NYPD 10-13 CLUB of Broward

An organization of retired City Police Officers February 2020

THE BLOTTER

Next General Meeting Tuesday, February 04th, 2020 Moose Lodge Family Center 6191 Rock Island Rd, Tamarac Meeting starts at 7:00 PM Sharp PRESIDENT The President’s Message Martin Finkelstein VICE PRESIDENT Your Feb. 4th meeting will feature 3 sponsors providing you with Daniel Farrell invaluable products or knowledge. We still have issues with our SECRETARY membership talking and/or detracting from the sponsors’ Christine McIntyre presentations. Your board suggests that each table should have a TREASURER table “intermediary” to remind the table to either stop chatter or Dennis Lydting go out of the room to continue. Members and sponsors deserve SERGEANT-AT-ARMS the ability to hear and be heard. Thanks, AGAIN, to Mel Shapiro for continuing the labor of coordinating so many sponsors and Thomas Puglisi providers. This is your club and it requires dues and

DIRECTORS sponsorships to continue feeding meeting attendees and Alan Berkowitz perpetuating the police car and honor guard. Recently, a former member sniped at your club Ryan Dean for not providing your police car and your honor guard for a deceased retiree who hadn’t Tim Kennedy belonged to Broward, Palm Beach nor the 3100. Additionally, the funeral was in central Palm Warren Ostrofsky Beach County, we were given only 2 days’ notice and the former member, not the decedent’s Joe Scimeca family, called the wrong board rep, who provided proper info anyway. He decided to launch a Phil Valles smear campaign on the internet, including pages and blogs. He even stooped to sign the CHAPLAINS smear with the name of a former Florida sheriff (who denied even knowing about the Chaplain Ray Smith decedent or the funeral). Membership voted, at previous meetings, against the use of your LEGAL clubs’ assets and financial costs to serve those refusing to support and join you, the membership. We will revisit the vote. Sometimes there isn’t time to coordinate funeral Michelle Gomez, Esq. responses. Most board members and honor guard work full time jobs. Committees: On a sad note: brother Lou Shlifstein passed away, just before his 107th birthday. We EDITOR celebrated Lou and passed along recognition from NYPD SBA at our Feb meeting back in Warren Sam 2014. Some highlights of that are reprinted in this Blotter along with recognitions of Lou’s HONOR GUARD service in NY. Lou was fortunate to be in great senior care, but all are not always in such Joseph Scimeca care. Deteriorating health, malnutrition, lack of shelter, fear, depression, senility, isolation, PROMOTIONS boredom, non-productivity, and financial incapacity are the most common problems that Alan Berkowitz senior citizens all over the world face today. Tom Puglisi Our club and the sponsors can share info that might help the rest of us. Send us Tom Puglisi, Jr. important information and resources, so that we might share it with all. Support 10-13 by MEMBERSHIP contributions, volunteering your time and enlisting members. Attend meetings and help one Ryan Dean another. Let’s all perpetuate this great organization. We have a great meeting arrangement at Moose Lodge. We owe the Moose thanks and consideration by clearing the tables and putting chairs under tables after meetings. We’re COMMUNICATIONS getting better…keep it up. Many thanks to our board and committees, our honor guard, Phil Valles sponsors, political partners, affiliate organizations, you the members, our families. Best Website wishes and prayers for better health days ahead to brother Alan Berkowitz for continuing to Ryan Dean provide work and attend meetings, throughout his battle with health issues and several 50 / 50 Raffle surgeries. The guy is unstoppable. Also, a special thanks to Chaplain Ray Smith for all the Annette Finkelstein continuing ”10-13ing”. - MARTIN

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Your Broward Board, Police & City Numbers

