City Council Raises Cop Pay
Geraghty Questions Clothing Allowance

The Portland City Council approved a raise for Portland police at their April 19th meeting. The City and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) negotiating teams had reached a tentative agreement on March 23. The tentative agreement had been ratified by the PBA membership. The PBA contract covers 127 police officers and detectives.

The agreement provides a 3% across the board raise, retroactive to January 1, 2006, and another 3% raise on January 7, 2007. The contract includes improvements in education incentive pay, court pay, and clothing allowances. There are also improvements in procedures for filling overtime jobs.

West End City Councilor Karen Geraghty supported the raise, but questioned the clothing allowance, which provides about $200 per officer for what she said were ‘optional’ clothing, such as turtlenecks and optional headwear that was permitted but not required.