LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Down to the second, Metro Council President David James knows how much time Greg Fischer has left in office as Louisville's mayor.
"498 days," he said, glancing down at his phone for reference. "Eight hours, 28 minutes and 20 seconds."
In the Friday afternoon interview, James urged Fischer to use that remaining time to stabilize Louisville Metro Police Department — which is currently about 250 officers short — and reverse Louisville's trend of homicides and violent crime in doing so.
Hours before, Fischer revealed an effort to do so when he announced his office had reached a tentative contract agreement with the leadership of LMPD's union, River City FOP Lodge 614, that will provide pay increases and guaranteed raises to LMPD officers in addition to reforms designed to ensure more accountability.
New officers now make about $49,500. By July 2023, officers' salaries will range from $51,000 to nearly $79,000 for an officer at the end of his or her career.
And salaries for sergeants and lieutenants will also climb. Sergeants' salaries will be between $78,700 and $93,500 in the 2023 fiscal year, while lieutenants' salaries will be $98,000 to $123,100.
In particular, the contract would mandate that all union members get raises every two years. In an example provided by Fischer's office, a new recruit who joins now could make roughly $65,000 within two years.
Fischer said his administration's goal was to ensure "that we have a pay scale that allows us to recruit and retain the most talented people possible, while also making reforms to further trust between the police and the community they serve."
"My hope is that the men and women of LMPD see this as an investment in them, that those considering law enforcement see it as an invitation to a fulfilling career, and that our residents see it as evidence of our commitment to bring major reformative changes to address accountability and community trust," he said.
The salary increases in the tentative contract are an effort to retain and bring new officers to the department as neighboring departments that offer better pay poach from LMPD's force.
Metro Council President David James stands behind Mayor Greg Fischer during a recent news conference. (WDRB Photo)
James posited that past union contracts negotiated throughout Fischer's tenure — that did not drastically address lagging officer pay — are the reason the department is currently short-staffed and struggling to fulfill its duties effectively.
"The mayor owns 110% of this situation," James said. "Where we are right now was predictable — extremely predictable."
James said he cannot say whether the new tentative contract will do enough to reverse current trends, and he said money already budgeted by Metro Council would have allowed the mayor to offer more generous pay increases.
"We could do much better," he said. "The pay raise that the mayor negotiated with the FOP doesn't put us in situation where people are going to say, 'No, I'm going to not go to J-town or I'm not going to go St. Matthews Police Department and go to LMPD.' It doesn't set LMPD up as one of the best paid police departments in the region."
A former LMPD officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had a more positive outlook about the tentative contract's salary ranges.
"The new contract is a step in the right direction for retaining officers, recruiting new officers, attracting laterals, and retired officers," he said.
However, he said he does not believe that it will prevent "officers who are planning on retiring or seeking employment at other departments from leaving" because of a perceived lack of support from city leaders.
The tentative contract is contingent on a vote by officers who are union members in early September. If it is approved by members, it will then need Metro Council's approval.
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