Jeffersonville City Council approves amended police contract giving officers a $6,000 raise

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — Every member of Jeffersonville's police department will soon be getting a raise and more days off.

In a unanimous decision Monday evening, the Jeffersonville City Council agreed on an amended contract, giving each officer a $6,000 raise.

The decision was less about recruitment and more about retention of officers who are already trained and on the streets.

Starting pay will now be at $66,000 in order to stay competitive with surrounding departments.

Officers will be on a five days on, four days off schedule to allow them to spend more time with family outside of work.

The city's negotiating committee worked the proposal for two months based on what the Golden, Colorado Police Department tried out, and it appears to be working.

The Jeffersonville Fraternal Order of Police union took a vote which passed 77 to 3, and the council took notice.

"We train a whole lot and that is not free so you put that kind of investment into an officer to get the product we get out of our officers, you certainly want to keep them here cause the next person you have to pay to train is going cost even more than the front cost off the salary and the benefits and stuff," Jeffersonville City Council President Dustin White said.

So, how does the new Jeffersonville Police starting pay at $66,000 compare to some nearby departments? Louisville Metro Police's starting pay is just over $62,000; New Albany Police's starting pay is slightly more than $64,000, and Shepherdsville Police in Kentucky is just more than $63,000.

The amended contract will start July 1 and go through the end of the year. Then, a new four-year contract could begin with even more raises.