Crime & Safety

New Contract for Shrewsbury Police; Teachers Going to Mediation

At its council meeting, Shrewsbury announced a new contract with police, but noted difficulties with teachers.

Shrewsbury Council announced at its recent meeting that it’s come to terms on a new contract with its police force, just minutes before announcing that negotiations with its teachers have come to an impasse.

In what Councilman Pete Meyer described as a fairly quick and painless process, the borough’s police are now under contract until 2015. The department has also been given assurances that two new officers will be hired to replace the dwindling number caused by recent retirements.

The department has agreed to one-percent raises through 2014, with a two-percent raise in 2015. The borough also agreed to abdicate to the State when it comes to how much officers are required to pay for their health benefits.

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While negotiations with the local Police Benevolent Association were concluded ahead of schedule, negotiations with the borough’s teachers have not gone as smoothly. The borough and its teachers have been unable to come to any agreement through negotiations. The matter will go before mediation, likely sometime this fall, Meyer said.

“While the PBA has their feet firmly entrenched in reality, the teachers do not,” he said.

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In regards to police hires, two more officers are expected to join the force at the start of July. While the department had been looking for new officers to join its ranks, the council had not officially signed off on any new hires until recently.


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