POLICEMAN TO STAY, ANOTHER IS GIVEN OFFER

A Cape Girardeau policeman notified last week that his position was being eliminated three years before he reached full retirement will stay on as a full-time patrolman at less pay.

Meanwhile, a second policeman whose position is being eliminated has also been asked to stay on with the city police department at a smaller full-time salary, but finalization of the matter is pending.

The first officer is Carl E. Pease Sr., who last week criticized the cuts; the second is Lt. Bob Ross.

City officials last week announced that 12 city positions, including three held by longtime police officers, will be eliminated as of July 1. The cuts are being undertaken as a "reorganization" effort to save personnel costs, said city officials.

City Personnel Director Geoff Riches said the decision to offer the positions to Ross, 60, and Pease, who at 52 is eligible for early retirement, arose out of fairness.

"I think the city was taking some criticism with the early retirement," he said. Riches said he, City Manager J. Ronald Fischer and Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink met for further discussion about whether they were being fair.

"We're sensitive to this. We're not trying to put people out. We're first of all trying to reorganize and provide for those people" too, given the circumstances, he said.

Last week Riches said Pease had been offered part-time work of maintaining facilities for the city. The city offered no position to Ross. Riches said at the time that no job existed for Ross to do.

The third police officer position being eliminated is held by Don Roberts, 59, one of the police department's two captains. City officials, in response, offered Roberts a part-time job working for the city in nuisance abatement and litter control.

Riches said he believed the arrangement on Pease was finalized Thursday. On Friday, he said, he and police Capt. Steve Strong met with Ross to offer him his proposal.

Pease, a patrolman who primarily serves as a maintenance worker for the department, has about three years left before he reaches full retirement age for a Missouri policeman, said Riches. Ross has already reached full retirement age.

Police officers in Missouri are eligible for full retirement at 55, according to Riches.

Riches said Pease, as of July 1, will work as a patrolman assigned to the police department's duty desk.

"He won't be on the street; he'll be on a rotating shift with three officers to cover that," Riches said.

Pease said Tuesday his position, as well as Ross' will be full-time.

"It's better than what I was offered before," he said. "It will be working shift work."

Under the arrangement, Ross would drop from a lieutenant to a patrolman, both in rank and pay. Riches said Ross and Pease would drop to an hourly pay scale of $10.82, down from $15.62 and $13, respectively.

Riches said Roberts' work hours and pay scale with his part-time job offer remains to be finalized. Roberts' now makes a salary of just more than $32,715, he said.

Until his arrangement is finalized, Ross said Tuesday, he did not want to comment. The arrangement with Ross is pending until Police Chief Howard "Butch" Boyd returns Monday from vacation and Ross has some time to think about the proposal, said Riches.

Pease said city officials "assured" him that he will be able to stay on in the job until he reaches full retirement age.

But Riches said if Pease and Ross do not retire in two years their lower pay scales could adversely affect their retirement benefits with the Local Government Employees Retirement System. An employee's retirement benefits, he said, are determined by taking the highest three years of pay out of the last five years before a person retires.

"This is the one qualifier on this as far as how long they stay," said Riches. Both Ross and Pease are aware of the situation, he said.