In the late-1990’s Redlands POA consistently ran with 12-15 vacancies.  The Department, though rich in talent, was plagued with many of the ills of being underpaid and overworked.  As a result, police officers fled to better paid agencies and only new recruits typically accepted employment.  Today, with its ranks at full compliment and a waiting list of over 75 qualified lateral applicants, the agency is enjoying the benefits of long-term labor stability produced by successive 5-year contracts.

As result of the last contract, the base salaries of police officers and police sergeants increased by 36 to 39.5% and the 3%@50 benefits was secured, with employees agreeing to pay 5.87% of its cost.  Although the City is in a difficult financial position at present, its outlook is good, in part due to several redevelopment projects that are coming to fruition over the next few years.  To secure the success of those projects, the City Council made it one of its top priorities to continue attracting and retaining top quality police officers by maintaining the wage and benefit advances that were achieved in the last contract.  A safe city will be a prosperous city.

The new agreement calls for a base salary increase of 3% in July 2005, a base salary increase of 3% plus a 1.96% increase in the City’s pick up of members’ retirement contributions in July 2006, another 3% base salary increase plus an additional 1.96% increase in the City’s pick up of members’ retirement contributions in July 2007 and a 2% base salary increase plus an additional 1.95% increase in the City’s pick up of members’ retirement contributions in July 2008.  By that time, the City will be paying employees’ full retirement contributions.  In July 2009, each classification will receive another an across the board base salary increase of whatever amount is necessary to bring that classification to the mean or median, whichever is higher, of the surveyed jurisdictions.  It is estimated that the last raise will be roughly 7-9%.  Thus officers’ take home pay is estimated to increase by 25-27% over the term of the contract, with a guarantee that if the market moves greater than anticipated, the officers’ increases will be even greater.

Additionally, effective July 2005, members’ annual uniform allowance increased to $1200, City-paid life insurance increased by $15,000 and bereavement leave doubled to 4 days paid leave per incident. 

What is perhaps most significant in this contract are those benefits that were not changed.  Members will continue to enjoy fully paid health insurance for active employees, their spouses and dependants and the City will continue to reimburse employees and dependents for all co-pays and deductibles, including for prescription drugs.  The contract also left unchanged the fully paid retiree medical insurance for all employees and their dependents.  Add that to the 9% and 17.5% intermediate and advanced POST certificate pays and the Redlands Police Department should continue to thrive well into the next decade.

Throughout the negotiations that led to this contract, conservatively estimated to be worth 33-35%, the Association was represented its President, Chris Catren, and team members Corey Hunt, Les Jolly, John Moore and the Association’s attorney for the past 11 years, Robert Wexler of Silver, Hadden & Silver.  The POA wishes to thank the City Council for its commitment to the vitality of the Police Department, and to the City’s negotiators, City Manager John Davidson and Finance Director Tina Kundig, for the open exchange of information, willingness to explore ideas and for taking a very active part in the process.