Philadelphia’s new three-year police contract includes raises for the city’s more than 6,000 police officers and gives Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw greater authority over disciplinary matters, according to the mayor’s office. The contract, which was written by a three-person arbitration panel, also increases the amount of time that disciplinary actions remain on officers’ records, the Inquirer reports.
Officers will get one-time bonuses of $1,500 in addition to raises of 2.75% this year and raises of 3.5% in 2022 and 2023. The contract is backdated to July 1, when the previous contract expired, and it ends on June 30, 2024.
“Our police officers are on the front lines — sworn to protect and serve our residents with honor and I want to thank them for their dedication and steadfast service in the face of adversity every single day,” Kenney said in a statement. “While most officers serve with integrity, we also recognize the tension and concern that many residents feel in their interactions with police. We believe that the reforms in the Award will help improve the relationship between the police and community, ultimately helping keep Philadelphians safer.”
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, the local police union, successfully defeated the administration’s attempt to require all officers to live in the city. It said the contract ensures that officers’ “discipline grievance and arbitration rights” are “100% protected.”