Police pay levels - how much is enough?

By ELIZABETH COOPER

Observer-Dispatch

Posted Jan 23, 2010 @ 04:46 PM

NEW HARTFORD —

With the town’s police contract heading for arbitration, Town Supervisor Patrick Tyksinski is eyeing police compensation as a place where money could be saved.

The police department makes up one-eighth of town spending. Tyksinski said he believes police officers’ pay should be closer to that of neighboring towns like Whitestown and Kirkland.

But right now, New Hartford police officers’ pay is more comparable to that of their Utica counterparts, although the population of the town they serve is about one-third that of its urban neighbor and the amount of crimes is 75 percent less.

Determining which comparison is most appropriate could be key to how pay levels in the new police contract come out. The last contract expired at the end of 2008.

An Observer-Dispatch survey of area police salaries found that New Hartford’s police officers make more than officers in surrounding towns, and more than sheriff’s deputies.

Historically, the town of Colonie – a retail hub outside Albany -- has been used as a benchmark for their pay. That town is much larger than New Hartford but has similar retail corridors and demographics.

Statewide organizations that represent police officers said many disparities exist in police pay.

“There is absolutely no correlation between salaries, the size of an agency, how much crime they have and how complex the job is,” said John Grebert, executive director of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police. “It really comes down to the municipality’s ability to pay and the salary of the largest bargaining unit.”

Arbitration looms

New Hartford’s residents like the police protection they get. The police department received a 90 percent approval rating in a 2006 townwide survey.

Now, residents are coping with a 46 percent tax hike for 2010, and Tyksinski has vowed to bring town spending back into line.

Previous negotiations with the Joseph Corr Policeman’s Benevolent Association bogged down, and the union has requested arbitration.

Both Tyksinski and union president Paul Colburn said they would be open to holding discussions before arbitration begins, however.

Tyksinski, who took office Jan. 1, said he didn’t think he should be bound to positions taken by the previous administration.

“In all honesty, I think you have to compare to the area you live in,” he said. “You’ve got Kirkland and you’ve got Whitestown. This is where we live and this is what’s comparable.”

Colburn said he believes his officers deserve the salaries they get, and he’s negotiating for a raise.

“Our job hasn’t changed because of what happened with the town’s money,” he said. “We are still out there 24 hours a day.”

New Hartford is the second busiest department on the area after Utica, he said, and the officers should be paid accordingly.

“I don’t think you can really compare us to Whitestown or Utica,” he said. “They don’t have anywhere near the number of calls, or the business district, we do.”

Apples and oranges

The Whitestown and Kirkland police chiefs both said they didn’t think New Hartford should be compared to their jurisdictions.

“If you look at Kirkland versus New Hartford, they are apples and oranges,” Kirkland Chief Daniel English said. “They have a larger population and economic base with all the malls. We are more of a residential, agricultural area.”

The starting salary for New Hartford officers, after they have completed academy, is $41,372.
In Whitestown, that number is $32,753 and in Kirkland, it’s $33,400. In Utica, officers in their first year after academy and other training get $42,647.

Colonie’s starting salary after academy is $48,060, however.

Of New Hartford’s $14.8 million 2010 budget, the cost of the police is almost $1.9 million.

About $1.6 million is for officers’ pay, not including benefits.

Crime statistics

Colburn said the level of activity in his department should be taken into consideration in determining salaries.

“We are comparable to Utica,” he said.

A comparison of state Department of Criminal Justice statistics shows that in 2008, the most recent year for which figures were available, Utica had more than four times as many crimes as New Hartford.

Utica had 3,259 reported index crimes, compared to 814 in New Hartford. Index crimes include everything from murder to larceny and assault, but don’t include traffic-related offenses.

The difference in the number of violent crimes reported in Utica and New Hartford is even greater: In Utica, 478 such incidents occurred, compared to 11 in New Hartford.

Still, Colburn pointed out, New Hartford has lost an officer in the line of duty, just as Utica has.

By comparison, Kirkland Police fielded 124 index crimes and the Whitestown police 97.

When traffic accidents are considered, New Hartford officers appear far busier. They dealt with 1,261 car accidents last year alone in a town where Commercial Drive and Seneca Turnpike are perpetually busy.

Colburn said New Hartford has far fewer officers than Utica does.

“We only have 26 sworn officers and the second highest amount of cases in the county,” Colburn said. “The caseload for our officers is probably higher even than theirs.”

Dividing the number of cases by the number of officers in each municipality shows he is right.

On average, each New Hartford officer had 31 cases in 2008, compared to 18 for Utica officers.

Utica PBA president Thomas Brady, however, said simple calculations don’t tell the whole story. There are about 60 officers in his department who don’t officially carry a caseload, but perform important functions, he said.

As for the nature of the job, he said it was impossible to compare the two jurisdictions.

“I can’t say they are doing less or we are doing less,” he said.

Cut backs?

Tyksinski said he believes Utica isn’t a good point of comparison.

“I’m not saying we don’t have crime in the city, we do,” he said. “But it’s not like the city.”

He also suggested the town could rely on outside policing agencies like the sheriff’s office or the state police more.

Colburn, however, said that wouldn’t be the best way to protect public safety in the busy town.

Major cuts to the police force could prompt a union grievance, he said.

“Obviously, we are willing to work with him on the budget, but we are not going to cave in,” he said.