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Detroit Police Department, Michigan, 2011
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The Detroit Police Department is in Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit mayor proposes cutting police and fire department salaries
Citing the Michigan state budget and finances shortfalls, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing proposed in 2011 that police and fire unions agree to a 10% salary cut, for a savings of $13 million during the fiscal year ending June 30. Bing said the police and fire department budgets comprise about 60% of the city’s overall budget.[1]
Salaries
Detroit police salaries begin at $30,137 once an applicant is successful and training at the Police Academy starts.[2] Basic training is 19 weeks at the Police Academy, plus on the job training once graduated. If successful at the academy, recruits get a $1,000 raise. After one year, it increases to $33,949:[2]
- After two years pay increases to $37,761.
- After three years it increases to $41,573
- After four years it increases to $45,385.
- After five years it reaches $53,237.
Benefits
Officers with the Detroit Police Department get shift differential pay (a slight increase in hourly wages when working afternoon/graveyard shifts), a $250 annual uniform cleaning allowance and college tuition reimbursement. They also get medical, dental and optical plans, 20 days of vacation per year and 8 paid holidays per year.[2]
Salary records project
In 2011, Sunshine Review chose 152 local governments as the focus of research on public employee salaries. The editors of Sunshine Review selected eight states with relevant political contexts (listed alphabetically):
1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
Within these states, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The purpose of this selection method was to develop articles on governments affecting the most citizens.
The salary information garnered from these states were a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments.
A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said the city of Philadelphia faced challenges owing to the cost of public employee pensions.[3] The report claimed the amount that Philadelphia paid to pension recipients limited the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.
The report said there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701.[3] The authors recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions: improved data collection, expanded transparency initiatives, and reductions to the city's overall budget.[3]
Salary schedules can be published as ranges, not as specific compensation figures, and may leave out compensation received through health and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as commuter allowances and cell phone reimbursements. This project aimed to close the gap and provide a more accurate picture of public employee salaries for the sake of public education and transparency.
See also
- Michigan local government salary: Counties
- Public employee salary
- Detroit employee salaries
- Detroit Fire Department, Michigan
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Job Cut News, "Detroit - Mayor Calls For 10% police, fire salary cut, tax hike for corporations in Detroit," November 16, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Detroit Police Salary
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
