Dunkirk council looks at police pay

DUNKIRK –– Police and dispatch employees may be getting a raise next year.

Dunkirk City Council discussed increasing city police and dispatch officers’ pay by $2 an hour during its first reading of the 2022 budget Monday. It also agreed to rezone property for a planned new business on Main Street.

As council read through the more than $1.9 million budget proposed for next year, council member Jesse Bivens noted that the police department has $220,379 budgeted. (A separate amount of $120,309 includes pay for dispatch.)

Bivens then began reading from a prepared statement.

“Police officers, it’s a hard profession anymore,” he said. “In many cases, they’re leaving the police profession well before they reach the retirement age. We have a lot of police personnel that (are) just leaving. We’re straining them, we’re taking them to the academy, we’re fitting them with everything they need, and then they’re leaving,” Bivens said.

“We’re losing our police officers because they’re not wanting to stay with us,” he continued.

There are currently three full-time police officers in Dunkirk, with a fourth officer undergoing training at Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. (Council also hired two part-time officers in August at $30 an hour to cover weekend shifts as needed until more full-time police are brought on staff.)

Bivens noted some officers have left the department to work elsewhere. He listed the average annual pay for police departments in the county, including county deputies currently at $38,883, Portland officers at $46,391 and Redkey officers at $37,985. Bivens said the average annual pay for a level-entry Dunkirk police officer is $34,716, or about $16.69 an hour.

“That’s not very much for somebody that puts their life on the line … if we would do that, would you stay for $16.69 an hour?” he asked.

(Dispatchers make between $12 and $14 an hour, according to clerk-treasurer Tina Elliott.)

Bivens mentioned other ways to make officers feel appreciated, such as longevity pay, vacation days and take-home vehicles. Elliott said officers do receive extra days off to make up for working holidays.

Bivens then requested council increase officers’ and dispatchers’ wages by $2 an hour.

Council member Bryan Jessup noted that the salary ordinance for 2022 was already passed in July, saying that although he agrees with Bivens’ sentiment, he thinks it’s too late to add raises for next year’s budget.

“I don’t have a problem with the money –– I think we’re late to the show,” Jessup said. “If we’re going to keep police officers and have a police force, we need to do better. But right now we’ve painted ourselves into a corner … this all should’ve been done two months ago …”

Elliott suggested potentially using American Rescue Plan monies to supplement police and dispatchers’ pay next year. (She noted they would need to amend the salary ordinance, which she said can be changed until Dec. 31.) For the 2023 budget, she continued, they could return to the discussion and factor in a wage increase.

Council unanimously agreed to approve the budget as read and to discuss amending the salary ordinance at a later date.

Also Monday, council agreed to rezone lots directly south of the Pak-a-Sak/Marathon gas station at 915 S. Main St.

According to Mayor Jack Robbins, Dunkirk Plan Commission on Wednesday recommended rezoning the location of two houses at about 1001 S. Main St. and farm ground next to them to for the new business.

A representative from the company –– he said he could not disclose the name of the business coming to Dunkirk –– shared plans to tear down the houses and build an approximately 10,000 square foot building with a bordering fence and parking.

The new storefront is expected to bring about eight to 10 new jobs. Construction will begin in December or January.

In other news, council members Bivens, Jessup, Kevin Hamilton, Christy Curts and Tom Johnson:

•Heard from Robbins about an upcoming auction Oct. 15 for the following vacant lots starting at $300 apiece: 398 W. Lincoln St., 320 W. Washington St., 322 W. Short St., 324 W. Short St., 213 E. Washington St. and the empty lot directly next (south) to it, 126 Third St., 304 E. Ohio St., 213 E. Ohio St., 385 W. Washington St., 146 Grand St., 335 W. Commerce St. and 327 W. Commerce St.

•Received $3,991.31 to pay off a water bill after discussing a monthly payment plan with the landlord for the property at 137 S. Broad St.

•Agreed to donate $300 to A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope program and $300 to the West Jay Optimist Club for its upcoming Joe Doyle Memorial Golf Outing.