New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is proposing a five-percent pay increase for the city's police officers. The head of the New Orleans police union says, that will certainly help to retain officers currently on the force.
Captain Michael Glasser, Police Association of New Orleans president, told WWL's Tommy Tucker that this raise, unlike the bonuses paid to officers earlier this year, gives officers a reason to stay on the job.
"I think this five-percent raise is going to be important for this year coming forward," Glasser said. "It's something people can look forward to and know for a fact that next year they're going make a little more than this year, and the year after that they're going make a little more than that, and that's what keeps people in place."
Glasser says the raise and other incentives may also help attract new recruits to the department.
"I think we're going to attract a lot more people, and I think we're going to keep a few more people as we go along," Glasser said
While Glasser says the raises are good news for officers, he notes that officers want more changes than just a pay hike.
"It was never all about the money," Glasser said. "The issues with the public integrity bureau and promotions and things that affect daily work lives were the things that were most important, and those things seem to be . . . are being addressed."
Glasser says new NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick is enacting reforms in the NOPD's public integrity bureau, changes he says will help boost morale among rank-and-file officers and help recruit new officers to the force. Glasser said because of this, he's giving Kirkpatrick high marks so far.
"Between one and ten, I'd have to say about an eight because I know the new superintendent has the résumé (and) she's got the experience in managing a department," Glasser said. "How much freedom she'll have to actually do what she's hired to do and who she surrounds herself with to get the job done will determine of the eight will become a nine or a ten."
