Newark Police Department, New Jersey, 2009-2011
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Newark Police Department employee salaries are public records under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act.
Salaries and benefits
Salaries
Sunshine Review filed a New Jersey Open Public Records Act request seeking salary information on Newark Police Department employees, particularly those of ranking officers and anyone earning over $150,000 annually. The department did not respond to the request.
In 2009, New Jersey police salaries ranked highest in the nation, with median pay of $90,672.[1]
According to the job search site Indeed.com, the average salary for a Newark police officer was $58,000 as of 2011.[2] However, in an article discussing the 2011 renegotiation of police union contracts, the N.Y. Daily News reported the average salary in the Newark Police Department as $85,000 "plus overtime and a Cadillac health plan."[3]
In 2010, the Newark Police Department hired 54 new officers with starting salaries of $42,038.[4]
The Newark Police Department eliminated its minimum staffing levels in December 2011 to make up for budget gaps.[5]
Benefits
Sunshine Review filed a public records request seeking benefits information on Newark Police Department employees. The department did not respond to the request.
Car Use
Sunshine Review filed a public records request seeking information on automobiles issued to employees of the Newark Police Department, specifically for 24-hour use. The department did not respond to the request.
Phone Use
Sunshine Review filed a public records request seeking information on cellular phones and mobile devices issued to employees of the Newark Police Department. The department did not respond to the request.
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.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6]
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
External links
- Newark Police Department
- N.J. police and firefighter salary cap proposed in Trenton, New Jersey Newsroom, November 23, 2010
- State Budget Solutions -- New Jersey
Footnotes
- ↑ "N.J. police salaries rank highest in nation with median pay of $90,672," NJ.com, September 19, 2010
- ↑ Indeed.com, Police Officer Salary in Newark, NJ, Dec. 13, 2011
- ↑ NY Daily News, Stark budget math for cities: Newark forced to choose between cops on the beat and sky-high salaries, May 8, 2011
- ↑ Police Magazine, Newark Police Add 54 Recruits With 115th Class, March 3, 2010
- ↑ Newark police department eliminates minimum staffing levels as city enters a traditionally dangerous month
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