Martin Finkelstein, Pres. 954-977-3880 PBA NY Office 1-212-233-5531 Dan Farrell, VP. 954-871-7000 DEA NY Office 1-212-587-9120 Christine McIntyre, Sec. 561-703-0349 PBA Toll free 1-877-844-5842 Dennis Lydting, Treas. 954-973-3083 SBA 1-212-226-2180 Thomas Puglisi, Sgt. AA 954-548-9872 LBA/CEA 1-212-964-7500 Alan Berkowitz, Dir. 954-816-8163 LBA/SOC 1-212-964-7500 Ryan Dean, Dir. 954-913-3977 ID card Section 1-646-610-5150 Frank Orefice, Dir. 954-977-3880 NYPD 10-13 Broward 954-977-3880 Phil Valles, Dir. 954-822-2824 Social Security 1-800-772-1213 Tim Kennedy, Dir. 954-263-0798 Blue Cross of NY 1-800-433-9592 Warren Ostrofsky, Dir. 954-341-5575 NYC Health Line 1-800-521-9574 Operations (Death) 1-646-610-5580 Chaplain Ray Smith 954-254-9492 Dr. John Halpern, Surgeon 954-553-1065 Medicare 1-800-633-4227 Michelle Gomez, Esq. 954-370-9970 VA benefits Assist 1-800-827-1000 Joe Scimeca, Honor Guard 954-720-2111 Employee Health 1-212-306-7600 1-212-513-0470 PAST PRESIDENTS 1-212-206-7300 Article 2 Pension 1-866-692-7733 Paul Mannino 1981 Sy Silver** 1982 Health & Welfare 1-212-608-9671 Bill Schilling** 1983 1-212-693-5100 Ray McDonnell** 1984/5 Mike Borrelli 1986/95/96 Health Insurance & Ron Kavanagh** 1987/88/92 Eyeglasses Paul Barasch 1989/2013 GHI 1-800-358-5500 Bill Bett** 1990 Empire Blue Cross 1-800-433-9592 Paul Levy** 1990/91 Davis Vision 1-800-999-5431 Frank Tooley ** 1993/94 Richard Lapp 1997/98 TRANSIT CONTACTS: Robert Izzo 1999/00 Alan Berkowitz 2001/08/11/12 Transit Police ID Cards: 718-610-4629 Louis Weiser** 2009/10 NYCERS (Within NY) 347-643-3000 Martin Finkelstein 2013 to present (Outside NY) 877-669-2377 Metro Pass: 347-643-8312/8310 **DENOTES DECEASED NYCTP Retirees Assoc.: [email protected] Websites: Taps for departed members Broward 10-13 Medicare: www.medicare.gov Veterans Admin: www.va.gov Social Security: www.ssa.gov

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At our February 2014 10-13 General meeting we were able to devote most of the evening to honor our longest living member. Ret. Sgt. Louis Schlifstein had just turned 101 year young making him the oldest member attending monthly membership meetings. May he rest in peace. We had a full house and Lou’s nephew, Phil Patlis was also present. Here’s Lou’s awards from that evening:

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NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea blames bail reform for 2020 crime spike

A sharp rise in citywide crime since 2020 began was sparked by New York’s new bail reform laws, which took away a judge’s discretion to hold repeat and possibly violent offenders behind bars, NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a press conference Friday.

“In the first three weeks of this year, we’re seeing significant spikes in crime. So either we forgot how to police , or there’s a correlation,” Shea told reporters in reference to the new laws.

“If you let out individuals that commit a lot of crime, that’s precision policing in reverse and we’re seeing the effects in a very quick time, and that is why we’re so concerned.”

The new law has stopped a slew of non-violent offenses from being bail eligible, allowing criminals to walk free after committing robberies, burglaries and other offenses.

Since 2020 began, as of Friday at midnight, robberies are up 32.5 percent, car theft is up 61 percent and burglaries are up 18 percent compared to the same time period last year.

And the numbers aren’t fractions either — a total of 233 more robberies have happened this year compared to last, 159 more car thefts and 125 more burglaries, just in the last three weeks.

Ridiculous reform forces NYPD to ask feds to catch serial NYC bank robber “People say it just took effect you can’t have consequences already. Take a look at the comp stat,” Shea railed.

“We’re seeing it immediately at the same time that you have [state and local jail] populations dropping significantly,” the new commissioner went on.

“Now don’t tell me there’s not a correlation to that.”

Shea went to Albany this week to talk to lawmakers about his concerns, which he said were two pronged.

The first issue is repeat offenders being let out over and over again but the second issue is the state’s new discovery laws, which require prosecutors to turn over all of their evidence, plus the contact information of witnesses and victims, within 15 days of an arrest.

“The second piece is going to take longer and then it’s going to be a one two punch as discovery takes hold,” Shea said.

“Discovery is going to change how crimes are prosecuted in New York.”

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While the new discovery law was created to ensure the accused aren’t seeing the evidence against them “until the eve of trial,” “swinging it back 180 degrees the other way and giving everything over immediately is equally wrong,” Shea said.

“When you have instances where witnesses and victims will be afraid to call the police, that is a real problem and that needs to be fixed… this is something that affects all New Yorkers.”

Cuomo again supports change to new bail law, but gives no specifics Prosecutors are already grappling with how to protect the privacy of victims and witnesses and are trying to figure out how they can do that under the new laws, The Post learned at a recent conference for New York State prosecutors.

