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[quote=rscalzo;15967708]
Unless he was the Colonel , that's not happening at a 70 percent max. The final base salary would have been $170,000. Care to prove it as it would be public knowledge. All that is needed would be a name. As the highest final salaries for 2009 was not within 50k of that number, you're full of BS./quote
New Jersey State Police - Recruiting - Salaries and Benefits
The current starting salary for a trooper is $58,748.29 (including uniform allowance). The second-year total compensation jumps to $65,662.39. Top pay for a Trooper I is $97,188.48. Troopers receive yearly increments. All recruits receive $777.78 every two weeks, plus overtime pay. Room and board are also provided while training.
Work Schedule Troopers typically work a 40-hour week on a variety of schedules. Overtime is voluntary, except in unusual circumstances, and is rewarded with *premium pay or compensation time.*
Retirement Package The State Police Retirement System is overseen by a Board of Trustees which includes two members of the State Police. When a trooper retires, he or she can take advantage of a comprehensive retirement plan. The plan offers a wide variety of benefits, depending on years of service.
Mandatory Retirement Everyone in the State Police must retire by age 55 except the Superintendent.
Pension
Enrollment in the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) is a condition of employment. Your employee contribution will be 7 1/2 percent of your annual salary. (Note: You will not pay pension contributions on your maintenance allowance, but it will count towards your final compensation for pension purposes.)
Service Retirement: After 20 years of service as a New Jersey State Trooper, you are eligible to receive a pension, regardless of age, consisting of 50% of your final compensation.
Special Retirement: After 25 years of service as a New Jersey State Trooper, you are eligible to receive a pension, regardless of age, consisting of 65% of your final compensation plus 1% for each year above 25 years. The maximum benefit that you can receive under a special retirement is 70% of your final compensation.
State Paid Health Benefits
Troopers who attain 25 years of service in the SPRS are entitled to State paid health benefits in retirement according to the terms of the bargaining agreement in effect at the time they reach 25 years of service. The current agreement covering State Troopers does not require any cost sharing by the Troopers.
Troopers who do not attain 25 years of service in the SPRS before they retire or terminate employment may qualify for State paid health benefits in retirement if they have purchased former membership for a New Jersey State administered pension plan. The former membership purchased and the SPRS time must add up to 25 or more years to qualify.
Troopers who do not obtain a total of 25 years of state service will be afforded continuous State health benefits covered at a group rate.
And those benefits are just for regular troopers. As was pointed out, cops routinely manipulate the overtime system. They investigation by the NSL and others have shown this increases the salary of some to $260,000. $150,000 a year is common. So it is perfectly credible that one would retire at $120,000.
BTW, we didn't even have a state police in NJ until the 1920s, and I don't see where they're necessary now.
Well sounds like a lot of sour grapes out there....start filling out your applications unless you're too old..like I said when I need police I don't want grandpa showing up
For what it's worth, as a mid-20s male who's 6'3, 200lbs, generally athletic, hates being stuck in an office and loves to wear my hair very short, I'd be happy to be a police officer in my area. And hell, I'd do it for $50K. I like the idea so much where I researched the whole thing and have been considering applying.
However, our very screwed-up state system of getting jobs in LE has such an insane veterans preference requirement that it's nearly impossible (in part, because these jobs ARE so high-paying and in demand) for your average law abiding, tax-paying, smart, decent citizen to get a job in LE. On top of that, if you don't happen to live in a town that uses the state's CSC system for hiring officers, your name will go on a county list that is almost worthless (unless your Sheriff's Dept. is hiring, which would bring you back to the preference issue anyway). So that leaves you to apply for what's known as a "Chief's Test" in any number of towns, which will be flooded with applicants from all over the state. For example, Toms River PD had (don't quote me, but I'm in the right neighborhood) 600 guys apply to take the test for a potential 18 openings.
Believe me, there are TONS of people in this state who would love to be a police officer but through a number of circumstances feel they have no shot.
The police are even more worthless than other government agencies. In only about 1% of crimes overall and 2% of violent crimes is someone caught and convicted for the crime.
About 42% of all murders are ever solved, and that's using DoJ/FBI figures (65% arrest rate and about 65% of those convicted, and that's assuming no unreported or unknown murders)
In only 11% of reported cases of sexual assault is someone convicted (Gray-Eurom K, Seaberg DC, Wears RL: The prosecution of sexual assault cases: Correlation with forensic evidence. Ann Emerg Med 2002; 39:39-46.)
Whoa, whoa whoa... I'm all for reducing waste, but to say police are "worthless" is just silly.
I would argue that as far as murders go, a great many of them will never be solved because of two reasons: the "stop snitching" culture in the neighborhoods where most murders take place, and the fact that many murders can be linked to street gangs whose members lack the legal status to be in this country in the first place. Neither of those reasons have anything to do with local police.
