A deal has been reached between the City of Ithaca and the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association on a new three-year labor contract.
Under the agreement, which goes into effect January 1st, the starting base pay for an Ithaca Police Officer will increase from $57,461 to $74,000, while top base pay for an officer will go up from $89,885 to $100,12 over the life of the agreement.
Additionally, an on-call list has been established for Ithaca Police Investigators given an increased need for around-the-clock investigative coverage and expertise. Investigators will now also have a new pay scale separate from officers assigned to the patrol division. The new pay scale is intended to further professionalize the title and role of an Ithaca Police Investigator and properly compensate them for the work they do.
Ithaca PBA President Tom Condzella said, “This contract is a result of strong collaboration and partnership between the PBA and the City Administration. It took commitment, mutual respect, and reasonable people on both sides of the table to get this deal done. The timing of this settlement also coincides nicely with the Department’s recruitment efforts. By supporting this agreement, the Mayor, the Common Council, and the City Administration have sent a strong message of support to all current and future Ithaca Police Officers. The message is that they value our service and that they are investing in their police department, in public safety, and in the future of our community.”
Condzella believes that with the new agreement and other incentives being offered, IPD will start to pull out of the staffing crisis they have been in. He said that as staffing improves, he expects to see officers once again be able to proactively address crime and other issues as opposed to simply responding to calls for service. Condzella also hopes that Ithaca Police Officers will soon be able to get out of their cars more frequently to better engage with the community.