Shea cautioned his comments by saying the NYPD has long supported many aspects of the reforms and the amount of money in someone’s pocket shouldn’t determine if they’re allowed to go free or not.

Still, the interest of public safety will always prevail, Shea said.

“You have to have a situation where dangerous individuals, or individuals that repeatedly commit crimes and victimize people, are kept in,” the commissioner said.

“And if judges don’t have that ability, I think we’re all in trouble and I don’t think any New Yorker wants that to happen.”

It looks like New York’s getting the crime uptick politicians have been asking for

Robbery is up almost 30% in New York City since the first of the year. Is this a statistical blip, a trend — or a New Year’s bail-reform gift from Albany, robbery now largely being a revolving-door offense in the Empire State?

Time will tell, but consider this as well: According to the latest NYPD stats, the number of shooting victims in the city is up 31% since New Year’s Day — so at the very least Gotham appears to be off to a rocky 2020 compared to last year.

Which should not surprise: Not only does government usually get more of what it encourages, when it comes to crime, it also gets more of what it fails to discourage.

Sad to say, New York falls down on both counts.

Albany’s bail-reform initiative got off to an ominously comical start. When the feds had to take custody of alleged serial bank-robber Gerod Woodberry because local judges had to keep turning him loose — well, what else was there to do but laugh?

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But consider this: Robbery in the third degree became a revolving-door offense Jan. 1, and this was followed by a dramatic, 29% spike in reported robberies, according to the most recent — albeit very short-term — CompStat numbers.

This crime isn’t nearly as amusing as a haplessly compulsive bank heister — robbery-third involves the threat of physical force and was devastatingly common in the ’80s — but its current threat to the city’s streets is clear enough.

Shootings, thank goodness, aren’t yet revolving-door offenses but nevertheless also were up sharply, according to CompStat — with a 22% hike in incidents and that 31% increase in victims. A Thursday shootout in Upper Manhattan — one dead, two wounded — suggests the spike is no fluke.

How many more horror stories before state leaders fix insane bail 'reforms'? It’s also no surprise. As a matter of policy, City Hall has backed away from the quality-of-life enforcement that historically encouraged criminals to leave their weapons at home — stop-and- frisk, for example, has virtually ended and hardly anybody is busted for fare-beating any more.

So, more guns — more gunfire. Easy peasy.

Equally intuitive is why New York is evolving into a soft-on-crime world — even if nobody wants to talk about it.

It really is simple: Politicians pander, and you can learn a lot by watching to whom they pander. Right about now that would be people who — wittingly or otherwise — are intent on making New York less safe.

These are basically the folks who embrace a common, albeit perverse, interpretation of affirmative action — arguing that energetic law enforcement is illegitimate because it tends to have disproportionate racial, ethnic or class consequences.

This is not all that’s going on, of course, but it is the principal motivator of Albany’s revolving door “reforms”; it underlies the virtual abandonment of quality-of-life law enforcement in New York City; it’s the reason Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza refuses to address school violence — angering both parents and the United Federation of Teachers — and it has prompted the federal government to threaten a crackdown on so-called “sanctuary city” policies now so warmly embraced by City Hall and Albany.

Specifically, Gerod Woodberry’s alleged bank robberies; Thursday’s shootings at 135th Street and Riverside Drive; Carranza’s contemptuous walkout from a school-violence town hall meeting and the rape-murder of a 92-year-old woman allegedly by an illegal immigrant set free by city officials in defiance of federal authorities are of a piece — and they did not happen in a vacuum.

Subway robberies jumped in 2019, for second straight year They occurred in the context of a strengthening, extremely disturbing official acceptance of behavior that would not remotely have been tolerated before Bill de Blasio became mayor. And

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it’s not just de Blasio; the City Council, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature are actively promoting the decline.

What’s missing in all this, of course, is that far more often than not the victims of New York’s growing soft-on-crime sensibilities belong to the same racial, ethnic and class categories as their victimizers. On this irony does the disparate-impact argument fail.

Amazingly, only the feds are looking out for the innocent.

“It is unbelievable that I have to come here and plead with the city of New York to cooperate with us to help keep this city safe,” said acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Matthew Albence last week, following the Queens rape-murder. Indeed it is.

Certainly nobody else — not de Blasio, not Cuomo and not city and state lawmakers — is arguing on behalf of the real victims. It’s the new normal, and don’t expect it to change.

