Are the officials running the police departments in the villages of Great Neck overpaid? Let’s put this into perspective.
NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is responsible for the public safety in a city of nearly 8.5 million people. He is in charge of 34,500 police officers and thousands of civilian employees. Last year he was paid $205,180.
In the same year Kensington Police Chief Michael Conlon was paid $230,957. Kensington has a population of 1,185. The village spent $1.06 million of its $1.18 million payroll on police salaries. More people live in some Queens apartment buildings than in all of Kensington.
The figures are similar in Kings Point, Great Neck Estates and Lake Success. Supporters of this taxpayer-funded largesse note the crime rate is very low in these communities. We wonder: would the crime rate be any higher if the police chiefs were paid a more reasonable salary?
Kensington Mayor Susan Lopatkin told our reporter that the village police departments provide more personal interaction with residents. “It’s an incalculable benefit,” she said. “You can’t put a price on that.”
Yes you can. Last year it was $230,957 just for her police chief.
Every cop in the NYPD knows that the grass is greener here and the work is far less dangerous.
Kings Point Mayor Michael Kalnick said, “The Kings Point Village board of trustees does not always agree with the decisions of the arbitrators who establish police salaries, but we are legally bound by their determinations. At the same time, the village enjoys a low crime rate and we are pleased with the police department’s fast response time, performance and dedication to the residents of Kings Point.”
In that case there is something terribly wrong with the arbitration process. And while a low crime rate is good, is this really because of the police? Would the Kings Point police force be less dedicated if they were paid salaries comparable to the cops in New York City?
If the taxpayers have no problem with the lofty salaries, that’s their choice. But we wonder how many of these taxpayers are paying attention to where their money is going.
