ALLENTOWN: Police agree to slash raises

By Peter Sclafani, Staff Writer
   ALLENTOWN — Members of the Police Department have agreed to slash their previously approved 4 percent raises to 2½ percent in order to create two new supervisory positions within the department.
   The Borough Council at its meeting July 31 approved a three-year contract for police, which includes the realignment of the department. The decrease in raises will help create the two new positions — a lieutenant and a corporal — which will help provide more structure to the department, a concern expressed by its current officers.
   The realignment will not add more officers to the five-man department. The Police Department right now only has a sergeant in charge of the police force, and officers were concerned over the lack of structure, according to Mayor Stuart Fierstein.
   When the sergeant is not on duty, there is an officer-in-charge, but there is no ranking officer to provide leadership and direction to the department, the officers say.
   Although police have not run into any problems because of the lack of command, they said they felt expanding the chain of command would allow the department to run more efficiently, according to Officer Brian Stab.
   The new contract would have increased police salaries by a total of 4 percent over the next three years — 1½ this year and 1¼ percent the following two years — however, the officers agreed to forgo their 1½ percent raise this year in order to create the new positions.
   ”Our police are community minded, and they are doing a very good job,” Mayor Fierstein said. “I wish we were in a position to do more for the members of the department.”
   The changes will take effect in late August, according to Mayor Fierstein.
   Officer Stab will be promoted to corporal, and Sgt. Daniel Panckeri, who is on disability, will be promoted to lieutenant when he returns. For now, the position of sergeant will remain vacant, and there are no plans to immediately fill the spot, Officer Stab said.
   Lt. Panckeri’s salary will be $79,722, which will be raised to $81,728 by 2014. Cpl. Stab’s salary will be raised from $73,018 to $74,855 in 2014.
   Members of the police force came to an agreement regarding the police contracts amicably, Mr. Fierstein said. Allentown police officers hope the realignment will allow the department to better serve the community, according to Mr. Stab.
   ”I think it was very much a mutual decision” by the department and the borough, Mr. Fierstein said. “It is important to have structure in the department.”
   Officer Stab said, “I think it will be a benefit to the community. It is a good thing for both the Police Department and the borough. The department will be able to run more efficiently with more leadership.”