This is the county council.

That's not a bad starting pay? What is the average pay for all officers?

Just about everyone in the private sector pays for their own retirement benefits. The lucky few have their employers kick in a few percentage points as a match

The regular citizens have to put up with being assaulted as well...unfortunately for us we don't get to carry guns for protection.

The police don't get breaks? Give me a break. The most common place I see police is sitting on the side of the road, often two cars side by side, chatting it up. That might not be an official break, but I wouldn't call it continuous hard labor either.

Shift work? Lots of people work in jobs where they get assigned to shifts they might not like. And it's not like nobody knows about shift work until after they become a cop...it's well known.

You desire "free tuition" for the police? Do you realize that the government cannot provide a single benefit for "free." You might not pay the costs of that benefit, but the rest of the taxpayers will.

Private sector employees also contribute to their healthcare costs, and in almost all cases they pay a higher percentage than public sector employees.

It almost sounds like you don't think being a cop is worth it. Luckily for you, nobody is forced to become a cop or remain one.

David,

First, it sounds like you are a police officer. If so...thank you for your service. It certainly is a profession that many could not nor will not take up and in many ways is very thankless. Second, I think Richard was just highlighting that many of the "ills" of public sector work can be found in the private sector as well Also, while you might have a "hostile" environment in which you operate, you also have the benefit of a public sector union lobbying for your cause. Many in the private sector don't have the benefit of a pension. They have a 401k...subjected to the roller coaster machinations of financial markets. To think that the stupid policies of the Greeks (retirement at 55 with 75% pay) is affecting my 401k and ultimately my retirement. In regards to health care I pay 30% of my medical premiums to cover my family, plus deductibles and copay's. I pay well north of $450/month on health insurance...and this is a standard, dark alley, HMO! I suspect your health benefits are much friendlier. Bottom line, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Be happy with what you have in terms of a job and be grateful for what you have achieved. Thanks again!

"My answer to that is if every cop quit who did'nt like their job right now there would be major crime problems." That was in response to your snide comment to Dave that there are openings if he needs a job.

And if that happened, then we would know for sure that the pay that is offered for police officers is too low. But, it appears that you don't have other options for the same or better pay, otherwise perhaps you would have likely already left. Retention rates tell the real story regarding adequacy of pay. Everybody loves to complain about their pay. But the fact is, if there were so many better options out there, they likely wouldn't stay in the job whose pay they're complaining about.

"When did the police officer and firefighter become the enemy?" It's not that police officers and firefighters are the enemy, it's more that public service in general is the problem. To the extent that police and firefighters get more criticism, it might be because of stories like this one from CA (that's not to imply that AAC benefits are on par with CA benefits):

http://www.city-journal.org/2011/cjc0630tg.html

Earlier you made the comment that your pension would be half your pay. As far as I could find, the AA County pension is 2.5% of the highest 3 out of your final 5 years, times the # of years of service, and that it maxed out at 70% of that average. Meaning you could retire at 50 (after 28 years on the job) with a pension that paid 70% of the average pay.

i would say it may have something to do with the fact that some of them drive their families around in cars taxpayers pay for (some malls reserve parking spots just for this purpose). just check the news the Maryland State Police Superintendent commutes to pa everyday on taxpayers dime oh and he also got a pension with the city that he did not earn! oh not to metion alot of police do not respect the citzens they serve. by the way it would be nice if aa county cops did not drive around like they are in the indy 500. lets see police officer first class salary is $43,285 – 80,143 not bad and if you make it to Lieutenant Salary ranges from $62,708-111,259 very nice!

Brian,
I don't think anyone is saying they shouldn't receive raises. I think the discussion revolves around the total benefit packages received by police officer's in relation to private sector employees.

hey,, this is not TV. Most police officers are never shot at, never shoot at anyone,, and never get in a fight with someone. This 20 year rule goes way back to a time when life expectancy was 50. It hasn't changed in 100 years, its time it does. 401k plans, no paid retirements. You pay 30% of your health care. You work till you can afford to retire. Cops are never around when you need one, they arrest people after you've been raped or shot. So if they love the job, hang in there, if not don't. Give them the raise and take the retirement, give them 401ks.

Not a single one of those 10 most dangerous jobs, involve risking their lives to save another, to walk into a dangerous setting, to break up a domestic dispute, to use common sense when dealing with kids in the neighborhood and enforcing rules that really seem dumb sometimes. AA County has a police force that does its job and it is only fair that each gets a living wage, so they can live and raise their families in the communities they serve . And the benefits they deserve, so they don't have to retire into poverty. Govt workers are needed to protect the common good and police officers are on the front line of that responsibility daily. As taxpayers we had lots of promises about the benefits of growth for our communities: more ppl and businesses, more $$ to pay for nec services. All we have gotten in 30 years has been more growth, lots more expenses connected with serving, protecting and educating those increases in population and development and a whole lot of complaints about having to pay for those vital services. The County Council was irresponsible in rescinding the voter approved "binding arbitration" in the Charter. This is a way to make up for the poor judgement that led to that decision.

