I feel like this is a pretty good gripe about them and here's a few reasons.

1. Get on the tollway in Seminole County around 6-7am and count how many OPD cars going to work haul *** past you. At least 2 - never fails. Not only do citizens of Orlando pay for them to drive to Sanford or wherever they live, but they use a lot more gas driving 80 MPH. - So I pay for the cop living in Sanford to drive back and forth but he lives in another city and county and doesn't. PLUS- that isn't even touching the issue of them being able to break the law to get to work on time, when the average citizen would get a ticket.

2. 40G a, all equipment, and a take home car - and thats just to start out. Compare that to close cities like Daytona PD which starts out at 27G a year and Volusia County SO which begins pay @ 26 and some change. Or compare it to Jacksonville - a higher crime rate, larger city too. Jacksonville requires a 4 year degree (Orlando only PREFERS two years of college), starts out at 32 a year and you get no take home car.

So as a taxpayer in Orlando I'm curious why the local police would picket demanding more money. I think it reflects a total attitude problem. When an over weight butch cop with little college stops me for a questionable offense and then has an attitude it infuriates me. I may fit into a stereotype as a biker - but she certainly fits into a stereo type as an out of shape, over paid discourtious, and undereducated worker. I think if the Police are going to demand more from our city - WE should demand more from our police.

 

Here's just one of many articles. The average officer makes 63-80 thousand dollars a year. It's ridiculous.

http://www.officer.com/article/artic...ion=1&id=20149

Police Protest Outside City Hall, Accuse Mayor Of Breaking Law


POSTED: 4:51 p.m. EST January 10, 2005
UPDATED: 4:52 p.m. EST January 10, 2005


Story by wftv.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando police officers accused the mayor of breaking the law Monday, when he held a workshop to discuss their salaries. They say it goes against their current negotiating process for a new contract and decided to protest.

It wasn't a good sign that the situation will be resolved anytime soon as police officers showed up at the meeting angry and city commissioners begged them to stop the public protests.

As officers picketed in front of city hall Monday, those like Danny Schad, who says he hasn't had a raise since October of 2003, say there's plenty to be angry about, including new figures city staffers provided the commission about how well compensated officers are.

The picture painted was that the average officer earned more than $63,000 a year, with sergeants earning $82,000, and enjoyed raises of more than six percent the past few years, while other agencies got considerably less.

But, officers say, that unfairly included what they earn working off-duty security jobs on their own time.

Roughly 100 of them sat in protest, despite pleas from commissioners to stop the so-called "antics."

"Please, and I'm begging them, I think it deteriorates our city and I can't stand when anybody comes up and says anything bad about our mayor," says Orlando City Commissioner Betty Wyman.

But officers were hardly swayed.

"Keep in mind that it wasn't until we did all of these things and jumped through these hoops that we were successful in getting longevity pay and shoe allowances," explains chairman Sam Hoffman, Fraternal Order of Police

The mayor would not comment Monday on the figures or the possibility that this meeting was breaking labor laws. It appears the fighting could last until May, before a special master holds a hearing to try to smooth it all out.

 

I know, it's rediculous.