I
know first-hand the reality is police details provide things that flag
personnel cannot provide
(“For taxpayers, devil’s in details,” Nov. 5). Police make worksites safe
for workers, period.
I have worked in the middle of dangerous traffic conditions, and I represent
thousands of
utility workers who labor in dangerous situations to keep our electricity
and heat on. Many
times, had it not been for police details, lives would be forever changed or
lost.
The authority that the police bring to
a worksite is indispensable to workers’ safety.
Drivers observe and obey police details or they face consequences. What
would we do
if a driver ignores flagmen and puts us in danger? If we want any
consequences at all,
guess who we’d call? The police.
Gary Sullivan, President
Utility Worker Union of America, Local 369
Brotherhood of Utility Workers of New England, AFL-CIO