The City is proposing legislation to drastically reduce the pension benefits of future police officers. If adopted, this legislation would dramatically alter the character and compensation structure of the police profession in New York City by making police pensions essentially equivalent to the pensions of civilian employees through extending mandatory career length for service retirement, eliminating the Variable Supplement Fund Benefit, and requiring greater employee contributions during service, amongst other modifications.

I am writing to ask you to join the PBA’s efforts to defeat these entirely unwarranted changes to the pension benefits of New York City police officers.

The proposed changes in pension contributions and benefits are:

1. Police Officers must complete 25 years of service and be at least 50 years of age to retire with a standard pension benefit of 50% of Final Average Salary.
2. Final Average Salary will be a three-year average rather than the final year of service.
3. All police officers must contribute of 5% of annual salary to their pension for 25 years.
4. The City’s “Increased-Take-Home-Pay” pension contribution will be eliminated.
5. The Variable Supplement Benefit for service retirees will be eliminated.
6. The statutory cost of living adjustment to annual pension income will be eliminated.
7. Police Officers will vest after 10 years rather than 5 and will earn only 2% of final salary per year.

We need to tell our elected officials that drastically reducing pension benefits will undo the recent progress we’ve made in moving toward a market rate of pay for New York City police officers. The salary increases that police officers have earned through their service and that the PBA has fought hard to secure through arbitration and negotiation should not be reversed by legislation diminishing the value of benefits. There is little doubt that if adopted these changes will devalue the police profession, produce a less qualified police force, and again exacerbate the NYPD’s recruitment problem.

Please look up your respective Assembly person and State Senator, download the attached letter, sign it and mail it to your legislators. Please make sure to sign the letter.

Please join the PBA in seeking to maintain the character and compensation of the job of NYC police officer. We ask you to take the time to petition your representatives to oppose this legislation.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lynch
President

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