POLICE SALARIES AND BENEFITS IN NJ

Police Salaries and Benefits in NJ

Police Salaries and Benefits in NJ

Introduction

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.

Police Salaries and Benefits in NJ

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. There are 13 paid holidays a year. Troopers are allotted one vacation day per month in the first year of service, as well as three personal days per year. The initial vacation allotment of 12 days increases after a trooper has been on the job for five years and increases at regular intervals after that. Sick leave is allotted. Members of the State Police and their families are offered two options for medical coverage, two options for dental coverage, a prescription drug plan and a vision care program.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) - The HMO plan allows you to choose a plan from among several different HMOs, allows you to choose a primary care provider from a list of participating HMO physicians, requires no deductibles or claim forms, and only a possible co-payment for services. Coverage is not usually provided if you go outside the HMO for services.

NJ Plus (Preferred Provider Organization) - Combining features from the traditional and HMO systems, this plan allows you to choose from a network of physicians, usually covers 100 percent of services in network, and usually requires a $10 co-payment for services. In addition, with a yearly deductible, this plan allows you to use the medical service providers of your choice and covers 70 percent of the payment for their services.

Literature review

Kenney et al. (1982) studied a five-municipality consolidation project in California. They found police consolidation of small departments to present an opportunity for innovation, that is, “alter the structure of police departments and thus improve the quality and delivery of police services” (Kenney et al., 1982, p. 466). This California consolidation project offered the police departments involved the chance to shift their priorities to a proactive crime prevention priority, a strategy based on crime suppression. Their strategy included the development of improved community relations along with the use of community service officers. The Kenney study also recommended the use of contract personnel and employment of officers on yearly (contractual) bases. The initial use of contract personnel allowed the police executive greater flexibility in filling positions and provided for greater accountability. The study concluded that consolidating police services provides alternative staffing methods, creative financing, and more control over effective police services.

Richard Rubin (1984) in his study of municipal consolidations demonstrated that the rising costs of maintaining and manning two separate public safety departments is the major reason city officials seek alternatives to the standard ...