AS A CRIME-FIGHTER, WHICH DO YOU FIND MORE PREFERABLE: THE OLD DAYS, WHEN THE MOB WAS THE BIG SHOW IN TOWN, OR THE CURRENT MOMENT, WHEN THE MOB IS A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER SELF, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER FACTIONS AND STREET GANGS?
It always troubled me years ago that Rhode Island was given a black eye for being the Mob office, so to speak, of organized crime in New England. That always troubled me. It makes it a little more difficult now, because we have juvenile crime which is just out of control, and it's sad. But, no, I can't say I'd advocate for another Mob family presence — I'm joking . . . I think we're putting an end to that era. We're putting an end to the Mob, so to speak, La Cosa Nostra in Rhode Island. There are not as many players as people would think today, and we're going to do our best to continue that.
OF ALL THE COMMUNITIES EXAMINED BY CHANNEL 12, THE STATE POLICE HAD THE LOWEST RATE OF ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY PENSIONS. MOST CITIES AND TOWNS WERE UP AROUND 40, 30 PERCENT, SOME IN THE 20S. YOU GUYS WERE AT EIGHT PERCENT. I THINK IT WAS OF 230 RETIREES, ONLY 19 HAVE AN ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY PENSION. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS LOW RATE TO?
Unfortunately, we've had some troopers hurt to a degree where they have to retire. We closely scrutinize any request for a disability pension. I have refused two myself in the last two years, and those people have gone on to retire. I think the troopers take a lot of pride in their conditioning, and take a lot of pride in their job. We do not have a problem with sick leave. About four years ago, I surveyed the troopers of the state police and found, I believe, they use 1.5 sick days a year on the average. That's incredible. Now many, many do not use any time. I once went 10 years without a sick day, and there are many troopers that have gone longer than that.
To read Ian Donnis's politics + media blog, go to thephoenix.com/notfornothing. He can bereached atidonnis@phx.com.
