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Richard Piatt ReportingThe Ogden city council is hoping to diffuse bad feelings in the community and low morale in the police department at its meeting tonight. The council is taking another look at the way raises for both the police and fire department are calculated, an issue that created a protest a week ago.
One-on-one, police officers and firefighters are reluctant to say much, but almost everyone in Ogden senses ongoing, low morale in those departments. Recently it got worse because of the way the city council decided to calculate raises for those departments.
Out of frustration came a sign on the side of a van, claiming ticket quotas were part of the raise criteria for officers. Things got worse after the police chief suspended an officer tied to the van. The city says Officer Matt Jones' suspension was for something else.
The raise issue is evolving this week; the city council may reconsider it, out of fairness.
Jesse Garcia, Ogden City Council Chairman: "We should never have a system that brings down the morale of any employee group. They should all be treated fairly."
For both police and firefighters, there has always been an issue with the fairness among the rank and file. But some don't feel the issue would have been addressed as quickly if it hadn't been for Officer Jones' situation.
In Ogden, city employees have to earn a certain number of points in order to get a five percent raise this year. Because police and fire negotiated their raises separately, more points are required in order to get a five percent raise, plus two percent one-time bonus.
Council member Dorrene Jeske says she never liked that deal.
Dorrene Jeske, Ogden City Council: "It's punitive. And that's the thing I don't understand from the other council members, they kept saying, we've got to be fair with all groups."
City council may change the raise requirements, but the suspension of Officer Jones is still a sore spot for some--possibly political fodder for others. A Weber County investigation into Officer Jones' suspension has not been completed. Mayor Matthew Godfrey requested the probe after allegations he and the police chief were targeting Jones.
