Binghamton PBA presents MOA with three retention measures: more comp time, rolling retention incentive, double pay for mandated shifts

Larry Hendrickson, president of the Binghamton Police Benevolent Association, presented a proposed memorandum of agreement that would modify the department’s collective bargaining arrangement to reduce turnover and improve retention.

Hendrickson described three main changes: raise the amount of compensatory time officers may accrue from 80 hours to 160 hours (the cash‑out maximum would remain 80 hours); convert a current $2,000 “retirement incentive” paid at year 20 into a rolling retention incentive that pays $2,000 at year 20 and an additional $2,000 for each subsequent year a sworn officer remains on staff; and pay double time instead of time‑and‑a‑half for officers who are mandated to stay because the department is below minimum staffing.

Hendrickson said the city currently budgets for 145 sworn officers but has 121 on the roster, a 24‑officer shortfall that will rise as retirements occur. He said the compensatory‑time change could reduce overtime payouts by giving officers a non‑monetary alternative, and the retention incentive aims to keep experienced officers on the job.

Hendrickson and council members discussed how the retention proposal compares with evidence from exit interviews. Hendrickson and Chief Joe Sakowski said formal, written exit‑interview data are not centrally compiled; personnel handles exit interviews and the department relies on a combination of word‑of‑mouth and anecdotal reasons such as officers wanting to work closer to home or avoiding the most demanding city policing work.

Council members asked about projected costs. Hendrickson said mandated overtime in February 2024 totaled 216 mandated shifts; using an estimated Grade 3 overtime rate of $55.94/hour, the department paid about $96,664 on mandates that year. If those same mandates were paid at double time, the cost would rise to $128,874 — a difference of roughly $32,210 based on last year’s mandate hours, Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson said the retirement‑to‑retention conversion would not increase immediate budget outlays because the existing retirement incentive line is repurposed; he estimated only a small number of officers would receive the retention payments at any one time (he said eight officers currently would qualify under the proposed language).

Council members asked for written data on retention and exit interviews. Several members said they supported targeted measures but asked for more documentation and analysis before acting. No formal council vote on the MOA occurred at the work session.