Martinez Mayor Responds To Police Officer Salary Concerns

MARTINEZ, CA — The mayor of Martinez responded Friday to concerns expressed by the Martinez Police Officers Association about the Police Department's ability to recruit and retain officers given the current compensation. The association sent a letter to local newsrooms and posted it Monday on social media, saying, "The Martinez Police Department is facing severe recruitment/retention issues," and stating that a city study found salaries are 17 percent behind the county average and second from the bottom.

But according to a news release from Mayor Rob Schroder, "The MPOA asserts in this statement that the city is not responding to their request for an immediate salary increase, and thus is prioritizing other community
issues and projects over the public's safety."

Schroder added, "The city is making every effort to be responsive to MPOA's request within the confines of state law."

The mayor said, "the city expressed its willingness to discuss a salary increase with MPOA," and that in order to do so, "it is necessary to engage in the legal meet and greet confer process," as outlined by the state's Brown Act regarding government transparency.

The Brown Act governs labor-management relations in California local government.

The mayor said the city attempted to initiate the meet and confer process with the police officers association, "but they declined to open the relevant sections of their contract."

Attempts to reach the association were unsuccessful.

By Bay City News Service

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