file photo by Boyd Loving
5-15-17
By Briana Vannozzi
Correspondent
What’s the right amount of pay for New Jersey police officers? That question is now swirling as state Treasury data, analyzed by NJTV News and various media outlets, show the median salary for roughly 19,000 municipal police officers was just over $105,000 in 2016. The highest tend to be in wealthy, suburban towns — mostly in Bergen County where the cost of living is higher. But those directly involved with negotiating municipal salaries say there’s a lot more behind that number.
“First of all, to be a candidate you have to have a four-year degree. As of late we’ve been hiring mostly transfers because there was a period in time where the alternative route had dried up, so there’s a lot of factors that go into the hiring and promotion of officers here in the community,” said Paramus Borough Mayor Richard LaBarbiera.
https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/whats-right-amount-pay-new-jersey-police-officers/
According to the FBI, NJ has 70% more police per capital than the national average and they get paid 50% more…. I’d guess they are overpaid by at least 30-40%, and despite having so many cops they still stick it to the municipalities they serve with outrageous overtime bills, and excessive health, pension and unused sick leave benefits. Just look at Ridgewood where the RPD’s median salary is $145,000. We have very little crime because of the socio-economic make-up of the community, not because we have so many police officers. And yet we pay wages like this? It’s insane.
1. They only get overtime when they work overtime. Not that radical a theory.
2. Health benefits are no longer excessive, as they have been making substantial contributions to cost.
3. Unused sick time has been capped by law at $15,000
4. Crime still exists in this elevated socioeconomic society. Just a different type of crime.
5. Police respond to a lot more then crime.
6. Next time post how much you are paid. Then we can all judge if you are worth it.
Tax payer benefits are totally different than free market work , in the market you can opt out of services or goods for many reasons taxpayers do not have that luxury
I’d love to opt out of subsidizing Platinum health benefits for municipal employees. Why should taxpayers subsidize better healthcare benefits for municipal employees than we get ourselves in the private sector? It makes no sense given we’re paying for our own family health plans, too. At $145,000 per year, cops & fire can pay more towards their own pensions & healthcare than they currently do. Time to suck it up and give taxpayers a break.
70% more police per capita may be true, but our capita is much more congested together than in most other states. That, in turn, brings about more crime per capita. So which came first-the egg or the chicken?
I love the police, they should make 200,grand.
By your logic, Ridgewood is the 4th most congested place in the state and is crime ridden, is that right 5:06? It’s a good thing then we have so many cops earning the 4th highest salaries of any police dept in the state then I guess, is that right?
Every excuse under the sun, but taxpayers are finally waking up to your BS.