Also, sexual assault cases bring into the equation "he said, she said" and victims retracting their statements, becoming uncooperative, etc. Again, not the fault of police.
Additionally, when it comes to conviction rates for certain crimes, shouldn't your beef be with the prosecutor's office anyway?
Unless he was the Colonel , that's not happening at a 70 percent max. The final base salary would have been $170,000. Care to prove it as it would be public knowledge. All that is needed would be a name. As the highest final salaries for 2009 was not within 50k of that number, you're full of BS./quote
New Jersey State Police - Recruiting - Salaries and Benefits
The current starting salary for a trooper is $58,748.29 (including uniform allowance). The second-year total compensation jumps to $65,662.39. Top pay for a Trooper I is $97,188.48. Troopers receive yearly increments. All recruits receive $777.78 every two weeks, plus overtime pay. Room and board are also provided while training.
Work Schedule Troopers typically work a 40-hour week on a variety of schedules. Overtime is voluntary, except in unusual circumstances, and is rewarded with *premium pay or compensation time.*
Retirement Package The State Police Retirement System is overseen by a Board of Trustees which includes two members of the State Police. When a trooper retires, he or she can take advantage of a comprehensive retirement plan. The plan offers a wide variety of benefits, depending on years of service.
Mandatory Retirement Everyone in the State Police must retire by age 55 except the Superintendent.
Pension
Enrollment in the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) is a condition of employment. Your employee contribution will be 7 1/2 percent of your annual salary. (Note: You will not pay pension contributions on your maintenance allowance, but it will count towards your final compensation for pension purposes.)
Service Retirement: After 20 years of service as a New Jersey State Trooper, you are eligible to receive a pension, regardless of age, consisting of 50% of your final compensation.
Special Retirement: After 25 years of service as a New Jersey State Trooper, you are eligible to receive a pension, regardless of age, consisting of 65% of your final compensation plus 1% for each year above 25 years. The maximum benefit that you can receive under a special retirement is 70% of your final compensation.
State Paid Health Benefits
Troopers who attain 25 years of service in the SPRS are entitled to State paid health benefits in retirement according to the terms of the bargaining agreement in effect at the time they reach 25 years of service. The current agreement covering State Troopers does not require any cost sharing by the Troopers.
Troopers who do not attain 25 years of service in the SPRS before they retire or terminate employment may qualify for State paid health benefits in retirement if they have purchased former membership for a New Jersey State administered pension plan. The former membership purchased and the SPRS time must add up to 25 or more years to qualify.
Troopers who do not obtain a total of 25 years of state service will be afforded continuous State health benefits covered at a group rate.
And those benefits are just for regular troopers. As was pointed out, cops routinely manipulate the overtime system. They investigation by the NSL and others have shown this increases the salary of some to $260,000. $150,000 a year is common. So it is perfectly credible that one would retire at $120,000.
BTW, we didn't even have a state police in NJ until the 1920s, and I don't see where they're necessary now.
Ann I agree that some police are overpaid. But getting back to retirement salary, my last police chief's salary was 150,000 he retired, he gets 65 percent of that which equates out to 97,500. Is it good, sure. He had a masters degree, graduated the FBI in Quantico, VA and worked his way up the structure. He was 1 out of 1,000. OVERTIME DOES NOT GO INTO YOUR PENSION. Your base salary is used.
Very true that the funds are still "taxpayer", but the point was valid that the bulk of their OT is not paid from the municipal budget. They need a cop to sit at the construction site, so they are paid from that budget. The alternative is to pull a cop off the street, which some towns do. The point was that most cops don't earn OT to the level people think they do, generally the equivalent of a few hundred a month and it generally comes from covering shifts for other officers or working town events like parades.
Also, AFAIK, the pension is not based on salary + OT, but just based on last salary. So, if a retiring officer made $100k salary + $7k OT in his last year, only the $100k salary counts for the pension.
It's also the law. If we actually had people who heeded warnings in construction zones, road work etc etc they wouldn't be needed
yes you do lie by implying that by cops being on call 24/7, they're on duty during their days off.. other posters have noted that's not nearly the case as there's always someone else on the shift allowing them their off days to themselves (on top of great vacation/sick packages)
sorry you read it that way, but all i said is if you know anyone on call nearly 24/7 it takes a toll on them. it was a response to someone else talking about someone being on call 24/7. some cops i know are on call on set days of the week. some cops i know back home because of the size of the departments are actually on call 24/7/365. i don't know about most nj towns and what cops are on call when. so not sure how i'm lying still. maybe you're just interpreting things i'm saying incorrectly?
