Page 11 - Volume 28 Number 3

Member News
New Rep armed with vast knowledge
of law enforcement, labor issues
— By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor
Newly hired POLC/GELC Labor Repre- in Genesee County closer to his home in Birch
sentative Jim Stachowski acquired
vast amount of law enforcement expe- rience and his knowledge as a union represen- tative is just as impressive.
“I come from a long lineage of union work,” he said. “My dad was a Teamster, a truck driver. I came from a blue-collar family and heard about unions and how important they are. I made sure to get involved in all that.”
Stachowski became a POLC/GELC Rep. June
1 after serving 25 years with Clinton Township
Police. He retired as a Lieutenant in March 2018
after serving the past 12 years as a POLC Com-
mand Officer. He was Lieutenants and Ser-
geants Association Union President the past
five years and Vice President for five years as well. His involvement in union representation began as a patrolman, serving as secretary of the local union board.
Stachowski also served on Clinton Township’s Fire & Police Pen- sion Board and Clinton Township Retiree Health Care Trust board for 12 years spending the last seven as Chairman of both boards. He became very familiar with the burden of transistioning people from DB plans to DC plans and trying to reduce retiree healthcare costs.
“I have knowledge in negotiations and labor law and pensions and healthcare,” Stachowski said. “In our line of work, those have be- come the two hot issues with cities going through tougher financial times with tax revenues.”
When Rob Figurski, Clinton Township Command’s former business agent, took over as POLC/GELC Director in 2016 he asked Stachows- ki if he’d like to become a labor rep. “When Rob approached me, I thought it was a good fit,” however, Stachowski said, “The timing was a little bit too early. I approached him later to see if he still had an opening and he did.”
Stachowski will take over many of POLC/GELC Labor Rep. Chris Watts’ former units. Watts will be covering northern Michigan units
Run and Stachowski’s units are in the tri-county area of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. His units will extend from Downriver and Detroit as far east as the Grosse Pointe’s, west to Wixom, and as far north as White Lake Town- ship.
The 47-year-old has accomplished a lot during his police career. As Use of Force Coordinator for his department, he was in charge of all use of force training including tasers, pepper spray, firearms, hands on use of force and officer in- volved shootings. He organized monthly training with certified instructors. “I handled the yearly qualifications for firearms, making sure every- body’s properly trained in use of force,” he said.
Photo by Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor
A SWAT Team member for 17 years, Stachowski was promoted to Assistant Team Leader and spent the last five years as Team Commander when he was promoted to Lieutenant. “We had our own team, but did form Southern Macomb County Metro SWAT,” Sta- chowski said.
He was part of a Special Investigations Unit for nine years, work- ing as an undercover patrolman, followed by being a County of Ma- comb Enforcement Team (C.O.M.E.T.) member from 1999-2002, a State Police Drug Task Force. In 2010, he was a Sergeant with Clin- ton Township PD’s drug unit and spent the last five years of his career as a Lieutenant in charge of Clinton Township’s Narcotics Bureau.
Stachowski attended staff and command management school through F.B.I. National Academy Session #252 in 2013 and received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Madonna University.
He understands the challenges officers face with the public and management.
“I know that being a Police Officer is a very tough position,” Sta- chowski said. “And we’re there dealing with management, to make sure their rights are always being looked over ... that everything is protected.” d
the Police Officers Labor Council welcomes the following new units
Unit
Burton Command Burton Patrol
Former Affiliation COAM
POAM
www.polc.org • 11
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