And a new contract is now approved for Johnstown Police Officers.
New Police Chief Mark Britton says he believes the deal will make an impact on both the department and the community.
Brock Owens has more from the Police Chief about what effects the contract could have as the department looks to move forward.
According to Johnstown Police Chief Mark Britton this contract has been in negotiations for about 10 months
And the contract does give officers in the city a significant pay raise.
Britton says Johnstown’s starting salary for police officers was about $10,000 dollars less than what comparable departments offer and while it’s still slightly less it’s more manageable at about $2,000 less starting at
about $56,000 a year.
The contract was approved at Tuesday’s City Council Meeting when Britton was named the Chief Of Police.
He calls the contract long overdue and says he believes it will attract more officers and he expects to have 37 in the department by the end of the year which is the amount the city budgets for.
Johnstown City Manager Art Martynuska says this does not change the plan to add a Public Safety Director position to handle administrative work for both the Police and Fire Departments.
Britton says he believes the Police Department is headed in the right direction and one of his main goals as Chief is to retain officers in the department.
“If you have the salary there that you’re working for that is comparable to anywhere else, but I think again that’s any job. But, if you have the ability to be able to negotiate the contract that we do, and the working relationship the fop has with the city, I 100 percent believe our
retention is going to be strong.”
Britton adds that keeping morale up and having an open line of communication will also play into retention within the department
But maintains that retention is one of his top goals as Chief.
Brock Owens ABC23.