Police Officers, City Approve Contract

Police officers and city leaders struck a tentative deal Tuesday, bringing an end to contract negotiations that were stalled for nearly six weeks.

The contract was approved Tuesday evening by a unanimous vote of the Simi Valley Police Officers Assn. The City Council tentatively signed off on the pact late Monday night during a closed session.

The proposed three-year contract was hailed by council members and officers as an equitable solution all around.

“We’re very happy to have a new contract,” said Fred O. James, president of the officers group.

The new contract includes increases in holiday benefits, special assignment pay in the first year and salary adjustments in the second and third years. The contract also modifies the city’s existing disciplinary appeals procedure regarding cases that involve discipline the department imposes on its own employees.

“We wanted fairness in the process, and we believe with the new agreement we now have gone a long way to creating a relatively fair system,” James said.

The 100 rank-and-file officers represented by the police officers association had been working without a new contract since July 1. Talks had broken down previously over the issue of binding arbitration for disciplinary matters.

Under the last contract, officers subject to discipline could appeal the disciplinary decision of a captain or the police chief to a state administrative hearing officer. But the city manager had the ability to overrule the hearing officer’s decision. Now the city manager will be joined by two City Council members in ruling on disciplinary matters.

The new contract calls for the city to pay for the cost of the officer’s first disciplinary hearing.