NYPD loses its ‘Uncle Louie’: Beloved retired sergeant dies at 106

The NYPD has lost its beloved “uncle.” Retired Sgt. Louie Schlifstein, known by many rank-and- file police officers as “Uncle Louie,” died at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, L.I., after a bout of pneumonia Tuesday, just days before his 107th birthday, longtime friends said.

“He has been there for me my entire life,” retired NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Fox said somberly Thursday. “He was even a big presence in the lives of my family before I was born, my father, my mother and each of my sisters,” said Fox.

Born on the Lower East Side on Jan. 25, 1913, Schlifstein joined the NYPD in 1941. He retired as a sergeant in 1961, having served in several Brooklyn precincts, including the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville and the 70th Precinct in Flatbush.

He moved to Florida with his wife after he left the job, but was often in New York to visit family, keep tabs on his cop friends and help out during roll calls at his former precincts.

Schlifstein’s wife, Sylvia, died in 1992. Defying the calendar, the ex-sarge drove until he was 97 and lived alone until he was 101, when family members moved him to an assisted-living facility in Little Neck, Queens.

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He was constantly visited by NYPD members, who would hold birthday parties for him.

“Uncle Louie continues to secure a special place in the hearts of so many of our officers," NYPD Chief of Transit Edward Delatorre said in a tweet Thursday.

Retired NYPD Sgt. Louie Schlifstein (left) is pictured with retired NYPD Transit Chief Joe Fox in an undated photo. (Obtained by Daily News) Fox said Schlifstein imparted to him the secret to a long life during his 100th birthday celebration. “He said that the secret to his longevity is singing, even if you’re by yourself, and saying ‘I love you,’ ” Fox remembered. “I promise I will sing tonight.”

Schlifstein is survived by his daughter, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. A service will be held Friday at New Montefiore Cemetery in Babylon, L.I.

Former NYPD detective , whose work inspired ‘The ,’ dead at 89

Former NYPD detective Sonny Grosso, whose police work with partner was used as the plot for the classic 1971 cop flick “The French Connection,” died Wednesday. He was 89.

Grosso’s death was confirmed by his longtime friend, and former NYPD captain, Ernie Naspretto.

Grosso died in Manhattan after battling a long illness, Naspretto said.

“He had a good run,” Naspretto said of his friend.

Grosso’s foray into Hollywood began with the “The French Connection”, as he and Egan consulted on the film and served as the real-life inspiration for fictional detectives Popeye Doyle and Buddy Russo.

He went on to become a prolific producer and consultant for television and movies, working on shows such as “Kojak,” “” and “Baretta.”

One of his lesser-known contributions to Hollywood history, Naspretto said, came as he was consulting on “” and offered to lend a prop — his department-issued handgun.

“The gun that killed Solazzo and McCluskey in ‘The Godfather’ — from the toliet — that’s Sonny’s gun,” Naspretto said.

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“He carried it to the day he died,” Naspretto said. “At my daughter’s graduation party, he had it on the table, people were taking pictures of it.”

Grosso was raised in Harlem and was a fixture at Italian restaurant RAO’s on Monday nights.

And despite all his success in Hollywood, he remained humble and loyal to his friends and family until the end of his life, Naspretto said

MTA lures subway cops from NYPD in effort to bolster its police force

The MTA has found a way to gets its new subway cops trained at the NYPD academy after being booted late last year — by snagging new cops from the department.

As part of the transit agency’s push to bolster its police force by 500 officers, the MTA has lured away at least 140 from the NYPD — and plans to hire another batch of around 75 more cops in June or July, a police source told The Post.

The MTA’s new plan comes two months after it was shut out of the NYPD’s training academy, the source said.

The new transit officers, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, were hired this month.

Forty of those officers, who are all already fully trained cops, were sworn in Wednesday and will be assigned to the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and city subways.

That batch was expected to be made up of at least 150 officers from the NYPD and 10 or fewer from other agencies, according to the source, who said a handful of city officers have backed out.

“The pay is better … you get treated like a gentleman … Why wouldn’t you?” another police source told The Post.

A high-ranking police source described the gig as “more money, better hours” and more fulfilling.

The MTA, which is hoping to use a law enforcement academy on Long Island, will look to hire another group of 75 trained officers for lateral moves in June or July as they figure out where to train their new cops, according to the source.

“Until they resolve this training program, they can only poach people from other agencies,” a police source said.

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An NYPD spokeswoman said the MTA cadets were shut out of the academy because it was at capacity.

