By Police1 Staff
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Officers from a California police department picketed at a busy intersection over what they say is unfair pay and benefits.
On Saturday, about two dozen off-duty West Sacramento officers picketed at the busy intersection with signs that read “Help us keep West Sac safe,” and “50% of our officers have quit,” KCRA reports.
The West Sacramento Police Officers Association said that 50 percent of officers who started their careers in West Sacramento have left in large part due to pay. West Sacramento officers make 17 percent less than nearby PDs.
“It’s too tempting when you have the ability to walk across the bridge [to Sacramento] and earn an extra 20 percent,” POA Vice President Nick Barreiro said.
When factoring pay and benefits, the most West Sacramento officers can earn per month is $9,049, which is $1,096 less per month than Sacramento officers. Officers said they are struggling to hire new recruits and believe residents will notice a difference with policing services if the pay isn’t raised.
“Response times to 911 calls will be slower, we’ll have less time to do proactive policing, combating things like gangs and drugs and prostitution, vehicle break-ins, those types of things,” Barreiro said.
West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said in a statement that it’s “the long standing practice of the City to not conduct collective bargaining negotiations in the news media.”
https://twitter.com/KCRAMiller/status/977726854437126144
“The fact that one party has published an open letter does not change the status of ongoing negotiations. We value the contributions of the Police Department and look forward to a timely resolution,” Cabaldon said.
The union said they’re only reaching out to media and public because they haven’t received a raise in 10 years and worked negotiations behind closed doors for long enough, according to KTXL.
“We wouldn’t be bringing this to the public if it wasn’t critical,” Barreiro said. “The community deserves to know that the city is putting them at risk. We aren’t asking for much, we are asking for the going rate for a police officer in this area. City Hall thinks they can have a discount police department and it doesn’t work.”