Brewer asks public defenders and union about availability of alternatives
Council Member Brewer asks whether there are enough alternatives and programs outside probation to meet the needs of people they serve. She says her experience is that programs are insufficient and notes the commissioner is reassessing.
I mean, I want to go forward, but it's better, but we still have that residue, and they're still leaving.
They're still leaving.
I just wanted to tell you this, too.
My last contract, we increased the starting salary by 33% to $61,000.
So we have the highest starting salary.
Which is good, but the issue is retaining them.
Before Commissioner Goodman came on, we lost a whole unit in Queens of the gun unit, a whole unit.
And we're about to lose a significant amount of probation officers in a couple of weeks when parole starts to hire.
They're ready to go.
So it's better.
But it keeps going.
I don't want to keep repeating it, but it goes back to the salaries.
And I was going to just ask, like, if the reasons given by offices for leaving different from before the start of the current mayoral administration or if it's in the same.
It's historical.