Suspended police dispatcher pleads guilty

[Ragin]

This was in today's Buffalo News:

Suspended dispatcher pleads guilty
By THOMAS J. DOLAN
News Staff Reporter
2/25/2006
The Amherst police dispatcher who collected his paycheck for 17 months while off the job has pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a 16-year-old girl, court officials said Friday.

Raymond H. Henderson, 44, pleaded guilty to a single count of endangering during an appearance before Amherst Town Justice Mark G. Farrell on Thursday. Farrell also dismissed a charge of third-degree sexual abuse and granted Henderson a conditional discharge on one count of public lewdness.

During the hearing, Henderson resigned from his $45,000-a-year job as a civilian police dispatcher. Earlier, he was also suspended from his position as a Snyder volunteer firefighter. Farrell set May 25 for sentencing on the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of one year.

Town officials said Henderson was allowed to draw his town salary while awaiting trial because he was not charged with wrongdoing in connection with his town job.

Henderson's case is unusual because police couldn't fire him for any infractions while working for the town, Police Chief John J. Moslow said. But they also could not allow him to work in police headquarters, where he had access to confidential information.

It was the second time since Satish B. Mohan became supervisor that town officials acknowledged a suspended employee was being paid while not working.

According to Mohan, the town was giving some employees an incentive to delay their disciplinary cases. "Naturally if you pay them for not working, they're not interested in doing anything else," he said.

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20060225/1016822.asp

[Stevenco]

I for one am outraged

[Gandalf]

I'm equally outraged at the Highway Dept. worker who is collecting a paycheck while sitting at home. Mohan is aware of this one too. Why hasn't the media touched it?

[atotaltotalfan2001]

I'm equally outraged at the Highway Dept. worker who is collecting a paycheck while sitting at home. Mohan is aware of this one too. Why hasn't the media touched it?

Which one is that? Doody?

[Gandalf]

No! Mohan should make this public. The one from the Police Department (Henderson) & the one from Engineering (Doody) are public knowledge. The one from Highway is awaiting his case to come to court, but he's still collecting a paycheck while at home. Mohan uncovered this one while signing paychecks.

[WNYresident]

So do we think this stuff happens in other towns around here or only special to amherst?

[atotaltotalfan2001]

So do we think this stuff happens in other towns around here or only special to amherst?

I'm willing to bet you'd find the problem in a variety of larger towns anyway, as well as Buffalo and the county.

[Ragin]

Just Amherst

[WNYresident]

Just think of the crap the local/county/state governments got away with before the media grew as it did.

I bet they just love the internet Ot oh, they are talking about how we are wasting thier money.

[Smiley]

So do we think this stuff happens in other towns around here or only special to amherst?

You'd be surprised. Amherst is not the only place it occurs. It happens in other Towns, Villages, Cities, the County (big time) and also the State. But the State tries to minumize the time frame.

[WNYresident]

I wonder if the politicians realize how hard the private sector has to work for the money they waste.

[Cgoodsp466]

I wonder if the politicians realize how hard the private sector has to work for the money they waste.

Tony you know better then that,these clowns belive their would be no private sector with out all the services these fools provide

[Greener Pastures]

I'm equally outraged at the Highway Dept. worker who is collecting a paycheck while sitting at home. Mohan is aware of this one too. Why hasn't the media touched it?

What's wrong with only 3 employees out of 800 sitting home collecting pay?? That's less than 1% of the work force, which I would interpret to be a very low amount of taxpayer $ waste. I'm not an HR person but I'd bet any sizeable employer has a few of these situations working through the process(es) in any time frame.

[Ragin]

What's wrong with only 3 employees out of 800 sitting home collecting pay?? That's less than 1% of the work force, which I would interpret to be a very low amount of taxpayer $ waste.

because it IS taxpayer waste and the taxpayers are tired of this abuse

[Pauldo]

because it IS taxpayer waste and the taxpayers are tired of this abuse

3 collecting pay at home is an outright abuse! How about the town board members that get paid from the town and get kickbacks from the developers? The next time you sit in traffic in Amherst, you will see what I mean.