Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are dismissing the idea that New York's Finest are some of its poorest, so low paid, that they qualify for food stamps.
Eyewitness News reporter Lisa Colagrossi has the story for us. All this talk is triggering the debate about rookie cops starting salary. The city and the union have begun negotiations for a new contract but the low starting salary is the last deal that is still causing so much friction.
The patrolmen's union claims the city's newest class of rookie cops has at least ten members who have been forced to apply for food stamps.
Under binding arbitration, the starting salary for a new officer was cut recently to $25,100 a year. That's a reduction of $11,000.
Officials admit the cuts mean a new officer with several dependants would qualify for a $7,500 food stipend but the mayor blames the police union for the lower salary because it forced the contract talks into arbitration.
Mayor Bloomberg: "The city always is going to have a problem, we'd like to pay our work force as much as we possibly can and the tax payers don't want to pay anymore money than they absolutely have to. And that the balance that we're trying to find."
Officials continue to argue over whether the salary cut has hurt efforts to recruit new officers and keep experienced ones on the payroll.
Commissioner Ray Kelly says new officers will move up the salary ladder in six months. They won't qualify for food stamps then but he admits a higher salary would be a good thing.
Police Commissioner Kelly: "I've expressed my concerns about the starting salary. I'm not happy with that and I'm not happy with the arbitrated decision."
The head of the PBA says the union went to arbitration because the city was demanding more and more givebacks. The city also like to point out that with overtime a rookie cop will wind up making about $36,000 in the first year.
(Copyright 2006 WABC-TV)
Posted by: Foxracingmtnridr
"The city also like to point out that with overtime a rookie cop will wind up making about $36,000 in the first year."
That's f'd up.
Then you gotta live in one of the 5 boroughs also. Which will cost you all of the money you make, and don't forget about having 60 college credits. So you can have fun trying to pay off your student loans also.
Simply retarded.
Scott
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