Thursday, June 11, 2009, 4:39 PM
Opinion
By Stephanie Ramage
BENEFIT DINNER FOR SGT. SCOTT KREHER TONIGHT!
One of the Atlanta Police Department’s rules is that officers who have been suspended can’t work extra jobs. Considering that the officers were underpaid before the 10 percent pay reductions via the furloughs instituted by Mayor Shirley Franklin last December, such a rule takes a substantial bite out of a suspended officer’s household budget.
Like many, or even perhaps most, of his fellow officers, Sgt. Scott Kreher worked a couple of security jobs on the side to support his family—four kids and his wife. He was suspended a few weeks ago for the now-infamous “baseball bat” comment, so those sources of income have dried up.
The irony of this is that Kreher made his comment out of frustration over the city’s withholding of payment for medical services for police officers seriously injured in the line of duty.
While Mayor Franklin bellyaches about her fake fear of Kreher, his family faces the very real difficulty of a shrinking budget—a budget that was already reduced last December by the police furloughs.
To help him out, some fellow police officers and community activists have put together a benefit dinner tonight at 8 p.m. at Cosmo located at 45 13th Street in Midtown. Please pitch in and help ease the damage done by a petty mayor to the family of a courageous man.
Another way you can help is by downloading the poster (by clicking the image below) for the dinner and plastering it where lots of people will see it. Thank you!
Awww Sit shawty. Who's down for some Inner Circle Remixes!?!?
I have made it no small point over the years that I have seen every single episode of Cops at least twice. I can tell you what year it is by the haircuts, weapons and vehicles.
Bad Boys Bad Boys...whatcha gonna do
Turner
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 10:22 PM
Sgt. Phinney you coming or what? I know they got access for you whip around back where the porches of Cosmo and Lava meet up.
Turner
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 11:38 PM
Will this benefit the other 4 officers also? If not, is there a benefit planned to include them? I testified in the Federal case for Pat Cocciolone and Rick Sowa. The fact that the city of Atlanta is not supporting these men and women that put their lives on the line every day is a complete disgrace. I want to help and think that the people of Atlanta should step up and assist these heroes until the city of Atlanta figures out what a big mistake it is making. I used to be proud to say I lived in Atlanta. Now, I am embarrassed.
Laura
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Laura,
Since Kreher was suspended because of a remark he made while trying to get the City Council to step in to help the disabled officers get the care they need, attending the benefit for Kreher would show support for them. You also might get to meet one of them and express your support in person, something that I know would mean a lot.
There is also another event planned for next week, a prayer vigil, I believe (or possibly a march). The intention is to show community support for the disabled officers and also for officers currently on the force who have to work with the spectre of the city's treatment of disabled officers hanging over their heads. -- Very best, Steph
Stephanie Ramage
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Sgt. Kreher stood up to the Council.
Now we are standing up for him.
I think our heads are in the right place and I think there are a lot of Officers who are benefiting from the attention that this whole ordeal is getting because of it.
The people of Atlanta are also strapped and out of resources. We need a friggin break and I'm not talking about our backs. (no offense to anyone reading who already has a broken back)
Turner
Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 3:32 PM
I did attend the event. Unfortunately, most of my fellow injured officers weren't able to attend. There has been a lot of progress made so far in getting the medical care that we need, but even with proper medical care, most of us have medical conditions that severely impact our health under the best of conditions. I did get word directly from Bob Buffington, J.J Biello, and Pat Cocciolone that their spirit was in full support of Sgt. Kreher. I did manage to attend on behalf of all of us, and I know the others would have come if possible.
Sgt. Kreher seemed in good spirits, and I really enjoyed meeting his wife that night. I know just how important it is to have your family supporting you through difficult times, and Sgt Kreher is lucky enough to have that support. They both seemed determined to carry on with the effort of supporting us in the fight to get our rightful benefits from the City of Atlanta Administration.
I am very proud again to be an Atlanta Cop. It was a very nice turn-out, and it's great to know the "Brotherhood" is still alive and well in Atlanta. For those non-police persons there, it was a shining example of the dedication and commitment of the men and women of the Atlanta Police.
The efforts by everyone, from Sgt Kreher and the entire presence of the Local and National offices of the IBPO, to the amazing efforts of the reporters covering the story, beginning with Stephanie Ramage and Richard Belcher which have sparked the numerous others who have begun their own investigations, to the outpouring of support and interest from the citizens of Atlanta and other places across the nation have helped tremendously to begin correcting a situation that had turned desperate for those officers that had been injured in the line of duty. We have made amazing strides so far and we are more determined than ever to keep fighting to change the "Process" that allows our fellow officers to be discarded and forgotten.
On behalf of my fellow catastrophically injured officers, I do want to thank everyone that has stepped up to support us in this effort. I know that with the efforts and support we have had so far, we can change the system so that this never happens to another police officer in the future, and that will be worth fighting to accomplish.
Sgt. Ryan Phinney, APD, Retired due to Disability.
Ryan
Friday, June 12, 2009 at 11:19 AM