Subject: Comments on response about Mullica Police Dept. Larry, Maybe you didn't take the time to actually figure this out or maybe you are getting like Bruce Crow and sticking your foot into your mouth or maybe you are just so use to criticizing everything that you overlook the facts. The facts are there are 8,760 hrs. in a year. Three patrol people working 8 hrs. a day, 40 hrs. a week (that's 9 patrol people) can cover 6,240 of those hours, that leaves 2,520 hrs. left to cover. One more patrol person can cover 2,080 hrs., that leaves 440 hrs. left to cover. Now lets just say each person gets 15 days for vacation, sick, & personal time(however we know it is more). That's 15days x 8hrs./day x 10patrol which is 1,200 hrs. that need to be covered. Add that to the previous 440 uncovered hrs. and you have 1,640 uncovered hours. So you need to bring in another patrolperson to cover those 1,640 hrs., that leaves you with a 440hr. surplus. This additional person also gets 15 days of vac/sick/per time which is 120 hrs. 440 – 120 = a 320hr. surplus. So, so far we are up to 11 patrol people, this does not include a detective and a chief which brings the total up to 13. Now take into account that the patrol are often called into court or needed for depositions or the occasional times when two or more are out at the same time because of illness or personal reasons and it becomes evident that 14 is the minimum amount needed. And That's just to cover the "normal" hours in a "normal" day just sitting around and waiting for something to happen and has nothing to do with crimes or the times when there are fires or auto accidents or the occasional bad weather such as last summers hurricane when it may become necessary to bring in more than 3 people. And don't forget just because it may be the end of an officers 8hr. day does not mean they can just stop whatever they are doing and go home. If something happens towards the end of a cops shift it can take 2, 3 or more hours before things can be wrapped up before they can go home. As far as adding 2 more cops the real total is really 1 because one is to replace Davis who is moving to the Chief position. Maybe with the additional cop they will now have enough personnel to cut down on some of the overtime? Please Larry, do your homework, we don't want to have to start calling you larry THE TOE SUCKER angel. Jdf

RESPONSE: As someone who has both literally and figuratively sucked more than his share of toes let me acknowledge in the posting in question a lack of enough specificity. As I remove that foot again from my mouth (may have to use it to count on my toes) and sharpen my pencil, using your statistical analysis with Disraeli's observation always in mind: THERE ARE LIES, DAMN LIES AND STATISTICS.

The reference to 3 cops per shift was to cover everything. The reality according to the new Chief is that there are 2 patrol cops per shift...ideally (the latter my word...for when a cop is on Court call we may just have to get by with one cop on patrol).

So we need to cover as best we can, given are resources 17,520 hrs. So that's 3 shifts a day with 2 cops equaling 6 cops/day. With a 40 hour week the 6 cops cover 12,480 hrs. So let's hire 9 cops and that gives us coverage for 18,720 hrs. Hey, we only need coverage for 17,520 hours

Let's give the cops 20 days off (not your 15 for vacation sick and personal days) and 15 holidays. So that's 35 days we need to compensate for as 8 hr shifts. That's 280 hrs and for 9 cops it is 2,520 hours that we need to cover. Oh, but we have an extra 1,200 hours we need to subtract so that leaves us with only 1,320 hrs we're short. Another cop more than covers that with vacation and holidays. Hey don't forget as Jeff Marder said not about Mullica but about everywhere: WE LIVE IN AN AGE WHEN PIZZA GETS TO YOUR HOME BEFORE THE POLICE.

Yes we need one Detective and one Chief I suppose. That is 12 cops and we have 14. I guess the 2 extra are to sit at the Dunken Donuts in Hammonton and Egg Harbor City. Oh, and let's reward the self serving Department that cost the taxpayer's $40,000 in revenue in not writing tickets as a tactic to put pressure on during their most recent contract negotiations (this according to the Mayor at the last budget meeting). A contract that as has been pointed out here in the past that is obscene with benefits.

Let me close with the need to place priorities given the reality of the size of the pie. In the words of Einstein: EVERY KIND OF PEACEFUL COOPERATION AMONG MEN IS PRIMARILY BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST AND ONLY SECODARILY ON INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS COURTS OF JUSTICE AND POLICE.