 days after their last hit. Heavy smokers, 30 days or more.

In hair follicles, THC can test positive for up to 90 days. Paradoxically, however, testing for THC in the hair isn’t considered as reliable as urine testing because the substance that makes the weed whacky doesn’t always bind to the follicles.