POLICE Ex-chief of detectives objects to new duty

The city says it returned a former detective to uniformed patrol duty to save money.
GIRARD -- City officials say they hope to soon resolve a grievance filed by the former chief of detectives for the city police department over his return to uniformed duty late last month.
Capt. Frank Bigowsky and a representative of the Fraternal Order of Police met with Jerry Lambert, safety and human resources director for the city, Thursday morning.
Lambert and Girard Mayor James Melfi said the meeting was a preliminary, fact-finding meeting to discuss the issues behind the return of Bigowsky to patrol duty at the end of November.
Bigowsky disputes the city's explanation that the move was a cost-cutting measure and also seeks reimbursement for the cost of purchasing uniforms. Attempts to reach him for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
"It's basically a difference of opinion," Lambert said. "The captain has his ideas on where we can save money and I have mine. We're trying to compare the two views."
The next step is for both sides to meet for further review of the case, which could happen "as early as next week," Lambert said.
Melfi said the move of Bigowsky back to uniformed duty was intended to help reduce the impact of overtime on the city's trouble financial situation.
'Fiscal emergency'
Girard has been considered by the state to be in "fiscal emergency" status for the past three years, despite having decreased its debt from $2.4 million to about $1.6 million in that time.
Melfi said that city officials looked at ways to cut overtime and change the number of total shifts worked by officers.
"I have a responsibility to the city council and to the people to deal with this," Melfi said. "The only way is to put as many men on the street as I can. Unfortunately, he [Bigowsky] viewed that negatively."
Melfi said that the police department has been trimmed from 28 employees to 19 over the past four years.
He said that the city will have an expected shortfall of $130,000 in police department budget for 2005. After a proposed policy levy was rejected by voters in November, Melfi said the city has been seeking other ways to cut expenditures, which could include the disbanding of the detective bureau.
"We've changed a lot already, and we're investigating every possible avenue," Melfi said.