Entry Wage 'Ridiculous'

Entry Wage 'Ridiculous'
Professors to City: Up New Cops' Pay

A group of the nation's top law-enforcement experts teaching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice Dec. 19 urged Mayor Bloomberg to increase the starting salaries of Police Officers, Correction Officers, and Firefighters. The 30 professors faxed a letter to Mr. Bloomberg asking him to reopen the contract talks with the unions representing those workers.

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?: A group of 30 professors at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice urged the Bloomberg administration to increase the starting salaries for city Police Officers, Firefighters, and Correction Officers. The professors who attended the Dec. 19 press conference are (from left) Maria 'Maki' Haberfeld, George Abraham, and Gene O'Donnell.

Say P.D. Can't Recruit

The experts contended that the Police Department will not be able to recruit qualified applicants with a starting annual salary of $28,900. "It's ridiculous," said Professor George Abraham. "It is close to what they are doing in Iraq with the reservists. They are doing all the heavy lifting and they are getting nothing in terms of a reasonable living salary."

The uniformed pattern was set for this round of bargaining by the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association award issued under the aegis of the Public Employment Relations Board. The PBA award - a 10.25-percent retroactive raise over two years - was financed by drastically slashing the starting salary for future Police Officers, among other concessions.

The new starting pay rate goes back to a level not seen since 1985, asserted Gene O'Donnell, the professor who organized the press conference. "This makes the recruitment process, which has never been easy, extraordinarily difficult," he said.

According to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, more than 20,000 people applied for the Oct. 29 exam leading to Police Officer jobs. But based on the past three tests, that figure will eventually translate into only 450 new officers, because just 26 percent of those who apply actually take the test and the NYPD typically hires one out of every 10 candidates who pass the exam.

'Ridiculously Low Pay'

The new starting salary, Mr. O'Donnell charged, is "ridiculously low" when contrasted to other jurisdictions in the area. The New York State Police and New Jersey State Police starting salaries are in the $50,000 range, according to Mr. O'Donnell.

Mr. Abraham, who worked for years as an NYPD Detective/Sergeant, added, "It's wrong. And anybody who says otherwise doesn't understand what a cop goes through."

PBA President Patrick J. Lynch has long argued for across-the-board wage increases for his members. Last week, however, he stressed the need to boost the maximum pay rate for veteran officers. Presently, officers reach $59,588 after 5-1/2 years. In contrast, Police Academy recruits will make $25,100, which rises to $32,700 after six months.

"The starting salary is far less important than the basic max," Mr. Lynch remarked in a statement. "People will choose to become NYPD Police Officers if they can see future compensation that will allow them to support a family."

They Disagree

The John Jay Professors maintained that the average young student won't join the NYPD under the current pay schedule. "They look for other jurisdictions now," Mr. Abraham commented.

Mr. O'Donnell added, "Every single week at John Jay we have recruiters on the campus from other law-enforcement agencies, with promises of salaries that are far more than the New York City Police salary."

The current starting salary, the letter from the Professors stated, also makes it nearly impossible for older persons with families and valuable work experience to join the NYPD or the city's other uniformed agencies.

Maria "Maki" Haberfeld, the chairperson for the college's Department of Law and Police Science, said the reduced starting pay may create an integrity concern. "Based on my experience, agencies with low salaries are much more prone towards misconduct," said Ms. Haberfeld, who recently surveyed law-enforcement agencies in 15 countries.

She stressed that police officers are not attracted to the work only for compensation and benefits. "Probably, this is one of the minor considerations," she remarked.

Nevertheless, she recalled how one Police Officer in Poland responded when she asked him about job temptations. "The answer was, 'I need to put food on the table of my family,''' she said. "This is something that we must consider when we are talking about the salaries of New York officers."

Mr. Abraham pointed out that the NYPD is now requiring that cops have 60 college credits. "You are asking for more and giving less," he said. "This is totally contradictory, and it doesn't make sense."