In a statement, NYPD spokeswoman Devora Kaye said it was “no surprise” that the MTA would look to the “work-class” NYPD for hires.

“The MTA PD is committed to hiring the best and brightest and all eligible applicants are encouraged to apply,” MTA spokeswoman Abbey Collins said.

PBA President Patrick Lynch slammed the mayor’s administration for setting up a situation that would lead “the finest police department in the world to be used as a farm team for other law enforcement agencies.

“[Mayor de Blasio’s] only solution is to try to block those agencies from hiring. The Mayor could easily stop the exodus by paying cops a fair market wage and treating us like the professionals we are. He’s choosing not to do that,” Lynch said.

PBA Arbitration Chair’s Bowing Out to Delay Contract for Months City, Union Must Agree On Replacement, Then Set New Dates for Case

The long-awaited contract arbitration between the Police Benevolent Association and the de Blasio administration, scheduled to begin Jan. 27, will be delayed another several months at least after John M. Donoghue, who had been chosen to chair the three-man panel, was forced to withdraw due to unspecified health issues.

Both sides said they would move quickly to select a replacement for Mr. Donoghue, a highly regarded neutral who has been used since 1972 by both the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the American Arbitration Association to settle labor disputes. He serves on permanent panels in a variety of industries including telecommunication, publications, media, agriculture and transportation.

‘Urgency on Both Sides’

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“We’d look to move the process forward as quickly as we can,” city Labor Commissioner Renee Campion said in a Jan. 21 phone interview. A PBA spokesman said subsequently, “There is an urgency on the part of all the parties to bring this to a conclusion.”

In an e-mail to members, union President Patrick J. Lynch said, “We are currently exploring our options to move the process forward.”

But even if the two sides were able to decide quickly on a replacement for Mr. Donoghue, having already been able to consider candidates before agreeing to his appointment in September 2018, it figured to take a month or more after the selection before a block of hearing dates could be scheduled that worked for city and union officials as well as the panel chair. Until Mr. Donoghue was forced to bow out, the two sides had planned to hold 10 hearings in less than three weeks, concluding Feb. 14, unless further dates turned out to be needed.

One issue that delayed the process for close to a year has been resolved: the union’s objection to former Labor Commissioner Robert W. Linn as the city’s representative on the panel was dismissed by a state Appellate court, which rejected the claim that he had a conflict of interest based on his having represented the PBA during a 2002 arbitration proceeding during Mr. Lynch’s first term.

The PBA nearly two years ago took the unusual step of announcing its representative on the arbitration panel even before the state Public Employment Relations Board ruled that an impasse had been reached in the negotiations. He is Kenneth Feinberg, a veteran compensation expert best known for his work as head of the World Trade Center Victim Compensation Fund.

Mixed Success

Mr. Lynch has taken the union into arbitration three more times in the last 15 years. The union the first two times, in 2005 and 2008, was able to gain awards exceeding the existing city bargaining pattern by accepting reductions in compensation for future hires to limit the city’s costs. But in 2015, Mr. Linn as Labor Commissioner was able to convince arbitration chairman Howard Edelman to limit his award to two 1-percent raises that matched what other uniformed unions had accepted in the first two years of seven-year contracts.

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Three years ago, for just the second time in his first six contract rounds, Mr. Lynch reached a negotiated settlement that pivoted on incumbent members of the union getting a raise of 2.25 percent above the 9 percent in raises negotiated by the other uniformed unions for a comparable five-year period. That raise, tied to the city’s neighborhood-policing program, had its cost offset by a reduction in the starting salary and pay scale for future Police Officers.

Last month, a coalition of eight uniformed unions negotiated a basic wage increase of 7.95 percent over three years. The two unions in that coalition representing cops, in the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain and above, have since been able to obtain added increases matching the extra 2.25-percent PBA raise. Each did so in the form of differentials that are pensionable but not part of base salary—without having to alter their salary scales for future promotes into their ranks—by agreeing to delays in when the raises would take effect and lengthening the durations of their original contracts by at least three months.

Both those agreements, reached in the unit-bargaining process in which the parties can deal with issues unique to the unions involved, are subject to membership ratification; the one for the Captains Endowment Association has ballots out that are due back before the end of the month.

Shorter Pact Possible

While contracts for both those police unions would not expire until sometime in 2022, assuming both gained membership approval, the PBA award, under PERB’s rules, could not run for more than two years unless both sides agreed to an extension. Since the last contract expired Aug. 1, 2017, the timetable delay caused by Mr. Donoghue’s being sidelined increased the possibility that the award would not be reached until late this year, when it would already be out of date.

