MULLICA TOWNSHIP — A large
crowd of supporters came out Tuesday night to ask the Township Committee
to protect the job of Paul “P.J.” Sarraf, a veteran police officer who
was suspended with pay and intent to dismiss by Chief John Thompson on
Sept. 17 because he cannot work late shifts.
Sarraf
will get an administrative hearing Friday and has requested it be open
to the public. It will be 10 a.m. at Township Hall, 4528 S. White Horse
Pike.
Paul Sarraf has
been advised by his PBA attorney not to comment publicly, his wife has
said. Thompson, who was not at the meeting Tuesday night, also has
declined to comment on the situation.
Several people spoke about how
Sarraf has helped them over his 19-year career in the township. They
said his need to work between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. because of sleep apnea
and other conditions should be accommodated.
Brenda
Cramer, a 50-year-resident, said Sarraf once calmed her down and kept
her from jumping off her roof in a panic after she put out a chimney
fire with salt.
“He
calmed me down and had me sit on the roof until the firetruck got there
with a ladder to get me down,” said Cramer. “He had me laughing by the
time the firetruck got there. This is the man you want to throw away.”
Mayor Chris Silva said the committee’s hands are tied by state law.
“The
day-to-day operations (of the Police Department) are the exclusive
province of the chief of police,” said Silva in explaining why the
committee cannot intervene. He said its only power is to hold an
administrative hearing, which it is doing.
Silva said the committee found a hearing officer who has a reputation for being fair, and that’s about all it can do.
Resident
Michael St. Amour said the answer may be to move back to a system in
which police choose shifts based on seniority. That was the system
before Thompson became chief, he said, and it was only changed to try to
hold onto younger officers.
“Your turnover is terrible,” St. Amour said. “If you are not looking at it, you should.”
Sarraf
may lose his job and the ability to collect a full pension and benefits
because of medical conditions that prevent him from working overnight,
his wife, Barbara, has said.
Paul Sarraf has been a police officer in the township for about 19
years, according to his wife, and does not qualify for medical
disability because doctors tell him he can do all aspects of the job
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thompson had told him his need to work day shifts cannot be accommodated, Barbara Sarraf said in June.
At that time, her husband’s supporters packed another committee meeting, demanding the township accommodate him.
Paul
Sarraf had been working day shift until his suspension, and will file
an Americans with Disabilities Act claim, his wife has said.
Many speakers at the June meeting said they felt the problem was personal animosity between Thompson and Sarraf.
Both men live and work in the township.
Barbara
Sarraf has said her husband will only get back what he paid into the
pension system if he loses his job before 20 years on the job. If he
works for 20 years, he can collect 50 percent of his pension payments
upon retirement, but no health benefits. Only if he works for 25 years
can he collect his full retirement and get medical benefits, according
to Barbara.
Officer Sarraf gets to keep his job
https://gadfly01.blogspot.com/2018/10/mullica-officer-sarraf-keeps-his-job.html
https://gadfly01.blogspot.com/2018/10/mullica-officer-sarraf-keeps-his-job.html
3 comments:
Wasn’t a packed room, the Press had pictures. Plenty of chairs left. Not very fair to the other officers on the force. Any one still on the force supporting him or only the one who left? If he can’t perform his duties, then he should find another job or go on disability. I believe he worked 4-12 shift before the new chief added shift work. He had no issues then working that shift. CPAP machine like everyone else who has sleep apnea? Weight loss, excess weight causes it too and he’s overweight for being a police officer and it isn’t helping the sleep apnea. Just trying to figure out what Officer Sarraf has tried to offer as a compromise.
Well, well, well. Compromise, exactly what I said, even down to the 4-12 shift. All that time, paid leave, officer shortage when the answers were exactly what any level headed person would have come up with. It truly is completely unfair to all of the other officers. His hours are dream hours. As usual, Mullica sure knows waste taxpayer money over petty bullshit.
Sarraf will be working 12 noon to 8 pm daily and only 4-12 if needed. Hardly dream hours when your mornings and evenings are cut short but at least he gets to keep his job.
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