Julie Yates
The domestic violence grant received by the City of Pryor is still a topic of debate between the city and the police department.
Pryor City Council took no action Tuesday on accepting the grant, which is being brought before the council. The budget and personnel committee voted to reject the grant in December.
Jessica Carriger, assistant district attorney with Gene Haynes’ office, appealed to the council to accept the grant. Carriger works with domestic violence cases
and is very active in the
community.
“Mayes County has come a long way in the last three years,” she said.
Carriger pointed out the grant is $46,500, a fully
funded position for a domestic violence officer. “It is actually an extra officer in the Pryor Police Department for free,” she said.
Carriger said sources are limited within Pryor and Mayes County concerning domestic abuse.
“You can die from strangulation up to three days after the episode,” she said.
Carriger said a domestic violence officer counsels victims and transports them to a sexual assault nurse examiner at Hillcrest. For the first year and a half she worked in the county, Carriger said there was no officer to transport victims.
“This position is an incredibly important position,” she said.
Mayor Jimmy Tramel said there are issues with the language of the Fraternal Order of Police contract that could cause problems for the city later if the grant is accepted.
If the ecomony gets bad enough that the city resorts to personnel reduction, Tramel said the FOP bargaining
contract states the police chief has the authority to determine which employee to lay off. The employee with the least seniority in that area must be laid off according to contract, said Tramel.
“This kind of holds our feet to the fire,” Tramel.
Tramel said a new hire at the police department has all the rights of a regular officer. However, if he or she were laid off, Tramel said that doesn’t stop him (or her) from suing for the layoff.
“I brought this issue up from day one,” Tramel said.
The mayor acknowledged that domestic violence is a very important part of the city’s safety measures. Tramel said City Attorney Randy Elliott and Will Wright, FOP’s legal counsel, are trying to resolve the contract issues.
“We’re trying to get around it,” Tramel said. “The contract and the economy limit our ability.”
Tramel said the police department lost the grant two years ago after not completing the required paperwork. After the loss of the grant, Tramel said Brent Crittenden, domestic violence officer, has been assigned to other duties in addition
to domestic violence. Domestic violence is no longer his sole position.
“Is that the only reason we have the position, if it’s federally funded?” Tramel said. “The police department should have maintained that position.” He added, “I don’t get into the day-to-day operations of the police department.”
Tramel said the city will take no action on the matter of the grant “until both parties can come up with a solution.
“It has to do with a legal issue,” he said.
No action was taken on the ongoing grievance between the FOP and the City of Pryor. FOP sued the city because the Municipal Utility Board received an approximate
6 percent pay raise, while city employees received a 4 percent raise. The city lost the lawsuit because of a “me too” clause. It was determined that MUB employees are considered employees of the city, though MUB is a separate entity.
Tramel said the current issue is a dispute on the percentage of the raise.
“We have some issues with the way they’ve calculated our numbers,” Tramel said.
The mayor upheld a suspension for a city employee. Carolyn Erwin, animal control officer with the Pryor Police Department, made an appeal to the city
concerning a five-day
suspension.
Tramel said city’s policy states an employee has the right to appeal if given a suspension. The mayor is then required to give council his determining action.
Tramel said Erwin had been suspended for insubordination.
