STANDING STRONG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
peal to PERC.
“ They said in open court that there was nothing they could do,” Rogers relates.“ You could ask nicely for your job back, but that was about it.”
And the stress certainly has been heaped on an officer’ s single greatest support system: the family. Some have had to completely rearrange their finances, including not being able to contribute to kids’ college funds, refinancing their houses, trading in cars for ones that cost less and having to take kids out of daycare that is a must with two working parents.
“ It’ s difficult mentally on the families,” Procopio relates.“ That’ s all I have to say about that.”
A Show of Strength
As Local 24 members gathered for their Atlantic City Strong photo, Bennett noticed a sparkle that had nothing to do with the sun bouncing off the Boardwalk. He saw the pride in the women and men, the way it was years ago, when Atlantic City was the talk of South Jersey and other departments looked up to its officers.
“ When you put on the Atlantic City Police Department uniform, your chest bumped out a bit,” says the man who will be stepping down in November after 25 years on the job.
The pride in the department and the community has received a bump in the wake of the takeover. The crime clearance rate is higher than it’ s been in a long time and one of the highest in the state, Rogers observes.
Whereas talk amongst the members questioned whether the state was counting on a work slowdown or strike as an avenue to regionalize the force in Atlantic County, policing has hit the fast track in AC with the addition of body cameras and an early warning system into everyday duties.
As one member reported that a recent officer-involved shooting elicited zero protest in the aftermath, Tracy followed up with,“ We currently have the best relationship with the community I can ever remember.”
The relationship has been enhanced with a chaplains’ program the department has been running to counsel community members, community walks, coffee with cops and a citizen’ s police academy. The economic downturn forced the city to cut many youth programs, but Local 24 had picked up the slack by filling the PAL where its offices are located every day with kids whom they coach in sports and help with their homework.
The source of such relentless effort might very well be the type of response that comes in crisis when law enforcers are typically at their best. That bond can be seen in that photo and on patrol every day in AC. Or it might be Local 24’ s relentless desire to kick the state right in the you-know-whats.
“ They might have won the battle,” Tracy adds.“ But we’ re hoping to win the war.”
Whether the Municipal Stabilization Recovery Act is actually saving the city money still is to be determined. But it’ s certainly not coming at a cost of reduced police services and desire.
Bennett analogizes again with,“ It’ s like we’ re Charlie Brown and the state is Lucy. They keep picking up that football, but we just keep coming.” And the reason for that?“ It’ s the pride of having the patch on your sleeve and the badge in your wallet with Atlantic City on it,” he adds. So the state takeover may be a fact But Local 24 will make sure the pride’ s intact And these law enforcement officers don’ t need no pity Because they’ re standing strong in Atlantic City d
32 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ SEPTEMBER 2017