Backed By Overtime, Cops Command List Of Top 100 Municipal Wage Earners For 2022

Analysis and Comment, Law Enforcement, News and Events14 Comments

It’s the yearly ritual of an understaffed Police Department. Officers, led by overtime, once again dominate the list of 100 highest municipal wage earners for 2022 with just one outlier cracking the top 10–former Superintendent of Schools Michael Testani.

Retired Lieutenant Richard Azzarito leads the field with gross earnings $305,445, but accumulated payouts such as holiday and comp time are included in that exit number.

By comparison Mayor Joe Ganim appears pauperish, bringing up the rear at number 99 on the list, receiving roughly $168,000 in pay for the year.

In the case of Police Chief Roderick Porter who placed second on the list his overall payout includes his 2022 summer retirement prior to applying for the top cop job.

See full top 100 grid with complete category earnings breakdown: top 100 2022.

Just a handful of non-police personnel such as fire officials and educators appear on the list.

Police leading the top 100 is nothing new but the percentage in 2022 represents a commanding presence with the city losing personnel power to retirements and departures to other departments coupled with hiring issues, a national trend as forces struggle to recruit new hires amid numerous law enforcement controversies.

What was once a highly desired profession has pained departments to fill the gaps, something Porter has prioritized for 2023.

You can’t blame the cops for earning if it’s available. The looming question, however, is something Porter himself has raised about past practice of parceling out overtime when it was not necessary.

In a mayoral election year police staffing will certainly receive its share of give and take among the candidates.

See top 100 below. Fuller picture here.

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14 comments

    1. When it’s all said and done, this Janitor will turn out to be the richest of them all. Who said one can’t re-invent the wheel? El sinco de Mayo (believe it or not) , Speedy will have reached 26 years with the city. I will leave on 6/20/23. I will start my business literally from the ground up with an idea that came to me about 16 years ago while stripping and waxing floors at the Bridgeport Police Department. I will soon transfer from the PD to City Hall ’til June 20, 2023. I hope Lennie Grimaldi agrees to write our book titled: Devine Intervention. It’s just a matter of time from here on.

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  3. Waiting for City of Bridgeport to post data that public gets interested in while current? Wait a while, anyway.
    But most years record 365 days, breaking into 52 weeks of seven(7) 24 hour days. The days are organized into shifts, and if your shifts are based on a force of over 400 female and male certified officers, and the actual number of unretired, non-disabled, and not on vacation available and certified totals less than 300 you have a problem in terms of having to assign what is called INTERNAL OVERTIME. When you add in EXTERNAL OVERTIME requirements, there is a certain problem, HOUSTON!!!
    One step in handling generates a list of top paid folks, serving the public over many hours in the past year. Good for those workers as a regular diet? Good as far as effective policing and enforcement in the eyes of the public? Other steps to be tried? Public forums? Time will tell.

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    1. John, that’s how social/capitalist democratic governments work dude 🙂

      If there is a certain problem for Houston. Don’t blame the rocket. 🙂 The EXTERNAL compensation/overtime paid for the city’s services and its employees by contractors that are calculated as part of their retirement/pension plan is INTERNAL.

      Everything is on the backs of the taxpayers, contractors/businesses in one form or another. What can you say, government employees have a hardy appetite, especially when the taxpayer is picking up the tab. 🤣

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJY2VnTcfK8&t=2s

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  5. This is interesting in the fact this is the first I am hearing of this. In most of the national left-wing social/news media, the right too, has been silent regarding this incident, generally overall on police conduct since Biden took office from the Orange man. t

    Though the right is generally silent about any police malfeasance, but the left/BLM? I can only assume in part because the officers were black. If these five officers were white, Fuggedaboutit. consider what to place after Floyd. JS

    Try to play nice people, peace out. JS

    https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/26/us/tyre-nichols-memphis-thursday/index.html

    In local news, I see John Mayer going to headline the “Sounds” on Sound. 🙂
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phaIklEphSM

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