Chief Scott,

Congratulations! You will be missed in our PD community! However we are excited to hear you will still be a part of our community. Thank you for all you do!

~Shana

Let me guess. He is "retiring" at 90% of his current pay then will go get another $200K a year while we send him a nice fat $10,000 check every month. Pensions were meant to provide a comfortable retirement to live out your years, not to pad your wallet while you continue to earn more.

The system is broken.

If you're interested to see what public employees made in 2012 throughout the Bay Area, go here:
Web Link

@Resident

Don't hate the player. Hate the game.

Good riddance. He never followed through on any of our neighborhood's request. He obviously had his mind and sights on other things.

The city had low crime rates because you have to practically beg the police to file a police report. Everything is downgraded to suspicious circumstances. Total manipulation. The police in this town are worthless.

@GSB

Resident said that "the system is broken" thereby stating his hate for the game and the the player.

on another note, police are just heavily armed gangsters in blue who have the legal right to deal lethal force.

According to the link provided by Resident, Scott Vermeer's base salary is $234,398 with a total cost of employment of $364,974. Sounds a bit outrageous.

In the 25 years my family has resided in Mountain View, I've observed or been personally involved in perhaps a dozen incidents or interactions with MVPD. With one minor exception, the officers responded promptly and performed their job with calmness and professionalism. To the extent that Chief Vermeer's leadership and example has contributed to officers' handling of often stressful and challenging situations, I say kudos, and thank you.

AS my friend Ron used to say: "what is true for you is what you have seen to be true"
After 40+ years in Mtn View, truth for me is a WHOLE lot closer to Jericho's than it is to Mr. Mason's.
Except for that comment on them being worthless... they have surely generated alot of revenue with their "traffic enforcement"

Chief Vermeer brought a new feel of fairness to the MVPD and I am sorry to see him go. With him as chief MV transitioned to a respected department with a reputation for fairness. THANK YOU!!!

On the salary aspect, my understanding is that retired public employees can't work more than 900 hours a year if they want their full pension. That's about 20 hours/week or half time, but is still "double-dipping" nonetheless.

It's just been taken over by the Union run bosses. They inflated everyones salaries and pensions to unsustainable levels. Soon all cities will be in the same boat as Detroit and Stockton. Just a matter of time at this rate.

What can be done?

Move the pension to 401k
Get rid of the Double dippers. If someone is retired and comes out of retirement to work at another job should have there retirement pension stopped until they leave the other job.

The police and fire departments should be consolidated into one for the whole bay area. Not this city run BS.

I could go on and on, but am I the only logic person in this bay area? Or are there no checks and balances within govt.

Yes pensions and public sector salaries are absolutely out of control in this state. Anyone who disagrees is an imbecile and should be publicly flogged. However, California voters keep on voting in the same politicians who are in bed with the public sector unions.

The sad truth is that this is effectively a one party state, and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. History demonstrates that whenever power is consolidated in the hands of a few, the result is widespread corruption. Quite honestly, I don't see why we bother with elections in this state. We should just accept whomever the Democratic party nominates and save everyone a lot of time, effort, and money.

Separately but related: over 237,000 people just voted for Leeland Yee, the anti-second amendment politician who was just brought up on gun trafficking charges.

Stupid is as stupid does

...at least one of the Leland Lee voters did so in jest, dismayed by the staggering mass of government. Futile, yes. Stupid, no.

@Steve: That still leaves 236,999 stupids.

I have nothing but respect for Chief Vermeer and am very sorry to see him go.

It's unfortunate that, like so much else in this town, he appears to be heading in the direction of Google (according to this article).

It is also unfortunate that what should be praise of Chief Vermeer's time at MVPD has turned into a discussion of the long-overdue need to reign in outrageous salaries and pensions for public employees. The MVPD for sure and probably the MVFD has a growing number of young (in their 50's), healthy, well-paid retirees. Time for council to summon up the courage to look at this.

Thank you and best wishes to Chief Vermeer!

What is a fair salary in this town? It's so expensive to live here now.

Chief Vermeer selflessly served three communities for nearly 30 years, living a life of meaning, likely time and time again as a police officer putting his own life and well being in harms way to protect others. And now, as he retires into his next life, knowing he served in a career that doubled his risk for heart disease, cancer, and forever placed him in a category of retired citizens who commit suicide at double the national rate, he has to endure a group of blog trolls who have lived a meaningless sheltered life here in LOW CRIME Mountain View using an anonymous forum to bad mouth him and his retirement package?? HE DIDN'T CREATE IT. HE DIDN'T NEGOTIATE IT. HE DIDN'T EXPLOIT IT. HE worked his ass off for it and earned it. None of you would be complaining if the economy hadn't crashed and if he were a US Soldier or a Fireman you wouldn't have the balls to say a word. Get off your ass, get of the internet, get a life that means something, and shut the hell up. MY NAME IS POSTED, unlike you blog weasels....

I have zero respect for the Mountain View city bureucrats, especially the former police chief responsible for their 'police-for-profit' scheme. And yes, I hide behind my screen name. Unfortunately, my dealings with the city are ongoing, and subject to easy retaliation for daring to speak to truth.