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New Syracuse Police Contract Offers Incentives to Recruit and Retain Officers

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Syracuse Police Department

The tentative contract agreement between the city of Syracuse and its police union aims to address two major challenges facing the department:  Recruitment and retention.  Officials talked about the 4 1/2 year deal Wednesday with a committee of common councilors. 

It includes a retroactive 2.5% pay increase for 2018, plus 2% raises through mid-2022.  First deputy chief Joe Cecile says there are also bigger raises for higher ranks to make the roles more attractive.

"When you make that rank, if there's not a substantial amount of money involevecd in it, you're going to go back to midnights or 3 to 11 and everything's going to change for you. So we were struggling with every one of these ranks as you go up-- Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain-- finding qualified people to even take the test so that we can promote them when we have these openings."

The contract also includes additional raises for those who have military service, higher education, or speak another language.  Lead negotiator and chief operating officer Corey Driscoll Dunham says the idea to incentivize additional language skills came mostly from the union to serve as a recruitment tool.

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WAER News
The City of Syracuse agreed to help fund Syracuse Police Department raises and other incentives aimed at officer recruitment and retention. From left to right, Chief Operations Officer Corey Driscoll Dunham, SPD First Deputy Chief Joe Cecile, and Chief Administrative Officer Frank Caliva.

"This is something that many departments that we compete with for officers don't offer. I think it also reflects the desire for a more diversified force that reflects the city which they're serving."

Chief Cecile says even current officers might want to learn another language to get in on the 3.5% raise. 

"We struggle every year with individuals who primarily speak Spanish. We have some of them on the department, but when we have retirements, we lose them. If you listen to the radio during dispatch hours, you will hear constantly 'any Spanish-speaking officer out there,' because we need someone to respond to a scene who speaks Spanish."

There are also incentives to reward officers who stay beyond six, 11, and the minimum 20-year retirement period.  On the flip side of the agreement, officers will pay more for health insurance and receive fewer sick days.  It also includes a residency requirement for the first five years on the job.  In all, the contract is estimated to cost the city an additional $3 million per year.  Members of the Police Benevolent Association have already approved the agreement.  President Jeff Piedmonte wouldn’t provide any specifics, and declined comment until after the council votes December 16th.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.