Although the two sides had reportedly prepared extensive cases they expected to begin arguing before January ended, the possibility exists that they could wind up returning to the bargaining table. Three years ago, Mr. Lynch on Jan. 27, 2017, after an unsuccessful mediation session, declared his intention to pursue arbitration and sent out a letter to his rank and file later that day announcing that decision, only to subsequently agree to terms that were announced four days later. The key to breaking the logjam was his willingness to reduce compensation for future cops

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to even out the cost of the extra 2.25-percent raise to the city in comparison with the previous uniformed-union deals.

Two police unions, the Detectives’ Endowment Association and the Sergeants Benevolent Association, were not part of the coalition that reached terms last month, apparently preferring to await the outcome of the PBA arbitration.

SBA President Edward Mullins did not return a call about whether he might alter his bargaining strategy due to the combination of the delay in the arbitration process and the obtaining by other police superior-officer unions—without reducing their pay scales—of the extra 2.25-percent in compensation.

DEA Head’s Objections

But the new head of the DEA, Paul DiGiacomo, said in a Jan. 22 phone interview, “It all depends on the city.”

Notwithstanding the CEA and LBA agreements, he explained, “It’s gonna be very challenging to the rank of Detective” to obtain that added benefit without having to make concessions that he believed shouldn’t be required.

Although those two unions were able to kept their pay scale intact, he noted that their unit deals did not provide the differentials at the outset of the tentative contracts and would be delayed for members of those unions who had not reached five years in their rank. In both cases, he pointed out, the contracts had been extended beyond the original 36-month duration to even out the city’s costs. Those in the rank of Captain and above, he noted, would have to give up one of their 27 annual vacation days as of Jan. 1, 2022.

What he found objectionable, Mr. DiGiacomo said, was “the constant horse-trading, to constantly give up benefits, to buy your own raise.”

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South Florida hospitals preparing for potential cases of coronavirus

South Florida hospitals are prepared if the coronavirus makes its way to the area, a risk that could increase as more travelers arrive for the Super Bowl.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed a second U.S. patient had tested positive for coronavirus and 50 people are being monitored in 22 states. Florida’s Department of Health said no cases have been reported in Florida.

The two confirmed cases of coronavirus are in Seattle and Chicago, and both individuals had traveled to Wuhan, where the virus originated and is rapidly spreading. Medical experts in South Florida say with the number of international travelers to South Florida, it is just a matter of time until local hospitals see a case.

“The department is coordinating closely with our local partners to investigate, confirm, contain and report any suspected cases, should they occur,” Florida health officials said.

The symptoms associated with “2019 Novel Coronavirus” are coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure.

In Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital and Health System began preparing this week after the Centers for Disease Control put out an alert and guidelines. The CDC has warned, “It is likely there will be more cases reported in the U.S. in the coming days and weeks.”

“We have a protocol to screen for coronavirus in anyone who shows symptoms,” said Dr. Ivan Gonzalez, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Jackson Memorial and UM Health. “If anyone comes in with a respiratory infection, we will ask about where they have traveled to and who they may have come in contact with. If we suspect anything, we will isolate them.”

Because coronavirus symptoms mimic the flu, triage staff at the Miami hospitals are being trained to ask probing questions about possible exposure, Gonzalez said. “We know we are at high risk with international travelers coming to our area. A lot of this is going to rely on self-reporting — awareness and education are key.”

Across the bridge on Miami Beach, medical staff at Mount Sinai Medical Center also are preparing, adding China to the list of travel locations they question patients about.

“We haven’t seen any case of coronavirus yet, but I’m sure we will see cases in South Florida with the number of international visitors we have here," said David Farcy, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Farcy said the protocol is to

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isolate patients who appear to have the coronavirus and treat them for complications. There is no identified treatment for the virus, so people without complications could be sent home.

At Broward Health, medical staff is closely watching the updates from the CDC and World Health Organization and coordinating communication across the health system, which has four emergency departments in Broward County.

“We are ready and well equipped to take care of people suspected of coronavirus,” said Joshua Lenchus, chief medical officer of Broward Health Medical Center. “We have the same measures in place as we did for Zika or Ebola.”

Because incubation appears to be two weeks, anyone with symptoms and a travel history that puts them in contact with anyone from China in that time frame will be isolated, Lenchus said. “This is the same technique we would use for someone with active tuberculous," he said. “What complicates this situation is the time of year. We are in the midst of flu season and viruses already are spreading.”