Quote:
Originally Posted by newjitty
..sooo, let's not question the excessive benefits, OT, vacation packages, COLA pensions, on top of the highest salaries in the nation, considering they are derived from NJ taxpayers who pay the highest property taxes in the nation... yes, a taxpayer who pays someone's benefits outright because he doesn't want to contribute shouldn't have the right to question whether those amounts are going to actual "service" or excessive pay..
..considering there is no "service" incentive to clean up tree branches, etc as quick and efficiently as possible given the current structure gives cops reason to take as long as possible to collect further OT from the taxpayer, which will raise his pension down the line, also from the taxpayer
shame on silly taxpayers for every questioning why they pay the highest property taxes in the country
source where OT doesn't count toward pensions?
wow, something we agree on.. i never understood the argument about public employees EVER comparing their salaries to private company partners, CEO's etc.. you're in PUBLIC SERVICE, as in your duty is to serve the Public, not make as close as possible to CEO's off taxpayers quarterly payments! i work in a private firm, imagine if i asked my boss for a raise or that i not contribute to my health plan or 401k and have him do it just because this CEO makes that amount..huh?
i believe cops should receive a fair wage.. i don't know what bubble they live in where towns have cop MEDIAN salaries above $120,000 BEFORE benefits, OT, vacation packages, and pensions SUBSIDIZED by taxpayers who pay the highest property taxes in the country..i wanna say given the economy, blah, blah, but even in a good economy that's pretty eye-opening.. fair? hardly.
i may think CEO of XYZ company is grossly overpaid for the product he delivers - so what do i do? i don't buy stock for his company, i avoid his products/services like the plague and tell friends where to get a better deal.. i don't have that option with my property taxes as we all know it's the law... and i pay my taxes, so i have every right to question where it actually goes.
the newspaper article that started this very thread flat out states that OT doesn't contribute to pensions. i'm assuming that they are correct and that they used a valid source. maybe a poor assumption, but usually newspapers are accurate. i did say usually...
you do have the option with your property taxes. you can move to a different state. vote with your feet applies in both scenarios. people in NJ choose to have excellent schools and spend a lot of money on police.
the whole "the government did it" is a farce. WE are the government. WE demand services from our cities. WE vote the politicians in. WE can vote them out. WE can move to a different state.
And those benefits are just for regular troopers. As was pointed out, cops routinely manipulate the overtime system.
OT is required when conditions permit. Usually when manpower drops to a level when operations can't comtinue. that's usually when employees use sick time and vacation. You knoiw, it's called use it or lose it. Look for more in the future as it must be used in a year.
Did you think that overtime wasn't required during the recent metorogical events? Special events like a Presidential visit that requires massive amounts of people to close roadways and provide local security. The secret Service provides nothing.
Construction zone operations are governed bu OSHA rules. From the placement and number of cones to the hazard warning systems the details are in the manual and must be followed to avoid liability.
Regardless, any overtime is not included in the pensions. Beleieve it of not, these people actually want a life. they already work nights, weekends, holidays and in a matter of hours have days off and vacations cancelled. they lose whatever little free time they have to attent coutrt sessions. Maybe they should schedule court around their schedules and hold it at 2am??? Getting them to work overtime usually requires threats.
Lastly, the final pension doesn't include any overtime. It doesn't include anything but the base salary. Yet many who chose to publish recent stories seem to conveniently forget that fact. If overtime really bothers the residents that much, just ban it. Then live with the results. My department is down 20 percent in their manpower over the last five years. In the next six months two or three more are leaving with no hiring in sight. So it's either overtime of the calls go unanswered. Minor calls already have wait times of up to an hour during peak times. The day will come when no one will be dispatched and a self reporting system will be required.
Last winter we were out to dinner with another couple and yes he is a cop. During the course of dinner another patron leaves the bar area drunk, goes out to the parking lot and proceeded to play bumper cars with cars in parking lot...so the cop runs out grabs on to the door opener of drunks car..manages to get the door open...one leg inside the car other leg jogging along with the car until he could pull the keys out of the ignition or be dragged on to the roadway...he got keys out...jerked the drunk out of the car, got him on the ground in a twisted mode...he was OFF duty so didn't have cuffs on him..and waited for local police to show up..when they did I lost count of how many enpty beer cans they pulled out of his car
But I guess the cop should have continued his dinner and let drunk take off and maybe kill somebody on the road....
Sorry but they are ON CALL 24/7 in more ways than one can imagine...
One area where I think the police can save money (and this is the root of a lot of NJ issues) is consolidation. There are many small communities that are all clustered together and each of them maintains their own complete police forces. There is no reason why we couldn't see more consolidation among police departments as well as various other municipal forces.
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