THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070108
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 194 lines
THE BUDGET BATTLE is over. The city once again has set aside money for its various projects, programs and employees. Any talk about what might be added to the budget will have to wait another year.
So why did three Virginia Beach police officers associations pay a private airplane company to fly a banner across the holiday-packed Oceanfront last week bearing this message: ``Crime Pays, City Council Doesn't.''
Why would these organizations - the Fraternal Order of Police, the Virginia Beach Police Supervisors and Policemen's Benevolent associations - raise the pay issue even though their members just received a 4.5 percent pay increase?
Why again would they push this hard when some lower paid officers were made eligible for an additional 1.5 percent increase on top of the 4.5 percent?
The answer might be simply to keep up the pressure.
First off, police say they are grateful for the money. But, as Bobby Mathieson, president of the Virginia Beach PBA, said last week the increase does not come close to bringing many of the city's 642 sworn officers into pay grades commonly found in other police departments.
As proof, Mathieson pointed to a recent national survey of municipal employees' pay that found Virginia Beach paid its senior officers in the 22nd percentile of similarly sized cities.
Then there is the question of work load. Based on population, Virginia Beach has the fewest officers per 1,000 civilians of any city in Hampton Roads - 1.55. By comparison, Norfolk has 2.80 officers per 1,000 residents; Chesapeake has 1.78. Even tiny Suffolk has 1.98 officers per 1,000 Suffolkians. What the numbers suggest is that Virginia Beach police are spread thinner than their regional counterparts.
Then, of course, there is the money.
Citing a study the city commissioned last year, Mathieson said Virginia Beach law-enforcement salaries fall short by several thousand dollars a year when compared to regional and national wages.
The starting salary for a Beach police officer is $23,701 - about $5,000 less than rookie officers earn in Fairfax County. Fairfax County recently placed a help-wanted ad in local newspapers to lure recruits.
Police officers in the resort city can eventually earn up to $37,935 - the maximum salary - through raises and promotions to Master Police Officer.
Virginia Beach police salaries are at the bottom of the ranges paid by 33 other cities and counties, the study showed. Typically, local police salaries lag $6,000 to $7,000 behind other cities.
Can anything be done this year?'' Mathieson said. ``In all honesty, yes. If council can find the money for Christmas lights on the Boardwalk, they can do this.''
Last month, in a move that stuck hard in the throats of cops citywide, council approved a holiday lighting program that would decorate 22nd Street and the Boardwalk with Christmas lights at a cost of $750,000.
It's a lot of money perhaps, but granting the police an amount they want could cost the city in excess of about $6 million a year, to say nothing of additional costs for Social Security, life insurance and retirement. And faced with other pressing needs - the never-ending road construction plans, new schools, pay raises for other city workers - City Council thought it best to take a more measured approach.
To that end, council has set in motion pay increases that should bring officers closer to what their counterparts earn in other cities, but it will take time and it won't be as much as the police want.
``What we're trying to do is target the 65th percentile,'' said City Manager James K. Spore. ``We think that is appropriate, not just for police but for all municipal workers. This first year following the survey we are trying to get them up to the 50th percentile. Then, over a period of several years, hopefully move them up, subject to available funding and the economy.''
Spore said that when Police Chief Charles R. Wall made his budget recommendations, he pushed for more officers, more computer equipment and more people to handle the department's increasing clerical needs.
``Our recommendation was based on not just police but the whole work force, plus the 9,000 workers in the school system,'' Spore said. ``The police seem to focus on their needs, but from my perspective I have to look out for all 14,000 city workers and not just the police.''
Such cautionary language makes officers like Mathieson, David Hewes (president of the Virginia Beach Fraternal Order of Police), and Chip Condon (president of the Virginia Beach Police Supervisors Association) nervous.
They say they have heard for years that come budget time the city would help them out. Many then heard excuses as to why more money was not available.
That's why they brought out the airplanes and the banners: to keep attention focused on their concerns, even during this ``off season'' for budget planning.
Drew Lankford, whose company, the Public Affairs Group, has a reputation for keeping issues in the public eye, was hired by the three organizations to help spread the word.
``The banners were one way of starting to raise the issue,'' Lankford said. ``They're not the heart and soul of the campaign. They're not even central. They're a way to raise awareness.
``And they have worked. They've gotten people talking, raised awareness, even gotten policemen talking among themselves that at least something is being done.''
