Now that Fresno police are Valley’s highest paid, will their union finally quit whining?
Considering what they face on a daily basis compared to police officers in other central San Joaquin Valley cities, Fresno cops deserve to be the highest paid.
Absolutely, no questions asked.
But now that Fresno police officers enjoy that distinction thanks to a new three-year labor agreement they backed in overwhelming numbers, there are a couple questions worth posing.
Namely, what do residents of California’s fifth-largest city get out of the deal? And will the police union finally stop whining?
Like a lot of people — perhaps even a former city manager — I was bothered by that internal Fresno Police Officers Association email describing the Fresno Police Department as “a sinking ship.”
Hate to break it to whomever crafted that analogy, but you’re part of that ship, working for a city helmed by a mayor (Jerry Dyer) who is practically synonymous with the department and under a dynamic and committed chief (Paco Balderrama).
Defund the police? Certainly not in Fresno. In the fiscal year 2021 budget, adopted 5-2 last summer by a “socialist” City Council (as described by former congressman Devin Nunes) police spending exceeded even what Dyer originally sought. It contains funding for 12 new police officers and 10 new community service officers — as well as a $20,000 bonus for officers living in the city south of Shaw Avenue.
Raises for rookies, veterans
Thanks to the new labor agreement, Fresno police officers now boast the highest starting salary of any law enforcement unit in the Valley. (Though you can be certain Clovis city leaders won’t let that stand for long.) Fresh-from-the-academy Fresno cops used to make $48,000 in base salary. Now, they’ll start out at nearly $60,000.
That bump will surely help Balderrama in his aggressive campaign to recruit new officers — a challenge made difficult by simple attrition in addition to salary demands. To help Balderrama prevent veterans from leaving, two new pay tiers were added to the upper end of the compensation scale. When the new top tier kicks in next June, officers at that level will receive $20,000 per year more than under the current structure.
In addition, the new contract provides an across-the-board 3 percent pay increase for three years (retroactively to 2021 through 2023) as well as a 5 percent “step raise” for both 2022 and 2023. Officers working swing and midnight shifts also saw a bump in pay, as did those assigned to special units.
Of course, base salaries are just part of the overall compensation for the typical Fresno cop. Virtually all of them work overtime — in some cases enough to nearly double their earnings.
Unlike their counterparts in other departments, Fresno police officers also benefit from a multitude of off-the-clock opportunities.
When the Big Fresno Fair wants a large police presence for its 12-day run, organizers hire dozens of Fresno cops who earn additional compensation. But that’s just one of numerous examples, and some of the assignments (like being stationed in your patrol car outside Victoria’s Secret at River Park or the Apple store at Fashion Fair) aren’t all that taxing.
Roughly half of all Fresno cops moonlight in some capacity, according to City Councilmember Miguel Arias.
Police ‘appreciated and valued’
The new contract, which consists of separate agreements for rank-and-file and supervisors, will cost nearly $31 million more than the old one through June 2024. Every dollar will go to pay increases.
In exchange, the police union had to give a little. The ridiculous “matrix” that allowed officers to select their own assignments, rather than be assigned where they’re needed most, is being phased out — and not a moment too soon. In what other line of work is the employee granted such a choice?
Last week after the agreement was announced, the FPOA struck a more benevolent tone. Vice president Jordan Wamhoff called the new contract “a great big step to where it needs to be,” one that makes officers “feel appreciated and valued” by the city and community.
I’m glad Fresno’s finest feel that way because they have an important job keeping 540,000 people safe. And now that they’re feeling appreciated and valued, we can only hope individual officers will be even more inspired to perform at the height of their abilities.
Over the next three years, a more motivated police department should be expected to produce results. Fewer crimes. Shorter response times. More cases solved. Right? Or else, what’s the point?
“They got pretty much everything they wanted,” Arias said of negotiations between the police union and city officials. “Question is, will residents get better service from the department? Or will it just be more expensive business as usual?”
Those are questions only Fresno’s police officers and their union leaders can answer.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
