March 19, 2007
Video: Cops seek better pay, benefits
Video by Duncan Adams | Produced by Hunter Wilson
Police Officer T. M. Mealey brought his children to the demonstration, a protest organized Monday by the Roanoke City Police Association.
Mealey said he has a family to support.
Other officers pushed strollers or simply walked the line in front of city hall. The mood seemed upbeat.
But Mealey and others said they believe the city of Roanoke must increase pay rates for police officers and provide relief for rising costs of health insurance premiums.
Sgt. Scott Altizer, president of the Roanoke City Police Association, said police exhausted all efforts to negotiate better pay and benefits through official channels before taking the association's cause to the streets.
Roanoke City Manager Darlene Burcham has acknowledged that compensation for city employees lags behind comparable cities in Virginia. But she has cited lower costs of living in the Roanoke region and previous efforts to recruit and retain police officers as factors influencing the pay and benefits offered by the city to law enforcement officers.
Comments
[March 21, 2007 4:56 AM]
Linda J. MorrisonWe could use any and all Roanoke Police Officers in the State of Alaska. Not only is this state a wealth of resources and bennifits, but one is " paid " yearly to live here. Called the PFD. Both state and federal employees are guranteed a cost of living increase, known as COLA. This means that 25% of gross earnings are not federally taxed. There is no state tax in Alaska. Why not come to a state that would appreciate both you and your families? More than likely, help with moving expenses would be offered. Check us out! Don't wait. Sincerly, Linda J. Morrison Anchorage,AK