Why aren't police arrested for felony theft and fraud when doing this?:

Malverne Police Dept. Loses Out On 22 'Bogus' Holidays

By Rob Hoell

December 18, 2008

[source WPIX]

MALVERNE, N.Y. - It's back to work without the perks for the Malverne Police Department. An arbitrator has ruled the department is not entitled to extra pay for unusual holidays like Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day, Shirley Chilsom Day, and Haym Soloman Day.

"I think it blew everybody's mind when they saw some of the names and some of the days," said John Aresta who took over as Police Chief last year and brought the wild holiday schedule to the village's attention.

Village taxpayers are breathing a sigh of relief. "I work hard all year, nobody gives me so many days off like that," said one resident.

Officers will still get holiday pay for 11 traditional holidays like Christmas and New Years, but gone are 22 additional days, including Gerald Ford Day, National Day of Katrina Remembrance, and a second Mother's Day in September.

Since 2004 new holidays seemed to be added every time a state or national day of observance was declared.

In a statement the union had this to say: "The PBA believed it was contractually entitled to the comp time. We put in for the time and it was approved by a supervisor."

How it got approved, however, is still mind boggling to many. When area residents were asked about the holidays, no one could even identify what the days signified.

"Never, never even heard of them," said one Malverne resident.

The likely reason most people have never heard of the holidays is because they're not listed on most calendars. Looking on the bright side, it can be argued the Malverne Police Department did something good here to raise awareness.

"I actually learned a lot about history when I researched some of these names," said Chief Aresta.

It turns out Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a woman's rights advocate. Shirley Chisolm the first black woman elected to congress and Haym Soloman was George Washington's accountant.

A history lesson for some, an ethics lesson for others.

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