Every year, Lankford said, council says to the police: wait until spring and we'll so do something for you.
``But nothing gets done,'' he said. ``Things just zig and zag, so this is something that might break the logjam.''
The group has already sponsored newspaper ads and put representatives before the microphones of WNIS talk radio and, of course, flown the banners.
But the tactic has risks.
Leslie K. Fenlon, president of the Council of Civic Organizations, said his group decided to stand back from embracing the pay issue.
``We just felt we'd be going out too far on a limb. . . . We're proud of our police and we know they're underpaid and so forth. We have a lot of sympathy for 'em, but we can't take a formal position because we're more concerned about the budget - we don't know what's gonna come up next year. It's just too early.''
Rick Anoia, president of the Resort Leadership Council, an umbrella group representing the Oceanfront's hotel, motel, restaurant and retail industry, was not sure the banner tactic was the right approach.
``The way they're going about it, saying council is not on our side, more police, more pay, ultimately the taxpayers are the ones who have to pay for it, so it's a tough battle with council,'' he said.
``I don't think insulting council is a very equitable way to get their attention,'' Anoia said. ``They need to work on a very positive media campaign, to educate the general public and get public support behind them.''
Mindful of a campaign that relied heavily on police support, Mathieson, Hewes and Condon had pressured Councilman W.W. ``Bill'' Harrison to garner votes for more pay, votes that Harrison has not always been able to deliver. Still, the Lynnhaven borough councilman said he is supportive of police and asks for their patience.
``The pay we gave them brought them into the 50th percentile. It was an indication and recognition of the fine job the police do,'' Harrison said.
``I am supportive of the work they do and quite supportive of all efforts to bring them to a higher percentile,'' he added. ``I agree that Virginia Beach, as the biggest city in the commonwealth and one that enjoys a low crime rate, really speaks highly of the police.''
But the police must recognize they cannot expect to win everything immediately, he said.
``We have to address it over a period of years. We can't be fiscally prudent and jump from the 50th percentile to the 75th percentile overnight.''
Harrison said he wasn't certain how long it would take.
``I have spoken with them a number of times. They were talking six percent this year but council did not have the money available. We did more for police, so the recognition was there. The police do an excellent job and need to have commensurate compensation with other parts of the country.
``But as a new council member, I can't solve the problems of the past. We have to take it over time, just like we could not afford to beautify Atlantic Avenue in one year. It took time. Now we're at the end of that process and look what we've got. It's the same with police compensation. It will take several fiscal years.''
Harrison, like many other city leaders, pointed out that the police were involved in many of the decisions that brought the city to the 4.5 percent figure in the first place.
``Employees in the police and fire departments are some of the biggest beneficiaries in the new pay system,'' Harrison said. ``I have mentioned this to Bobby Mathieson, that we were working for the same thing. We are addressing the inequities and making an effort to improve their pay.''
As for the banners, Harrison said he was mystified.
``I am at a loss for a logical explanation. They were involved all along. . wait. But we just can't afford it all now.'' ILLUSTRATION: A SALARY DISPUTE
ON THE COVER
Officer T.A. Jones of the Virginia Beach mounted police, patrols
Atlantic Avenue. Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Three Beach police associations paid a private airplane to fly a
banner across the holiday-packed Oceanfront bearing this message:
``Crime Pays, City Council Doesn't.''
``Can anything be done this year?'' Bob Mathieson said. ``In all
honesty, yes. If council can find the money for Christmas lights on
the Boardwalk, they can do this.''
``What we're trying to do is target the 65th percentile,'' said City
Manager James K. Spore. ``We think that is appropriate, not just for
police but for all municipal workers.''
``I don't think insulting council is a very equitable way to get
their attention,'' said Rick Anoia, president of the Resort
Leadership Council, which represents Oceanfront businesses.
``We have to address it over a period of years,'' said Virginia
Beach Council William Harrison. ``We can't be fiscally prudent and
jump from the 50th percentile to the 75th percentile overnight.''
GRAPHIC
POLICE OFFICERS' PAY
KEN WRIGHT/Staff
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]
SOURCES: FBI for population and crime data; police departments for
salary information and staffing; The Weldon-Cooper Center for Public
Service for South Hampton Roads staffing.
KEYWORDS: SALARIES VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT by CNB