Lenchus explained that because this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs used against the flu will not work. People admitted to the hospital for coronavirus would likely get supportive care for their lungs and other organs as well as fluids.

Some Florida hospitals are placing signs that ask patients to tell staff members immediately if they’ve traveled to Wuhan, China, in the previous 14 days.

At this time, Florida airports with high volume of international passengers, such as Miami, are not screening for coronavirus. The CDC has implemented public health entry screening at the San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago airports — where all flights from Wuhan, China, are being routed.

Although travelers, including President Donald Trump, will be arriving in Miami for Super Bowl,

“Since MIA has no nonstop or regularly scheduled connecting flights from that region of China, no other action at MIA is necessary at this time,” said airport spokesman Greg Chin.

While health officials don’t know yet how dangerous the coronavirus is, more than 830 cases of infection have been confirmed in China, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States. At least 25 people have died.

The coronavirus, which originates from a seafood market in Wuhan, was first identified in mid- December. China has since quarantined 14 cities, locking down travel for 48 million people. A total of 8,420 people are reported to be under observation. The majority of people who have died from coronavirus so far are older men with existing health complications, according to Chinese officials.

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GENTLE FAMILY DENTISTRY

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Put a stop to the high Cost of dental care

Most services Covered in part

Or in full by

Dr. Steven M. Gilson PBA plan 10167 W. Sunrise Blvd. PERRY GIORDANELLI, BC-HIS, A.C.A. Plantation , F l. 33322 *Evening hours available Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences Suite 101 *24 hour emergency American Conference of Audioprosthology (954) 424-4600 *All phases of general Dentistry available Alan Weiss Hearing Aids Colony Springs Building

8333 West McNab Road PERSONALIZED GENTLE CARE AT FEES Suite 128 – Tamarac, Fl 33321 TO MAKE YOU SMILE Tel# 954-748-1508 – Fax 954-720-5153 www.alanweisshearingaids.com

Phil Patlis Annuities – Pension – IRA Accounts SHEARSON Managing Director (561) 577-0898 *Mutual Funds *Trusts – IRA’s *CDs Call or Visit – Free Review 25 Years *Retirement – 401K *Bonds 7000 W. Palmetto Park Rd Experience *Estate Settlement *Stocks Boca Raton Florida 33433 *TAX FREE Bonds

Every problem is an opportunity - it’s never too late to start on a correct solution Let’s just review your holdings - There may be a better way 561-577-0898 Member of FINRA-SIPIC Just ask Phil how he can help you

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NEIL A. SCHULTZ, M.D., F.A.C.S. P.A. DIPLOMAT, AMERICAN BOARD OF INTERNAL MEDICINE CARDIOLOGY AND INTERNAL MEDICINE

G.H.I. PARTICIPANT

Family Health Center (954) 973-4555 2825 N. State Road 7, suite 200 Margate, Florida, 33063 Fax (954) 970-7908 Hours by Appointment Daughter of a 10-13 Member

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2020 Medicare Premiums Announced

Click above link for the FULL article. A brief portion of the article is below:

On November 8, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2020 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs.

Medicare Part B Premiums/Deductibles

Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.

Each year the Medicare premiums, deductibles, and copayment rates are adjusted according to the Social Security Act. For 2020, the Medicare Part B monthly premiums and the annual deductible are higher than the 2019 amounts. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $144.60 for 2020, an increase of $9.10 from $135.50 in 2019. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $198 in 2020, an increase of $13 from the annual deductible of $185 in 2019.

The increase in the Part B premiums and deductible is largely due to rising spending on physician-administered drugs. These higher costs have a ripple effect and result in higher Part B premiums and deductible.

From day one, President Trump has made it a top priority to lower drug prices. Currently, for Part B, the law requires CMS to pay the average sales price for a drug and also pays physicians a percentage of a drug's sale price. This incentivizes drug companies to set prices higher and for physicians to prescribe more expensive drugs – because that leads to a higher Medicare payment. Through the President’s drug pricing blueprint, the Trump Administration is working to lower drug prices in Medicare Part B drugs.

CMS is committed to empowering beneficiaries with the information they need to make informed decisions about their Medicare coverage options, including providing new tools to help them make those decisions through the eMedicare initiative. In addition to the recently released premiums and cost sharing information for 2020 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, we are releasing the premiums and cost sharing information for Fee-for-Service Medicare, so beneficiaries understand their options for receiving Medicare benefits. As previously announced, as a result of CMS actions to drive competition, on average for 2020, Medicare Advantage premiums are expected to decline by 23 percent from 2018, and will be the lowest in the last thirteen years while plan choices, benefits and enrollment continue to increase.