Would you mind defining a "living wage?"

Yeah, we call the police when we run into trouble. That's their job. They signed up for it willingly. They weighed various career options...salary, power, guns, retirement benefits, job security, etc., and they decided to become a cop, or a fisherman, or a logger. So now I'm supposed to bow down and kiss the cop's feet when they respond to a call to do their job? How about the fisherman, should I bow down and kiss his fee too? What's the difference? I'll tell you the difference. You're not a fisherman, or married to one.

One of the biggest issues with public employees is the problem created by the unions feeding money to the politicians, and then sitting down with those exact same politicians, often behind closed doors, and negotiating contracts. That's how we get to the point where many public employees can retire with a generous pension at the age of 50, while the rest of the taxpaying public works 12-15 more years to pay for those early retirements of the public employees. Yes, that does cause some to get angry about how their tax dollars are spent. What's shocking to me is that you seem to find that kind of anger appalling.

I guess the author of this article is also ignorant:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304707604577421901195142304.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h

It's easy to call people names without justifying it when you disagree. Try increasing your medicaitons and not operating heavy machinery.

Because they have BETTER unions and can threten strikes. Unions had their places at one time - now there worse than the Mafia ever was.

I don't see where anyone is making the argument that the police, or any other public sector employee is "less deserving." What I think most people on here are saying is that police and other public sector employees are not more deserving.

Yet, the structure of their benefits makes it appear that they are more deserving. Try to find a private sector job that will allow you to retire at the age of 50 with a pension that pays 50% or more of some measure of the highest salary earned. The irony is that it's the taxes from the private sector (that must work 10-15 more years) that finance these generous benefits. I think the country is finally waking up to that fact. In that regard, the recall election in Wisconsin was one of the most important elections in the past 50 years.

Finally, while you acknowledged the danger of many jobs, you still resorted to the common argument that cops face special dangers. There is nothing more dangerous than death...and as I pointed out earlier, police does not even rank in the top 10 most deadly jobs. Furthermore, you are completely off base with police being "primary targets" of "angry citizens, ordinary criminals, gangs, and even domestic terrorists." Unarmed citizens are the PRIMARY targets of those groups. Do you honestly believe that when those groups are figuring out who to target they determine that their best chance of success is to target armed law enforcement?

RH,
Just for kick I looked up the 15 most dangerous jobs.
Law enforcement ranked in the top 15 most dangerous.
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-jobs-2011-9#

At least get your fact straight b4 you try to make a ludicrous argument. The funny thing is that your article says the more dangerous the job, the more the pay is. No wonder Law enforcement was NOT in your example.
Police work is inherently dangerous. For one to argue that it isnt is...well ...just stupid to put it mildly. If the Police want a raise, then they have the right to ask for one just like those in the private sector. If you dont want YOUR taxes to pay for it then go somewhere you dont have to pay for it.

well some officiers are a danger to the public they are either trigger happy or taser happy. i dont think the chances of them getting hurt are very high because a lot of police officiers shot first and ask questions later. and a lot has to do with what areas they patrol (different levels of risk in different areas)

Indeed, a cop's job is very dangerous:

http://jonathanturley.org/2012/06/07/lawsuit-architect-in-diabetic-shock-beaten-by-multiple-officers-pepper-sprayed-and-repeatedly-tasered-before-dying/

How were they to know he had not "targeted" them?

Brian C.: Your article shows a #9 ranking for PATROL officers, which is not at all the same as ALL OFFICERS. Take a look at # 8 on your list. Do you think driving/riding might have something to do you the #9 ranking of patrol officers? I do.

Also, I never claimed that being a police officer wasn't dangerous, I've just been pointing out that it's not even close to the MOST dangerous job.

And if you want to have some real fun, compare the average salaries/benefits of those dangerous jobs, on either list (yours or mine), and see where police stack up. Most of those jobs won't come close to the salary/benefits of police.

Again, it's not the public safety people in particular, it's public employees in general. These people don't get raises the way private sector workers do. Public sector unions funnel money to help elect politicians (of both parties). Then, after the election, the union sits down with those very same politicians (that they just helped elect) and negotiate a contract. It should shock nobody that the politicians end up giving away the farm in these negotiations. How else could these contracts allow retirement at the age of 50 (in many cases)? The average life expectancy in the US for a 50 year old is 77 for males and 80 for females. These people will be collecting generous pensions for as long, or longer, than they actually worked. Someone has to be taxed to pay those extravagant benefits.

That is the problem.

The solution to the problem is taking place across the country. Some local governments that can't afford to pay the benefits are starting to default...they just stop sending out checks. Some states have stopped collecting union dues on behalf of the unions. When they do that the unions are losing more than half of their members (and more importantly their dues). A union that can't buy off politicians isn't going to be a very effective union.