Two centuries of experience vanished form the police department as 10 veteran cops retired in June, joining an exodus of both younger and older cops.
Thirty-four cops have either retired or resigned so far in , compared to 31 in all of , according to the department. That leaves the department with cops and vacancies out of budgeted positions, according to Police Chief Anthony Campbell.
Click here and here to read previous articles detailing the poaching. The cops have been working without a contract for two years now. So for the first time since , the police contract will go to arbitration. In June alone, Capt. Patricia Helliger, Lt.
Elisa Tuozzoli , Lt. Darci Siclari, Sgts. Albert McFadden, Jr. Many specifically identifiedthat the contract uncertainty as the reason. Based on conversations with Campbell, the police chief anticipates another wave of retirements. Arbitration may take six months to two years, based on previous history; if it happens more quickly, he expects cops to rush to hand in papers before the health care change takes effect.
I know they are. Mayor Toni Harp and other officials have said the city is in a squeeze: It needs to offer cops better pay and benefits to keep them. But the city has entered a financial crisis, with limited money available for raises or benefits improvements.
