Kings Point police highest paid in New York State

The Island Now

Village of Kings Point police department officers were not only the highest paid police force in the state last year, but the highest paid department in any municipality, according to a report released by the Empire Center for Public Policy.
According to the report, which used a payroll database of both part-time and full-time employees actively enrolled in the state pension system as of August 2016, Kings Point’s 21 police officers received an average salary of $222,394.
“The figures used to compute the averages include regular pay, overtime and pay for unused sick and vacation time,” an Empire Center summary said. “However, the figures do not include pension contributions, health insurance, and other fringe benefits, elements of total compensation that can add 35 percent or more to personnel costs.”
The Empire Center, which is an independent, non-profit group that aims to promote good public policy, released its 2015-16 “What They Make” report last Thursday.
Kings Point is one of four villages in Great Neck to have its own police force. Great Neck Estates, Kensington and Lake Success are the other three villages.
According to seethroughny.net, Empire Center’s transparency website that lists municipality payrolls, six of the top 20 highest paid village employees in the state were Kings Point police officers.
Sgt. Steven L. Bobrik earned $270,987 during the 2015-16 fiscal year, Commissioner John F. Miller earned $270,759 and Lt. George J. Banville Jr. earned $263,988, which is good for 3rd, 4th and 5th on the list, respectively.
Sgt. James Moran earned $255,328 and Sgt. Wlliam P. Truss earned $250,449, which saw them come in at 7th and 8th on the list. Sgt. James G. Dalglish earned $246,715, good for 15th on the list.
By comparison, New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, who will be officially replaced by James O’Neill on Sept. 16, earned a salary slightly above $200,000, according to the New York Post. The New York City Police Department has about 35,000 uniformed police officers.
“The residents of Kings Point benefit from around-the-clock police patrols and protection, resulting in an extremely effective deterrent against crime and an average response time of less than two minutes,” Kings Point Mayor Michael Kalnick said of the salaries. “Residents benefit from more personal interaction with members of the department, such as the ability to notify the police if they are going out of town for an extended period.”
Kalnick said police department officers and administrators work closely with village officials “to maintain a safe and secure community.”
“The village enjoys a low crime rate and village officials are pleased with the police department’s fast response time, performance and dedication to the residents of Kings Point,” he said.
Kings Point’s 2016-17 fiscal year budget calls for the village to spend about $5.47 million of its $16.88 million budget on the police department.
“Police salaries are determined by contract negotiations between the village and the PBA,” Kalnick said. “If the parties cannot agree, the process moves to mediation and then binding arbitration for a final determination.”
Kings Point has 5,131 residents, Great Neck Estates has 2,801 residents and over 70 retail stores, Kensington has 1,175 residents and Lake Success has 3,030 residents, according to 2013 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Great Neck Estates Police Chief John Garbedian earned $248,520 in the 2015-16 fiscal year, which saw him appear at 12th on the list.
Lake Success Police Sgt. Thomas Fernandez earned $246,983, good for 14th on the list.
Old Westbury Police Lt. Ronald P. Scorzelli earned $248,762 and Sgt. Thomas O’Shea earned $242,732, good for 11th and 19th on the list, respectively.
While four Great Neck villages have their own police departments, the villages of Great Neck Plaza, Great Neck, Saddle Rock, Thomaston and Russell Gardens utilize the services of the Nassau County Police Department, some of which have more residents and a business district.
In Great Neck Plaza, there are 6,925 residents, according to 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data. There are also over 260 retail stores in the village.
In the Village of Great Neck, there are 10,143 residents, according to 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data. There are also over 130 retail stores in the village.

By Joe Nikic

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