Desk jobs at the NYPD must be filled by civilian employees and not by cops, arbitrator Maurice Benewitz ruled early this month. Benewitz ordered the police department to stop giving clerical work to police officers, whose salaries average $60,000-70,000, and to reassign administrative duties to police administrative aides, whose salaries average $25,000-32,000. The September 2 decision is a milestone victory for the District Council 37 of the American Federations of State, County & Municipal Employees, which spent nearly 10 years preparing their case. The union expects the ruling to free up at least 3,500 police officers for street duty and save New York City over $100 million per year. [9/20]