Detroit City Council Calls Special Session To Discuss Pay Raises For Police Force
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The issue of pay raises for police officers has prompted a special session by Detroit City Council.
Council members will be coming back from recess early on December 17 to vote on pay raises for the city's police force.
Councilman Andre Spivey pointed to the deadly shooting at an east side market that also saw two kids hospitalized, as justification for why police officers deserve more money.
"I've heard the stories, I've read the stories and I've gotten phone calls [about crime] and a large number of those are from the east side of Detroit. Our police officers can't be everywhere at all times but they help to protect and serve us -- they just can't predict every crime," Spivey told WWJ's Vickie Thomas.
Mayor Mike Duggan announced a plan Monday that would raise starting pay by 13 percent to $36,000 and give 4 percent raises to officers with at least five years on the job. In exchange, the city wants to extend the contracts by a year and make some changes.
Police Chief James Craig says pay raises are critical to retaining officers. Union president Mark Diaz says Duggan's proposal is a "step in the right direction" and an opportunity to recover money lost in previous years.
Most officers are expected to vote Thursday. Starting pay still will be higher in many Detroit suburbs.
The mayor says city employees "should share in the upside" of Detroit's improving finances.
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