the gander? Are only the police to be held accountable, and not others? We even have unanswered questions about the possibility of special investigation contractors working on this case while on the payroll of other employers. Maybe the media can get these answers, as apparently we do not deserve them. Cleveland police, when confronted with allegations of overtime abuse in court were subjected to an investigation ordered by Mayor Campbell. She wanted answers and got them in the one month she allotted for the investigation. If something is important, a priority, then do not hire part-timers with a reputation for working slow! This is not rocket science, and it is not the crime of the century. There may well not even be any crime. The vast majority of questions about sick time use, part time work, and overtime could have been answered prior to the exhaustive dissection of thousands of overtime/time-off slips, daily records, schedules, etc. All they had to do was ask. What a waste of time and money! Chief Manning had initiated reforms of sick time and part-time work policies prior to being forced to consider retirement after having his character slandered and libeled by people who have no first hand knowledge of any of the facts. Many of these reforms are now in place, and further progress is being made everyday under Chief Hoffman. Unfortunately, the public does not know this, because we are all still guilty without having been tried! Where is the outcry lamenting the lack of professional training of the Parma Police due to budgetary considerations? Recent years, and especially the last few, city hall has pulled training budget dollars prior to the department being able to use it. Demoralized police, improperly staffed and inadequately trained are not a recipe for success. Taking $500,000 from the police overtime account to “pay for the special investigation” is the type of mindless reactionary response that only hurts the city in the long run, causing a lack of training and discouraging good candidates for recruitment.
What type of response do we get when we question what seems to be improper payments to outgoing officials of the previous administration? After waiting over two weeks for a reply, we are given a photo copy of a page in the AFSCME contract, a contract not applicable to those officials. We know of no FLSA or Wage and Hour ruling that dictates these salaried bureaucrats should have received such payments. No contract with them exists, and no such city ordinance covers this. Robert Dybzinski was denied a similar request, and yet we are told of “prior practice.” Well, we think our city was improperly deprived of money, and we cannot get a coherent response with any credibility. Do we turn to the media or other law enforcement agencies? It would appear no other choice is left.
Our desire is to serve the people of Parma to the best of our ability. We wish to leave a legacy of progress and professionalism to those that follow us. We are being stifled in our ability to maximize our efforts by the onerous effects of this interminable investigation, the morale busting effects of lack of support by elements of city hall, and a wary public hungry for reassurance that their police department is not a bunch of crooks. Mayor DiPiero is an intelligent and personable man, has much better credentials than his recent predecessors, and has hired people based on qualifications instead of connections. The potential for great improvement in the relationship of the police department and city hall, with its inherent increase in efficiency is staring us right in the face. It is our intention to cause this synergy to happen by any means necessary, including this appeal to the public. All we want is fair and reasonable treatment that any citizen deserves, and we will continue to dedicate ourselves to this city and its people. Thank you for the opportunity to present our case. Please make this information available to the public, and feel free to contact us for information or for clarification.


Sincerely,



Capt. DC Zarzeczny Lt. Joseph Manning Sgt. Joseph Bobak
(440)887-7316 (440)887-7350 (440)887-7329


FOP representatives of the Parma Police Supervisors Bargaining Unit