Officer's Leave Colton (SB Sun 051406) Low pay hitting Police Force hard Union says...

Colton is feeling a great loss, that is they are feeling their Law Enforcement power leaving them for one reason, that is money. Rialto they left for poor City Council Decision Making, and Poor Money, however Colton and Rialto better take a look around!! The I.E. is the fastest growing in this country, and we need our Fine Blue or Tan & Green line to protect us. That means to pay them good and to give the Law Enforcement a good retirement Plan. The 3% @ 50 is an Expensive plan, but it is well worth the money to have Police Protection rather then calling in help from the people that give their Law Enforcement Officers a 3% @50 Retirement, and charge us three times the amount for mutual aid!!

BSRancher...

Officers leave Colton Low pay hitting police force hard, union says Stephen Wall, Staff Writer

COLTON - The Police Department is losing experienced officers at a growing rate because of low salaries and benefits compared to other agencies, officials say. The union representing rank-and-file officers is urging the City Council to change its existing contract to allow the department to become more competitive with surrounding cities. The contract expires on June 30, 2007. In the past year, Colton has lost seven officers to other agencies. Five of the seven left in the last three months, union officials say. "We are unable to attract qualified applicants or keep those officers with valuable experience due to our salary and benefit package and its standing in the marketplace," Curtis Bayer, president of the Colton Police Officers Association, said in a letter to the council last month. Departing officers accepted jobs with other agencies paying an average of $978 more per month, the letter states. Officers who have left also received signing benefits ranging from cash bonuses to substantial sick leave and vacation time at their new departments, the letter states. Officers who departed had an average of nearly 11 years of police experience. They were replaced with officers who averaged less than three months of experience, according to the letter. Colton's problems come as two neighboring police departments grapple with their own staffing challenges. San Bernardino, ranked the 18th-most dangerous city in the country last year, is struggling to find the money to add 40 officers to fulfill a campaign promise of Mayor Pat Morris, who was elected in February. In Rialto, the City Council's decision in September to dissolve the Police Department and contract for law-enforcement services with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has taken its toll. Although the council has since backed off making the switch amid public outcry, the turmoil continues. Morale is down, and 34 vacancies in the Police Department have left the force about 25 percent understaffed, Rialto officials said. In Colton, officers received a 7 percent raise last year and will get another increase of 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent this year. The additional amount will depend on the results of a survey comparing Colton salaries to nine area police departments. The survey, which is due out in July, will compare Colton to Barstow, Chino, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino and Upland. Colton now ranks near the bottom of those cities in terms of pay. The goal is to put Colton in the middle of surrounding cities, officials said. "The financial commitment we are asking for is not to place our agency at the highest levels," Bayer's letter states. "It is to allow us to remain competitive in a very aggressive, dynamic marketplace." Officers are willing to compromise on incentives such as educational bonuses and longevity pay in exchange for improved salaries, the letter says. Bayer did not return phone calls seeking comment on the issue. The City Council has discussed the contract situation in closed-session meetings in recent weeks. Council members said they could not disclose the status of the talks because employee-salary negotiations are confidential. "It's a multifaceted, complex issue," City Manager Daryl Parrish said. "Obviously, we have a set budget and we have to be cognizant of that. Our budget is balanced and with reserves." There are 72 sworn officers in the Police Department, which has a roughly $12 million annual budget, Parrish said. "In my view, there would be no reason to reopen a contract and increase salaries and benefits for any group, unless there was an issue that justified that," Parrish said. "Retention (of officers) could possibly be an issue that could." The officers' contract covers corporals, detectives and sergeants. Lieutenants and the police chief are covered under separate agreements. The Colton Firefighters Association also is seeking changes to its contract. Union officials say the request is not motivated by police officers' desire for a raise. Firefighters, who received a 9 percent-pay increase two years ago, say they should get more money because the city's financial condition has improved since their last contract was negotiated. Association President Doug Blinkinsop, who expressed the union's views in a letter to the city last week, said it would be inappropriate to discuss the issue while negotiations are taking place. Councilman Richard De La Rosa said the concerns of the two departments are being taken seriously. "We need to provide quality and keep experienced police officers and firefighters on our streets," De La Rosa said. "We can't nickel-and-dime our public-safety units."