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Premiums and deductibles for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans are already finalized and are unaffected by this announcement.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE CITY OF NEW YOUR OLR FOR MORE INFO ON MEDICARE

The City of New York OLR will send out information and transfer forms prior to the transfer period!

City Coverage for Medicare-Eligible Retirees

This entire article can also be found on the NYC, Office of Labor Relations website. A link to the webpage is provided below:

CLICK HERE NYC OFFICE OF LABOR RELATIONS HEALTH BENEFITS FOR RETIREES

In order to maintain maximum health benefits, it is essential that you join Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) at your local Social Security Office as soon as you are eligible. If you do not join Medicare, you will lose whatever benefits Medicare would have provided. The City’s Health Benefits Program supplements Medicare but does not duplicate benefits available under Medicare. Medicare-eligible members must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B in order to be covered by a Medicare HMO plan. To enroll in Medicare and assure continuity of benefits upon becoming age 65, contact your Social Security Office during the three-month period before your 65th birthday. In order not to lose benefits, you must enroll in Medicare during this period even if you will not be receiving a Social Security check. If you are over 65 or eligible for Medicare due to disability and did not join Medicare, contact your Social Security Office to find out when you may join. If you do not join Medicare Part B when you first become eligible, there is a 10% premium penalty for each year you were eligible but did not enroll. In addition, under certain circumstances there may be up to a 15-month delay before your Medicare Part B coverage can begin upon re-enrollment. If you or your spouse are ineligible for Medicare Part A although over age 65 (reasons for ineligibility include non-citizenship or non-eligibility for Social Security benefits for Part A), contact us at: NYC Health Benefits Program 40 Rector Street - 3rd Floor New York, NY 10006 Coverage for those not eligible for Medicare Part A can be provided under certain health plans. Under this Non-Medicare eligible coverage, you continue to receive the same hospital benefits as persons not yet age 65. If you are living outside the USA or its territories, Medicare benefits are not available. Under this Non- Medicare eligible coverage, you continue to receive the same hospital and/or medical benefits as persons not yet age 65. If you do not join and/or do not continue to pay for Medicare Part B however, you will be subject to penalties if you return to the USA and attempt to enroll.

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If you are eligible for Medicare Part B as a retiree but did not file with Social Security during their enrollment period (January through March) or prior to your 65th birthday, you will receive supplemental medical coverage only, and only through GHI/EBCBS Senior Care.

Medicare Enrollment You must notify the Health Benefits Program in writing immediately upon receipt of your or your dependent’s Medicare card. Include the following information: a copy of the Medicare card and birth dates for yourself and spouse, retirement date, pension number and pension system, name of health plan, and name of union welfare fund. If your plan does not provide coverage for Medicare enrollees, you will have the opportunity to transfer to another plan that does. Once the Health Benefits Program is notified that you are covered by Medicare, deductions from your pension check will be adjusted, if applicable. The Health Benefits Program will then notify your health plan that you are enrolled in Medicare so that your benefits can be adjusted. If you are Medicare-eligible and are enrolling in an HMO you must complete an additional application which you must obtain directly from the HMO. Medicare and Retiring Employees At retirement, employees who have chosen Medicare as their primary plan or whose dependents have not been covered on their plan because their spouse/domestic partner elected Medicare as the primary plan may re-enroll in the City health benefits program. This is done by completing a Health Benefits Application and submitting it to their agency health benefits, payroll or personnel office. Also at retirement, Medicare- eligible employees for whom the City Health Benefits Program had provided primary coverage are permitted to change health plans effective on the same date as their retiree health coverage The necessary forms for Medicare Part B reimbursement and IRMAA can be found by clicking the link below.

City of NY-Health Benefits Program – Medicare Part B

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MEMBERSHIP 2020

Membership dues for 2020 are due. Annual dues are $40 or $45 for new members. (That includes your annual dues of $40.00 plus $5.00 initiation/reinstatement fee).

If you are a current member, please simply mail a check for $40 to the address below. If you are not a member and would like to become a member, please complete the application on the next page and mail to the club at:

NYPD BROWARD 10-13 CLUB INC. 6009 NW 10th STREET Margate, FL 33063 Telephone (954) 977-3880

You can also download a copy of the application by clicking this link:

NYPD Broward 10-13 Membership Application

Please include a check in the amount of $45 made payable to: NYPD BROWARD 10-13 CLUB INC.

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