Police union leader urges approval of salary package

Jen Lawson

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

The leader of the union that represents most Metro Police officers said Monday that the department might face difficulty attracting suitable applicants if the department doesn't increase salaries.

The Las Vegas Police Protective Association has been in negotiations with city and county officials over its labor contract since February. The current contract expires Thursday.

Detective David Kallas, executive director of the union, urged officials Monday to approve the proposed salary compensation package, which he described as reasonable given the cost of living increase since their last contract negotiation in 2001.

"Based on our economic circumstances now, specifically housing, it is going to be tougher for the department to draw qualified candidates to Las Vegas when they can no longer use the fact that we have affordable housing compared to the rest of the country as a selling point," Kallas said.

Metro currently offers a starting salary of about $42,000 and the median sale price for a home in the Las Vegas Valley is now $302,000, he said.

He also pointed out that the county's growth task force has raised the consumer price index to 7.2 percent.

"We're not looking to be the highest paid police organization," Kallas said. "We're asking to be compensated fairly."

Kallas made his plea before Metro's fiscal affairs board, a committee composed of elected officials from the city and county who oversee the department's finances.

About 20 members of the union, most in gray Las Vegas Police Protection Association T-shirts, attended the meeting Monday to show the committee the faces of those whose lives will be affected by the contract decision.

Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese and County Commissioners Chip Maxfield and Tom Collins, the committee members in attendance Monday, were not able to comment on Kallas' statements because they came during the public comment portion of the meeting as opposed to being a separate and specific agenda item.

Sheriff Bill Young said both sides have been "very agreeable" in their negotiations.

After the meeting, Kallas said the talks hadn't broken down and he didn't expect that to happen.

"We're definitely not at an impasse," he said. "I don't think we're that far apart ... I think we truly could resolve this very soon."

If they do hit an impasse, the next step would be non-binding arbitration.

Asked about the details of the proposed compensation package and the sticking points, he said, "discussing specifics of the contract is a line I'm not going to cross."

The union consists of 1,900 dues-paying members that represent the department's 2,300 officers and detectives.

Morale among the rank-and-file is "OK," Kallas said, adding, "anytime you deal with uncertainty there's bound to be restlessness." He said he hoped an agreement would be reached soon so police could focus on their duties without distraction.

But the public will not notice a difference in police services if both sides can't come to an agreement before the contract expires, he said.

"Our job is to protect and serve regardless of the contract," Kallas said.